Re: BP using newspaper charcoal

Actually thats a very good point about whats in the paper.  I understand
that they use a lot of ground glass in paper which could be bad for a ball
mill???


"Old Dog" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Mike G.) wrote in message
> news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> > So has anyone looked at the video? Or does no one care like the other
> > cellulose based charcoal threads like this one?
>
> Unfortunately, I think you've got it right. "Cellulose-based" charcoals
require
> careful attention to prevent overcooking, and the yield in weight per
volume is
> so low that it hardly justifies the time or trouble to make it. They are
> curiosities, interesting to play with if you just want to see what you can
do.
> When you get to the point where you're making your own aerial shells or
rockets
> that require pounds of BP, and charcoal is just one of many basic
materials you
> need, it doesn't seem practical to spend hours watching a retort to make a
few
> ounces when you can buy very good willow or Paulownia charcoal by the
pound at a
> reasonable price. Add to that the fact that you don't know exactly what
else is
> in the paper - it's not just cellulose, like white cotton fiber - so
there's no
> way to be sure just what else you are getting that may affect the next
batch's
> burn rate. When you start using BP to actually do things as opposed to
just
> burning it, you have to be concerned with uniformity - and with paper
charcoal,
> that's going to be well nigh impossible.
>
> Most of us are interested in reproducible effects, and fireworks in which
the
> black powder, while essential, is only a part of the process. Yes,
> cellulose-based charcoals have the potential to make some very fast BP.
Does it
> matter enough to spend the time and energy to make it? Not for me.
>
> But that's just my opinion, as usual.
>
> -Rich
>
>
>
>