[BProckets]

[Bill McAlister]

Thanks Terry. 
 When you say "not too big" for a batch , could you bemore specific?
I have not recieved my toolingyet and am concidering buying 1lbs tooling and 4 lbs tooling. 
I decided on those sizes for 2 reasons. 1 i alreadt have 4 lbs whistle/strobe tooling and 2 i thought 1 lbs rockets would be an economical way to experiment.
 
That being said how much BP would i need to make say 20 1lbs rockets as opposed to 20 4lbs rockets?
 
Sorry if these are noob questions but lets face it...im a noob. :-) I have been reading all pyro related material i could get my hands on . I also have been in a local pyro group for going on 2 years now. What can i say im slow and methodical. Ive been just aquiring things as i could. 
 
Aside from a growing library of books i also have a hiquality ball mill, a good set of scales, the afore mentioned tooling when it gets here and a presure to force gauge.
Ill have ahydrolic press in a few weeks as well.
 
as for chemicels i only have say 10 lbs sulfer flower and 10 lbs kno2.  I have not decided yet if i want to attempt to make my own charcole or buy some...leaning tward buying it untill i have my procedure down..its 1 less variable.

Terry McCreary <terry.mccreary at murraystate.edu> wrote:
At 07:48 AM 9/22/2004 -0700, you wrote:
>i currently have "Black powder Manufacture Methods and Techniques" by Ian 
>Von Maltitz as well as Tom Perigrins book "Introductory Practical 
>Pyrotechnics" wich has a prety good section on makeing BP.
>
>Untill i have at least tried the methods in these books I think ill hold 
>off on more how to books on BP. Unless of course the general concensis is 
>that these books are not something a beginner should be useing. I have 
>been told by several pyros that these are indeed reputable books.
>
>Please advise on youre opinion.
>Thanks in advance, Bill .

Hi Bill:

You can never be too thin, too rich, or have an amateur's library that is 
too large... 

I have Peregrin's book and recommend it highly. One caveat to his 
techniques for BP: a stainless steel or pyrex (kimax) vessel is strongly 
recommended. Some coffee carafes are NOT pyrex and can fracture. Even 
pyrex can break if the vessel has a layer of solids at the bottom, and is 
heated too quickly (personal experience). Do not try to make too much at 
one time.

BP without dextrin incorporated will crush easily...but it also 'dusts' 
easily. With dextrin, it's harder to crush but doesn't produce as much 
dust when ramming dry (which is how many pyros make BP motors).

I have not read von Maltitz' book but it has been strongly recommended by 
some folks on other pyrotechnics groups.

Best regards -- terry

Dr. Terry McCreary
Department of Chemistry
Murray State University
Murray, KY 42071
270.762.6499

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