DISCLAIMER: This post is for informational purposes only. Sulfur is flammable and toxic. The mix is strong enough to give you third-degree burns, and just one spark can set it off. You cannot take this stuff for granted. The ingredients are bad for your eyes as well, and experts always mix them in well-ventilated areas.
Black powder, the original gunpowder, can be made from sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate. Even if you never make your own gunpowder, these items are worth having on the homestead, anyway. In fact, they all have a place on the homestead for one use or another.
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Are you going to be firing a black powder rifle with your homemade black powder? Likely not. Still, making black powder can be a lot of fun. It can be used for fireworks, and it’s a great firestarter.
Black powder and a magnifying glass can be as reliable as a match! From the homeschooling perspective, you can show your kids the power of a chemical reaction, and this one will really get their attention.
The following tools are required:
- Safety Glasses
- Gloves
- Sleeves
- Dust mask
- Hat
- Fire Extinguisher
TOOLS
You are going to need a few items to make this process work easily. You will want to mix in a ceramic, glass or plastic container. You cannot mix in something that could potentially spark, for reasons I hope you understand.
Make sure you have a fine-mesh sieve, wooden spoon and a plastic or glass container to measure in.
Sulfur
There are several homestead uses for sulfur. It can be a feed supplement for livestock as it can help with digestion. You can also use it as an antiparasitic or an antifungal. It’s also a terrific way to lower the PH level of your soil.
Potassium Nitrate
You will find this product also called Salt Peter. It is most commonly sold as a stump remover. Having something like saltpeter around on the homestead can be an immense help. You can use it for its intended use as Spectracide or a stump remover. It’s also used in agriculture and can add nitrogen to your garden soil.
Charcoal
I am very picky about the type of charcoal I use for black powder. When I make it, I buy activated charcoal. I want the charcoal to be fine powdered already. I do not like going through the hassle of messing around with powdering ingredients. I use black powder primarily for fun, so I want it fast and easy.
Activated charcoal has tons of uses on the homestead. You can use it medically, and to clean and even to brush your teeth. I brush my teeth with activated charcoal once or twice a week and its abrasive nature as well as absorbing qualities get those things just as pearly white as possible.
Step by Step
1. Measure out your ingredients using the jar. 75% potassium nitrate or ¾ of the jar.
2. 15% charcoal
3. 10% sulfur
4. If you don’t have a scale or the patience to figure these percentages, use the method that I have used above. It may not be exact, but I promise, it will light up just the same.
5. In the next step you will mix these ingredients together. The quality of your mixing will dictate the quality of the finished product. Some people add rubbing alcohol to the mix and sun-dry it. I have found that a quality, fine mesh strainer can be used to make a great mix.
6. Take a little mix at a time and tap the sides of the strainer with a wooden spoon. This will hurry the process through the strainer and allow you to incorporate the ingredients in a way that regular mixing will not.
This is a method used in baking called sifting your ingredients. It’s very effective in making black powder. It also shaves serious time off mixing.
7. After using the strainer, the first time you will have a few clumps of sulfur left behind. Break them up and push them through the strainer.
8. Stir the mix with a wooden spoon once you run it through the fine mesh strainer.
9. Put the mix through the strainer at least three times. Remember, this stuff is all about well-mixed ingredients. From here I will have a mix that is ready to burn.
10. Then the fun part comes. It’s time to test it out! I use a little bit of the local mailer that hits my box from week to week. It’s not good for anything else!
11. Once the mix catches fire, you will know it! Be sure to KEEP YOUR DISTANCE.
12. From there, store it in a glass or plastic container.
13. If your powder isn’t working out, you can add some rubbing alcohol to moisten the mixture. Spread the mix out and allow it to dry. This should increase its performance.
Homestead Fireworks
One of the things you might miss about living off-grid and far from a major city is the joy of thundering fireworks in times of celebration. You may find that the sky doesn’t light up but for the stars. For most nights, that is highly acceptable. It’s hard to argue with the heavens against the backdrop of space.
Still, at the very least, the 4th of July rolls around and you want to hear the screaming and popping of fireworks to celebrate the birth of this great nation.
One of the most fun uses for your black powder is to use it in the creation of fireworks. Here is a massive dump of DIY fireworks links. Same rules apply. Be very careful with all of this. It’s not impossible but it can turn out really bad if you don’t take precautions!
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This is what is know as “corned powder” an very early version of black powder . And is a very dangerous and foolish thing to be playing with. You run a real risk of being burned badly and even blowing yourself up. One spark is it takes to set this off
This is a really poor process. If would be hard to hurt yourself with this because the process described here will produce lackluster powder.
Old timers would dampen their mix with stale urine. It’s loaded with several types of nitrates. Mix to a paste, spread thin and Sun dry. Re-crush to whatever fineness you’re after. A clothspin is handy?
I don’t think this is a good idea to publish. There are enough “hotheads” out there without you publishing dangerous instructions
I understand the homestead DYI and off-the-grid concepts but anybody can read this powder recipe and make it, but “anybody” also includes kids and over zealous fire makers. Homestead website has many great ideas only this one borderlines irresponsible. Wish you would take it down.
It is a survival site.if it offends you,you are free to move on. Hitler put flouride in the water,then started gun registration, then rounded up and murdered millions of helpless jews. if they had only been able to defend themselves, but wait they had no powder, no guns, no ammo , they were restricted from the knowledge that could have saved them and you wish to do the same because of what a deranged criminal would do. Dont punish or with hold from others on the account of the actions of criminals. you are with holding or punishing innocent people for what a deranged criminal [ might ] do. Thats like blaming my gun for what anothers has done. silly isnt it ?
Well said. You are so right. Thanks, Marjorie
Good Day.
Yes on the black powder issue. This recipe is available on many other sites, thus no use of removing it here, at least now you get a trustworthy source of info on what tom do and what not.
Survival is now in this time of our lives the only option, especially here in Africa.
Soon we will be without all means of going in to a shop and buy what you need, prepping and survival skills will be the only resource from now on for the indefinite future.
Why are people so freaked out about FLUORIDATED water? It helps keep your teeth strong.
Many people do not own firearms that use black powder now a days. It has not been seriously used for several HUNDRED YEARS. In a modern hunting situation ;you need to be a very accurate shot if you’re using a black powder rifle. you have to kill the animal on your first shot. If it’s only wounded;it might escape while you’re reloading your rifle.
I’ve made black powder for years and it’s a blast.(pun intended) Just a few things. Make absolutely sure that you do not use anything that might cause a ‘spark’. Remember, too, that ‘static electricity’ can cause a spark. This probably doesn’t need to be said, but…No Smoking’ anywhere around this while making it and especially, after you are done. I had a friend who did smoke…once. He came home after 4 days in the hospital. If you get the ‘itch’ to make any other compound that burns or is explosive in nature…read up on the chemicals you are using. There many chemicals that are perfectly stable by themselves, but when mixed with certain other chemicals…become highly unstable and ‘will’ cause a great deal of excitement.
I’m jewish and agree completely with tge fact that they couldn’t defend them selfs. As far as criminals doing bag things. We would have to make everything disappear. I’m sure somewhere in the world someone was killed with a butter knife. I’m done with that. I like the way this was put up and I learned a lot. Im a big muzzle loading guy. As far as tge accuracy of a bkack powder rifle. They are extremely accurate.
I have herd that you can use burnt hard wood chuncks and grind to make the char. is this right.
Yes, but it has to be those chunks that are fully burned (gasification). The chunks you’d want to use are the same ones that are light and airy and can almost crumble between your fingers. Don’t use the white powdery ash.
One filter you could use to make sure kids don’t access this information is to charge a few cents for this. Most kids don’t use a credit card so it would ensure only adults can access this. I agree that we don’t want censorship. If the card is verified, you can be reasonably sure it is an adult. Just an idea.