Make Black Powder

Black powder is a simple mixture of powdered potassium nitrate or saltpeter, charcoal and sulfur. But simply mixing the ingredients together is not going to give you the results you are looking for. Follow these instructions on making black powder--just be careful as you are working with explosives. Whether your motivation is to save a little bit of money or the satisfaction of being able to make your own, you can certainly make your own black powder at home.

Steps

  1. Purchase the items you can. This is one of those instances where the better quality the ingredients you have, the better quality product you will produce. The saltpeter and the sulfur can be found in most drug stores.
  2. Make your charcoal. Willow, birch, fir, oak, beech ash, pine, and spruce, when charred properly, are good woods to choose when selecting wood for your charcoal. Place the wood chips in a large pot with a lid or a 55 gallon (208 liter)barrel with a lid, just make sure there is a little open area (a crack where the lid meets the container or a small hole) so some steam can escape. Build a fire under your container. When steam begins to exit the container, light the wood inside and reclose the lid. Let the fires burn out and wait for everything to cool. What is left inside your container is your charcoal.
  3. Grind your ingredients separately. Use a mortar and pestle or hand mill to grind the potassium nitrate. Set it aside. Grind the charcoal. Set it aside. Grind the sulfur into a powder as well, and then set it aside. It is very important to grind everything individually. You may also choose to use a ball mill. If this is the case, place your crushed charcoal and your sulfur in the mill, and run the mill for several hours. Once ground to a fine powder, remove from the mill.
  4. Chill 2 1/2 cups (or 600 ml) of isopropyl or denatured alcohol for every 100 grams of charcoal/sulfur mix you have.
  5. Measure your ingredients. The components of black powder used to be measured by weight. This has been calculated out, nowadays, as 75 parts potassium nitrate, 15 parts charcoal and 10 parts sulfur (or 25% charcoal/sulfur mix).
  6. Prepare your nitrate. Measure 1/4 cup (or 40 ml) of water for every 100 grams (about a 1/2 cup) of potassium nitrate in an old pan. Add your potassium nitrate. Bring to a boil. Stir continuously. Add little bits of water at intervals until the potassium nitrate is completely dissolved.
  7. Add the charcoal/sulfur mix to your pot of boiling potassium nitrate. Stir until all ingredients are completely combined.
  8. Take your chilled alcohol and your hot mixture outside. Add the hot mixture to your isopropyl alcohol. Stir together.
  9. Chill this new mixture. The more quickly you can chill this to {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, the better.
  10. Filter the mixture through cheesecloth or an old cloth. This will remove all the liquid from the solution. Throw out the liquid that got filtered out.
  11. Lay the mix out on a piece of paper to dry in the sun.
  12. Press the mixture through a sieve while it is still slightly damp. Spread it out on your paper again and allow it to dry some more.
  13. Run the powder through the sieve or a series of mesh screens a few more times to get it completely broken up.
  14. Store your black powder in a cool, dry place in plastic containers. Make sure to choose a place that is out of the reach of children.

Tips

  • Complete as many of these steps as possible outdoors and away from any flame or spark. The ingredients you are working with and the process of making black powder can be very dangerous.
  • Do not store black powder in a metal can, they can create a spark and ignite the powder.

Warnings

  • Black Powder is explosive and hazardous. Please observe safety procedures and follow all applicable laws. Black Powder is a true explosive, not simply flammable. As such it is even more dangerous than true gunpowder (nitrocellulose).

Things You'll Need

  • powdered potassium nitrate or saltpeter
  • charcoal
  • sulfur
  • mortar and pestle or hand mill
  • water
  • hardwood for fire
  • softwood wood chips for making charcoal
  • large pot or 55 gallon drum with lid
  • ball mill
  • isopropyl or denatured alcohol
  • cheesecloth or an old cloth
  • paper
  • sieve

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Sources and Citations

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