Homemade Black Powder Instructional - Minimal Equipment

Disclaimer: This video is not monetized (ineligible) and was made for educational purposes only. I take no responsibility for anything you do on your own time.
Optimal Ratio - 75% KNO3 : 15% C : 10% S (by weight)
This isn't really a "chemistry" video, more of those to come, but I still wanted to do something on my semester break. This gunpowder will be used for firecrackers which I'm making for new years. Expect another video about how I make my homemade fuses (without the use of chlorates/perchlorates), and how I actually pack together my firecrackers. I'm not to the confidence to use legitimate energetic compounds in firecrackers, and gunpowder is the safest alternative which still gives a bang.
In the future I'll be doing a video about the road to chlorates. The first few videos will be about making a titanium substrate MMO anode, so stay tuned.
#gunpowder #firecracker #diy #blackpowder #instructional

[@Matikis]

this is by far the most helpful tutorial and its funny how it has the lowest budget out of all of the popular high budget ones

[@kitchen_chemistry]

It'll cost you about 20$ total for equipment if you get the coffee grinder from a thrift store. The only big cost is your potassium nitrate, which can be cheap if you get it as bulk fertilizer.

[@jevinkames]

​@@kitchen_chemistryI found a pound of potassium nitrate on Amazon for $16

[@jerrydaniels7824]

I grind them separate. I do not worry about moisture. Ball mill it for 12 hours. Add 10 drops of water. Mix it . Make pucks with a bearing press . Put puck in dehydrator for 24 hours break it up . Run it thriugh a coffie grinder with porcelain gears. Screen with a 20 mesh . Now you have gun powder.

[@HomeGrownPyrotechnics]

Id advise against grinding BP in a coffee grinder, the motor isnt perfectly isolated from the blade compartment and you could end up igniting your mixture, even if not friction sensitive. Grinding the ingredients separately is fine

[@kitchen_chemistry]

You're right. I stay away from that in this video. I did do that for making a fuse, but very tentatively because its risky.

[@hunternedib1119]

I was grinding Potassium Perchlorate with my cheap Walamrt coffee grinderand the motor burnt up causing it to short- out and sent sparks in the mill and it exploded like a hand grenade. I had minor injuries which I can't explain, (Miracle)? I should have blown my hands off. I did some research and found out that after the particles get smaller than 100 mesh, they will explode with a spark or static, with no fuel.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

@@hunternedib1119 hence the scare I feel when working with it. Thats amazing you didn't lose your fingers

[@chemistryofquestionablequa6252]

Kitchen chemistry is best chemistry. I miss it because I have a toddler now, so it’s porch chemistry until I buy a shed for a lab.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

the shed idea sounds like a dream

[@KulKlas]

Making coal from alder is a good source of making good blackpowder! Next tool you need is a “ball mill”

[@kitchen_chemistry]

yes I agree, that'd be ideal. I wanted to make it with minimal equipment though, and in total this much equipment is under 50$ whereas a ballmill itself is over 60$, excluding media.

[@kaliumnitraat]

I subbed because i want to see your progress! You have a lot to learn and perfect, its the fun part of this hobby! ❤

[@kennethparker2168]

Grasshoppers you have much to learn

[@pARabell9mm]

Theres gobs of videos here on the Youtoobs on this subjuect, but I enjoyed the minimalist approach. Id like to see ways of aquiring sulphur and PN that are "kitchen ready"

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Sulfur I got from amazon, 99.9% pure for 18$. I dont think theres a cheaper way. The KNO3 is bought from a hydroponics store. If its unavailable where you live, you can make it with potassium chloride (sodium-free salt at the grocery store) and calcium nitrate (fertilizer). Those are the easiest "over the counter" ways to my knowledge

[@pARabell9mm]

@@kitchen_chemistry I've also seen how to get PN from from the dirt in/under animal pens from several sources, though I haven't tried it yet. Haven't seen a way to get sulphur though, other than buying it.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

@@pARabell9mm Train tracks. Sulphur often falls off trains transporting it. Its a biproduct of cleaning natural gas, so its normally transported to some storage facility

[@kennethparker2168]

There is a mix that you use sugar instead of sulfur and it works pretty good

[@kitchen_chemistry]

@@kennethparker2168 Sulfur helps with heating up the reaction though, so it would be the ideal solid if you had access to it

[@cJustin_]

10/10 subbing for future videos lol

[@kalleklp7291]

Tip: make a simple funnel out of a piece of paper and some tape to hold the cone shape you created. It prevents a lot of spilling. ;)

[@bomen330]

a tip. You can make your powder 100x faster if you use willow charcoal even with this method. one thing, though. Use a mortar and pestle and grind all the ingredients until they start clumping (takes 10 min). Mixing the ingredients like you do and you will have slow powder.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Willow charcoal is harder to come by I find, I used pine which does yield a lower burning powder but was good enough for fire crackers

[@bomen330]

@@kitchen_chemistry ah ok, in europe willow is everywhere. great vid, ur firecrackers are awesome

[@kitchen_chemistry]

@@bomen330 haha thanks man. Some of the comments have some valid improvements so if you're gonna make some I'd follow their advice. Plus the willow BP and you'd get some insane ones

[@Coretnor]

I came here for the Black Power, I stayed for the chemistry lesson

[@sweetshell2585]

🖤‼️ u da bess

[@6150RE]

Nice

[@OLIKOREK]

Keep up the work and jokes😂💪🏻

[@kitchen_chemistry]

haha thanks man :)

[@imhigh0013]

Captain James T. Kirk needs to watch this.

[@soap1244]

I will save this

[@user-dm4xf2jl2i]

عملك ممتاز لكن كيف تصنع بارود من حبيبات صغيرة تشبه باردة الحديد

[@jrwatkins3872]

Need a small ball mill!

[@kitchen_chemistry]

too much money for me right now 😪

[@KathrynLiz1]

You need to mill and granulate it for best results.... otherwise the burn is extremely slow.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Yeah that'd be ideal for lift charges, however I made this BP for firecrackers. I have that video filmed just need to edit it. The powder I made in this video makes some pretty loud ones

[@habaristra6248]

Although I have no interest whatsoever in kitchen chemistry or black powder. I'm subscribing for the great jokes.

[@jeffro.]

There were jokes? Geez, I thought the whole thing was a joke. It's like, "What not to do." There's stupid safety violations, and just inefficiency. It might "burn," but it'll prolly just be a smoke bomb, nothing more. Kinda like what I made when I was 10, before I learned anything.

[@daddski1]

Grasshopper you have much to learn

[@oddjobbob8742]

6 or 8 plastic barrels of the fertilizer Potassion Nitrate plus diesel fuel plus a dozen or so blasting caps per barrel are all that Timothy McVeigh needed to sheet the front off the Oklahoma City Federal Building. RIP, Tim.

[@robertpatrick1824]

Might I suggest using wristwatches as a charcoal source. You might get reall fast powder by setting the time ahead on the watches and slow powder by setting the time slow..

[@kitchen_chemistry]

great idea i'll let u know how it goes

[@jerrybox-vp6ub]

So based. I know what I wanna get my degree in now.

[@robertmaxey2158]

Will this work in a 50 cal black powder rifle and pistol

[@mrbyamile6973]

I've made it in a similar method and ran it through my .50 caliber Hawkin rifle from 60 grains up to 120 grains. It wasn't really any more dirty than store bought black powder. Ran it in my .45 caliber single shot pistol and my .44 caliber revolver. Works fine in all of them, would say it was a bit less powerful than store bought.

[@texascelt8363]

The stuff he is making won't work in a rifle if it does it would be very slow and week I've been making black powder for years and what I make is as fast and as clean as store bought black powder if not cleaner if your interested in how to make good black powder go to everything black powder on you tube or Hoffman reproduction on you tube they will teach you how to make real black powder

[@ricklinse7285]

Where did you get your mesh? What sizes are useful?

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Amazon or thrift store. I used a flour strainer (100-120 mesh), but it all depends on how fine you want your charcoal. Ideally finer is better

[@BINY-fs2is]

Im a dangerous man now😊😅. Thanks 👍

[@kitchen_chemistry]

make some firecrackers, bit of work but worth the fun!

[@kasdirah]

video I'm looking for

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Thanks :)

[@craigdempsey2230]

What was burned at the very end, wasn't that really crap?

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Its good enough for my purposes. If you want to use BP in a rocket, you'd need to granulate it, mill it, and use softer wood for charcoal. The point of this video was to show that you can make BP with "Minimal Equipment" which I ended up using for firecrackers

[@user-ks9ev5yx4j]

How to find potassium nitrate in asia

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Check hydroponics/fertilizer/plant stores. If not, then you can get calcium nitrate and mix it with potassium chloride, and freeze the solution to form crystals of potassium nitrate

[@Mbarhoumeh]

Brother. You are killing me making this so complicated. Your M&P is worth more than a ball mill from Harbor Freight. Lmao. Love your effort though! 75:15:10, Granulate, willow charcoal, get er done.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Ball bill from harbor freight is 60$ excluding shipping. Willow charcoal is hard to find and you need to buy it. "minimal equipment" means minimal equipment. I spent 20$ on equipment, and the only other costs were sulphur and potassium nitrate. I do agree thought, that willow charcoal and ball milling is optimal if you're willing to spend the money

[@sergioalvescordeiro9495]

Essa é uma pólvora de baixa velocidade. Serve para trincar rochas, se a tamponagem for bem feita. Mas para pirotecnia não serve. E para fragmentação de rochas profissional, também não serve.

[@karolus28]

Hi

[@GenessJames-eg8dx]

Potassium nitrate is hard to find from where i live

[@kitchen_chemistry]

You can make it from calcium nitrate and potassium chloride

[@GenessJames-eg8dx]

@@kitchen_chemistry thanks man I appreciate it

[@texascelt8363]

You can buy it at most hardware stores stump remover or just order it online. I get mine online order 10 pounds at a time for like $20 dollars

[@kitchen_chemistry]

@@texascelt8363 Yeah, unfortunately its banned in some places because its a precursor. Although a bit more expensive, it can still be easily made

[@texascelt8363]

@@kitchen_chemistry yup I figure eventually it will be banned everywhere that's why I stock up on plenty of it to last me the rest of my life and probably my kids and grandkids too lol

[@user-jd4xo7gn7h]

* - Remember folks - * Glass is an electrical insulator / anti static. I think you know why that might be something you remember. lol

[@Masteradamant]

Sifting the sulfur is the other option besides the coffee grinder

[@kitchen_chemistry]

I found that the sulfur is really hard to sift because its so heavy and hard to get into small enough chunks, thats why I combined it in the coffee grinder

[@Masteradamant]

You are lucky there isn't too much structural violence over videos like this; it's an undervalued video. The charcoal can damage a blender.

[@arelettehernandez6730]

4:15 im concerned

[@kitchen_chemistry]

👀

[@bendiksbendiks1859]

the granules should be small with a size of 2mm, 3mm diameter. Such sticks do not burn as efficiently as they should. So, show such a video how they granulate the black powder into small uniform sized balls of 2mm, 3mm. Separately, the granules should be quite hard and strong, not easily crumbled

[@Andy-xu7nj]

great video but put it in a ball mill and then granulate it for faster results

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Ball mills are expensive and this was done with "minimal equipment"

[@Andy-xu7nj]

i bought my ball mill with 70$. it's a rocktumbler and use marbles or ceramic balls as milling media@@kitchen_chemistry

[@imhigh0013]

30min (in oven)... and boom... 😂 no idea if a joke was intended.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

haha no 😅

[@ericstone8778]

wait did you admit to making explosives??? bro im just trying to diy black powder revolvers I dont wanna be on some list xD

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Lol check the first video on my channel

[@lukesheridan4623]

here before the fbi

[@Raspukek-fu8un]

hoha! ayzhan's kok funnaed joug.

[@darcam]

Surprised you don't have and Moisture Absorbers packs in your potassium nitrate to ensure it keeps dry?

[@kitchen_chemistry]

I would place some silica packs in there if I had any. However, the rest of my potassium nitrate will be used to make nitric acid for future projects I have in mind

[@donoberloh]

Desiccant packs?

[@kitchen_chemistry]

@@donoberloh yes, they suck the moisture out of the air. KNO3 is hygroscopic, meaning it grabs moisture from the air which is bad for BP. Using other substances to grab the moisture first increases the quality of ur oxidizer

[@bomen330]

electric hot plate, low heat on a pan for an hour stir every 15 min and the nitrate will be completely dry.

[@kalhoon]

Stump remover.

[@Frogmobile52]

Sorry but... This is how to make shithouse black powder... You are not even near "meal powder" good for fireworks. You powder will not ignite in a gun and if it does it will burn so slowly that you bullet will hardly exit the barrel. Moreover, when you pour the next load of powder you may have left some hot spots at the bottom of the barrel, glowing pieces of charcoal since you grinding is so coarse. DANGER. Your powed in not incorporated and for that you need moisture (water). To make proper BP you need a ballmill, a 10t press and a manual coffe grinder to granulate.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

I agree that you need a ballmill for great black powder, however, even the cheapest ball mills that work are ~60$ when you include the price for medium. "Minimal Equipment" means minimal equipment. This BP works for firecrackers, which is what I needed it for. Obviously if you want it for a gun you'd invest in equipment.

[@Frogmobile52]

@@kitchen_chemistry Thank you for your reply! No drama, fire crackers, rockets and fireworks don't need so much investment in work and gear. I made my ballmill with a beer keg (yes it's big!) a motor from a air conditioner, 4 rollerblade wheel, iron bar, 4 pulleys and wood work. A ball mill is also usefull to powder any other stuff needed (lead oxide now for me as i am making batteries..) Good luck and keep making BP it's the cheapest and best hobby in the world!

[@kitchen_chemistry]

@@Frogmobile52 absolutely. I'll probably invest in a ball mill for dark aluminum once i create a chlorate/perchlorate electrolysis cell (for use as flash powder)

[@Frogmobile52]

@@kitchen_chemistry my ballmill:kzbin.info/www/bejne/op7HY3d3m92DhZY my chlorate cell kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHvFYWZmmcl1Z9U

[@kitchen_chemistry]

@@Frogmobile52 Good job man, i'm planning on making some titanium substrate cobalt/manganese MMO anodes by decomposing their nitrates on etched titanium. The accomplishment of making a sturdy anode is worth more to me than the chemicals lol. I'm thinking of making an induction heater to heat the titanium to high enough temperatures, if not maybe a heat gun-powdered furnace in the future, I'd make a lead dioxide anode which are by far the best for perchlorates which are more desirable (I want all 10 fingers by the time I'm 30)

[@sanman187-]

(tripod?)

[@kitchen_chemistry]

i wish. i got a 10$ metal stand that my phone falls of 50% of the time lol

[@sanman187-]

@@kitchen_chemistry There are phone clamps that fit a tripod, I've got one.

[@juansolo1617]

Easier to make charcoal by packing a can full of wood chips, seal it up, then set the can in a fire. Less wasted material, more pure charcoal.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Absolutely. If I had an empty paint can, I would've done that.

[@Aerospace911]

I dont think placing gunpowder in an oven is the greatest idea

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Actually, gunpowder is barely even an explosive. You can hit it with a hammer, even heat it up to over 200c without it exploding. According to various sources, it ignites when heated over 400c or when exposed to a flame. However, in the video I only place charcoal in the oven, which is even safer.

[@KathrynLiz1]

Should be OK if the oven is warmed to about 110C and the power is turned OFF. Then put the powder in and leave until the oven is cold.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

@@KathrynLiz1 That's smart to leave the oven off. I've dried fuses and granules, but have never turned the oven off. Instead I make sure that convection bake is off to prevent any gunpowder from floating around. Next time I'll probably do that though so thanks :)

[@andreabc1469]

oh no!, not indoor please without Gloves and Stuff

[@kitchen_chemistry]

Gunpowder is quite safe, there are reports of soldiers using it as seasoning because everything in it is edible. However, it was annoying dealing with gunpowder under my fingernails...

[@kelvinsparks4651]

Charcoal is way overcooked , its by far the most critical thing too get right.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

I find it needs to be completely burnt. Have u had success with it partially burnt?

[@kelvinsparks4651]

@@kitchen_chemistry make the coal in a can with a small vent hole when the smoke stops venting from the hole take it off the heat and plug the hole then leave it too completely cool . I find young willow branches between 1&2 inches thick the best . Have a go and see what you think.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

@@kelvinsparks4651 I've heard of that method, but i'm pretty sure it only works with soft wood yeah? Willow firewood is hard to find where i'm at

[@kelvinsparks4651]

@kitchen_chemistry it will work with all woods but the harder the wood the longer it takes. If you can't get willow try birch ,Hazel or alder , they are the next best that I've found.

[@janpawlak5855]

statyw sobie kup, domorosły operatorze

[@user-dl1cf4xr6t]

Do your parents know what you are doing?

[@kitchen_chemistry]

🤣 no i just keep a lab making energetics in my basement a secret

[@mr.channel6467]

Get a camera holder, dude.

[@kentherapy7022]

Unfortunately, I have to say that the quality of your BP is one of the worst I've ever seen on KZbin....😎

[@kitchen_chemistry]

And that's fine, the title isnt "best quality BP," its "Homemade BP with Minimal Equipment." Minimal equipment means, unfortunately, minimal equipment. Thus, no expensive equipment was used. I spent 20$ on equipment from a thrift store, discluding the cost of chemicals

[@kentherapy7022]

@@kitchen_chemistry Thats truth....😆....Thanks for reply

[@poolshoesandrandomscrews1156]

This is just messy as hell, you opening the bag of potassium nitrate pissed me off

[@kitchen_chemistry]

dead serious thats how it came when i bought it

[@anonsforever_]

I can buy these ingredients but not a gun.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

home depot, get a galvinized pipe and with a cap and drill a hole in it, you can create a makeshift flintlock if you add a spark tray

[@usnchief1339]

@@kitchen_chemistry or two caps and make a pipe bomb

[@kitchen_chemistry]

@@usnchief1339 DEA doesnt like that unfortunately

[@madmattdigs9518]

Wow, this could be improved on in so many ways. I’ve been making gunpowder since I was a kid. This is the way I did it when I was 10 years old.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

"minimal equipment" is in the title. If you'd like to expand, go ahead. I enjoy making energetics, but use BP for firecrackers.

[@madmattdigs9518]

@@kitchen_chemistry eventually I would ball mill the mixture with glass marbles. The better mixed and the finer the individual particles, the better. I guess some people would consider it unsafe, but I don’t think you have to worry about that with black powder. Sorry, you did say that, I hope I didn’t sound like a total A hole.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

@@madmattdigs9518 Absolutely you're right. Ball milling BP is quite safe with glass marbles, and it would increase the burn rate a ton. I tried making a ball mill, but it broke after ~30 hours of running. I'll probably invest in one once I need powdered aluminum And no worries, you're all good.

[@madmattdigs9518]

@@kitchen_chemistry This is kind of funny but when I was a kid, if you went into any big drugstore, the used to sell jars of saltpeter. It was used for veterinary use I guess as a diuretic. I remember reading the label and there were instructions for how much to give horses and cows. Something like that… then in the same aisle they sold bottles of sublimed sulfur. It was called “flowers of sulfur”. But it was just a very fine powder sulfur. Which people would use in a bath for your skin. So, yeah, I used to go to the drugstore and get 2 of the 3 ingredients just like that. And even though I was a kid, no one ever questioned me about buying them. There was no reason to… then I would just use charcoal from my parents barbecue grill. The coals that were already mostly burnt worked the best. They were already soft and crushed up very easily. From reading old books at the library I learned that for explosive purposes, it was common to use a more even mix. Instead of 75% saltpeter, they used more like 50%. So, more charcoal and sulfur, less KNO3. But when I tried to do that, it actually burned slower. And that discrepancy drove me crazy. What I eventually learned was that you had to mix the ingredients on a molecular level. Very fine and very well mixed. And very dry. And you actually had to hard press it together wet, then dry it, and granulate it. Anyway, I had a lot of fun playing with that, and trying to increase the burn rate. Because really well made, it’s almost as fast as flash powder. Like if you buy it professionally made, for cannons or black powder rifles. It’s just really hard to do that yourself at home.

[@kitchen_chemistry]

​@@madmattdigs9518 Can't do that anymore haha. My dad has similar stories. You'd be interested in something called "yellow powder," sometimes called "fulminating mix." It's supposed to be a forgotten energetic mix, found in "Ure's Dictionary of Chemistry, first American edition, Philadelphia, 1821" or in a PDF online which I cant say the name of (KZbin has disabled comment sections on my past videos). Its copyrighted in 1998 by Dirk Goldmann, so not too hard to find if you search for it. As a side note, I have actually used this BP to make a rifle shooting a marble at >90m/s muzzle velocity, measured using some basic physics.