Making Gun Cotton

[@officialdirtmcgurt]

No gloves, metal spoon to stir, I love the reckless abandon at which you operate Sir!

[@SpiritedMaker]

safety third or not at all.

[@jackandy1736]

All kichen utensils are made out of stainless steel which doesn't react with sulphuric acid and does not oxidize However the glovelessness is inexcusable

[@CLCasual]

Safety squints engaged!

[@scinanisern9845]

Somebody lemme know when he pushes his last video. I want to see what he was up to when he disappeared.

[@jackandy1736]

@oddjobbob I don't know where you live, but where I live They sell all utensils made from the same shiny steel. I have used forks that I bought for a dollar each in electrolysis experiments to great results. Chances are if it's meant to handle food it will be made from stainless steel.

[@DavidHey-vd5wn]

When i was a youngster i used to steal nitric acid and sulphuric acid from an electroplaing works a few streets away from where i lived in hunslet leeds and myfavorite trick was to pour nitric acid into sodium hyperchlorite (i think thats what i used!!- memory!!) and watch the reaction. i could get the acids but could never access glycerine which was just as well. the acid was stored in glass carboys in straw filled metal frames at the rear of the building out of the sight of prying eyes and using wire and test tubes to access the acid and when the wire eroded away use a newer piece of wire. My clothes were always disintigrating driving my parents mad and staining my hands which were constantly peeling. At that time you could buy potassium nitrate and potassium permanganate over the counter in chemists with no problem and sulpher from gardening shops and of course i did have a disaster mixing weedkiller(no fire retardent at that time) with suger and learning quckly of its ability to spotaneously combust ......there were other things.....Im now almost 80 and how iv got this far in years is beyond me.........

[@Peasmouldia]

Aged about 11/12yrs, we would buy glycerin from the chemist ; "What do you want it for?" My mum has a cold, it's for glycerin and honey..' We would then put a little potassium permanganate (liberated from the school chem classroom) in a glass bottle with a solid screw top lid, drop a little glycerin in and chuck it sharpish...... very effective little grenade. BTW, we are of similar vintage. Ta.

[@ProlificInvention]

I'm 43 but I caught the tail end of absolute freedom and was very similar in my interests and ability to acquire "interesting" -dangerous and contraband materials for lots of super risky testing.. Had some close calls, alot of fun, and never got really caught. Good times

[@Anon-xd3cf]

I hope to live a life like yours... I'm halfway there. But every year seems there a new law making fun illegal.

[@bobbimega]

You had access to nitric acid but not glycerol?😂

[@DavidHey-vd5wn]

Yes-13-14 years old !! There was also a railway siding which my friend and I used to frequent there were carriages with no doors (that I can remember and the access wass through the roof inside the walls were quilted with insulation and the Carriages carried large blocks of frozen carbon dioxide with sacking and bits of string also a deep breath as I knew carbon dioxide being heavier than air asphyxiation was possible gulp if air lower into the carriage quickly tie a string and manoeuvring with sacking climb out and drag to the nearby river air and dropping in as close to the canal middle as possible walking on large pipes slung on the outside of the suspension arms of the bridge I think the pipes carried gas but not sure about that. A few years ago I wanted to build an organic nitre bed but my offspring weren't going to have that happen as it involves manure wood ash and urine! Lots of urine!! I gave in to the protests !!! My last fling in chemistry! Gone!😂😂😂

[@tipofthespear7182]

When I was 12 years old a friend of mine introduced me to gun cotton which was easily purchased from a paint manufacturer that was just across the road. Still to this day don't know why they sold it to kids. Any way his first experiment was to fill an old paint tin with the gun cotton , put a small hole in the lid and put a length of fuse around 6ft long into it. He then had a hole around 5 ft deep and placed the tin at the bottom. Then covered the hole with a sheet of tin with fuse hanging out and covered the tin with sand and some old bricks . We then lit the fuse and rushed to the side of the house to watch. When this thing went off it was a real explosion that lifted the tin sand and bricks about 3ft in the air with the loudest bang I'd ever heard. Powerful stuff.🇦🇺

[@SpiritedMaker]

That's awesome.

[@max_headroom_1987]

You had a proper childhood 👍

[@concernedaussie1330]

@@max_headroom_1987100%

[@UpcomingJedi]

You just described why children would buy it yet you dont get it? Merchants really didnt care what you did with it but now we have everyone suing them for their own stupid actions and judges agree.

[@tomhubbard353]

Back when screwing off like that got you experience, knowledge and entertainment unlike today gets you arrested for terrorism, bomb making or some other nonsense.

[@ohari1]

I applaud your absolute disregard for safety, sir

[@SpiritedMaker]

Safety third!

[@JohnnyBallou]

Keeps ERrooms busy!

[@barnowl6807]

Back in the mid '60's you could by nitric acid easily. Among other things it was used as a copper etchant and cleaner. A nutty friend had a container of both nitric and sulfuric on a shelf in a back workshop. One day his dad bumped the wall with the tractor and both bottles fell to the floor and broke. Wood floor. They knew enough to cut out and replace that section which had become "pithy" and had a bad smell. It sat, leaning against the side of the house for months until they finally were burning some trash. They tossed the cut flooring on the fire and wound up stomping out burning trash hundreds of feet away. With neighbors laughing the whole time.

[@SpiritedMaker]

Lol

[@neafranklin7905]

Can still buy nitric acid ... Is used in gold prospecting processes

[@ChristopherJones16]

Kinda like how popcorn was discovered... Gotta love how man discovers some of the greatest things we have today.

[@hernandovillamarinbuenaven7476]

@barnowl 😂😂😂😂😂

[@WRWhizard]

When I was a kid, my dad taught me the ingredients were nitric acid and sulfuric and you could use glycerine or cotton. The formula was in his Gilbert Chemistry set manual. The reason it's called 'Gun Cotton" or Nitro Cellulose is because it was the first replacement for black powder in firearms. Current smokeless powder is a mixture of nitro cellulose and nitro glycerine with stabilizers.

[@bobdllewellin7602]

ummm.... among other thingies!

[@TubeRadiosRule]

Depends on if it's single-base powder (guncotton only) or double base powder (guncotton & nitroglycerine)

[@jamesfowley4114]

A version is used for big naval guns, like 16-inch battleship main guns. Fast burning powders would destroy anything that big.

[@djsnowman06]

Nitro guanidine is also added in triple base

[@miguelcastaneda7257]

FYI urin also...fill a jar let it dry thr scale on side..nitric acid..years ago there were books improvised explosives

[@donwyoming1936]

Mix gun cotton & petroleum jelly, you get Cordite. Makes the gun cotton stable. But still goes boom.

[@johnfernandez7468]

Danke

[@nottellin1340]

​@@johnfernandez7468DNT I think is used in the industry as a burn rate reducer.

[@Max_Chooch]

Didn't they originally use camphor?

[@chemistryofquestionablequa6252]

@@Max_Choochthat’s for celluloid plastic, like in high quality ping pong balls.

[@SayaialahBeliau]

Bro just tell the recipe

[@mikegLXIVMM]

Not mentioned, but use baking soda in heated water to neutralize the remaining acids on the guncotton.

[@SpiritedMaker]

yep

[@natew.5511]

This is basically solid nitroglycerin. I was not aware potassium nitrate could be used in place of nitric acid (although I am aware potassium nitrate is used to manufacturer nitric acid. When I was a teenager we attempted to make nitroglycerin. I guess we were successful because it went off on us and luckily we were about 40 feet away from the reaction. Used a mixture of fuming nitric and sulferic acids and glycerin chilled in an ice water bath. Should have used dry ice because the reaction is not cooled sufficiently with ice water. In our case, the mixture went off as a fast burn like a rocket motor, did not explode. We were lucky! Made mercury fulminate too. Reckless as hell, and had a lot of fun with it. Made lots of it. It's a miracle I was not blown up and gives me the chills when I think about what could have happened. When you are a teenager you think you are invincible. Now I just realize me and my friends were just plain lucky, very lucky!

[@SpiritedMaker]

Thanks for the info.

[@donbaughhman3979]

been there, done that, luckily still have all my fingers LOL

[@SpiritedMaker]

@@donbaughhman3979 me too

[@Computski]

And we couldn't understand why all the adults chastised us so much, like, what did they know?

[@swarnamohanty3121]

Where is glycerin??

[@jeffreyyoung4104]

I love it! The gun cotton mixture can be used on any cellulose to make anything you would want to make burn faster! Use paper, and you can make flash paper, but use as thin as possible paper for the fastest burn rates, like tissue paper!

[@robertjenkins5440]

I thought the same thing, use that crate paper they use for party decoration's, that stuff is already super flammable!

[@JaimeGarcia-pe7bj]

The illegal bookmakers never use computers to take chalk. The buy old school paper blotters and convert them to nitro cellulose. Then they write down their bets. They always keep slow smoldering punk wood in the area of the back office. If the police come piling through the front door......yelling "police" by all in front! The punk wood ( there are several) gets tossed on the days treated blotter and the door is slammed and the chair against the door. By the time they get in......no markers.

[@jeffreyyoung4104]

@@JaimeGarcia-pe7bj I heard the cigar or cigarette smokers would blow on the smoldering coal and touch it to the daily blotter if needed!

[@JaimeGarcia-pe7bj]

@@jeffreyyoung4104 Thank you. Smoking and smokers are persona non grata these days. Bookmakers are actually a very healthy living inspired group. During the horse racing season in places that do not have off site betting among those bettors that make very big wagers with some very high thresholds players are few but the bettors are already vetted. As far as I know these high level book makers are honest because people that can get these amounts of money for fun can both pay debts and settle scores. I have been told by police officers that the race horse crowd only works this way during race horseseasons and don't do other sports? When you think about it newest is not always best. Such as the 30'06 has been around over 100 years and with new powders has more flexibility than it did a few years back. I am not a sworn police officer but just the forensic chemist.

[@josephdupont]

What about toilet paper? They're using toilet paper to make carbon for gunpowder, and it works very well

[@jeremylarson6267]

just a quick tip, if you are trying this at home, don't dry the cotton in a clothes dryer after rinsing, or if you do, make sure you have a fire extinguisher near by

[@DIXIEMAFIA251]

Too late! I burned my barn 3/4! My wife is pissed at me now!!

[@JesusChrist_IsTruth-LoveForALL]

Learned from experience? 🤔😂

[@michaeleverett2650]

I prefer using the microwave

[@theadoresmith2777]

For some reason, I can't help but think a Ren and Stimpy episode plot line could be made out of this ...

[@mweskamppp]

In my city there is a company that makes this gun cotton. About 25 years ago it was on fire. The drums with the cotton inside were flying 60m or about 200 feet in the air. The blinds of the houses next to it melted. I dont know who was there first the manufacturing or the houses. It would not be allowed to build that close to it in this time.

[@SpiritedMaker]

Yikes

[@ODColon]

A college friend was a physical chemistry major, would bring the two acids home from the lab, and was making gun cotton in his dorm room. He would entertain himself by setting a gun cotton ball on top of an incandescent light bulb, and it would go "pfffttt". One day, he came down to lunch with no eyebrows. He was doing some soldering in his room and got the soldering iron too close to a good sized batch of gun cotton.

[@DIXIEMAFIA251]

Thanks for this story of you and your Friend! You made me laugh hard! I can soo picture this happening! Hope all is well Brother! Stay safe! With love from Gulf Shores,Alabama! ~ROLL TIDE~

[@JesusChrist_IsTruth-LoveForALL]

😂 got any pictures?

[@billgausman5887]

@@JesusChrist_IsTruth-LoveForALL It was 50 years ago. I don't think my cell phone worked then.

[@JesusChrist_IsTruth-LoveForALL]

@@billgausman5887 😄 great story though!

[@colemair5367]

If he was using both acids He's lucky it didn't spontaneously combusted. Which is extremely common if not taking serious safety precautions

[@davestambaugh7282]

They always taught me that it was disolved in nitric acid. It looks to me like you would need to disolve it in acetone before putting it in your spray gun!!

[@MSmith-jf5wo]

Also called 'Pyrocellulose", in the magic industry. Used to make it in Chemistry Class, back in '59 (Yep, I'm THAT Old...!). Lol

[@mdforseth]

A hemostat to hold the gun cotton for ignition would be a good idea. Also, watching a cotton ball burn for 00:01:20 will scare away viewers; it’s okay to fast forward that stuff.

[@kennethmoles4643]

When I was visiting a history museum years ago, the fellow who was doing black smith demonstrations had some of that. He had something he'd toss in the forge and it'd flare up just like this. Interesting!

[@ralphhernandez3521]

Yes, I like the reckless abandon that you create your concoction with, but really can we do something about the background music from John Travolta‘s 1970s dance movies?

[@terrylane1492]

I made gun cotton when I was a young chemistry student using nitric acid. Was much messier than this. Well done, thank you

[@bekindandrewind1422]

If you didn't do the "wash", what would happen? Since both components are soluble in water, wouldn't that mean the "wash" is dissolving or taking some of the reactants away?

[@DudeInWalmart]

It whould spontaneously combust.

[@_L0KI.]

You don't have to wash it. You just add a little baking soda to the mixture and let it sit for 20 minutes before pulling the cotton out to dry

[@_L0KI.]

It's much safer and effective

[@subzero-em5br]

I know when making gun cotton you need Sulfuric acid and Nitric acid. I'm thinking the Potassium Nitrate turns into Nitric acid in solution with the sulfuric acid. I would be very careful what time of gloves you use because Nitric acid reacts violently with nitrile gloves. Like it literally makes the glove light on fire. Man when you were stirring the solution I was getting very anxious for your fingers. XD Glad you didn't get any on yourself. I was going to say next time you do this I would have a little baking soda water solution on stand by just in case you need to neutralize the acid.

[@SpiritedMaker]

I had a good sized tub of baking soda and water near by... :)

[@polishnope5609]

It isnt fuming nitric acid it does not react with nitrile gloves like that + sulfuric acid isn't that bad unless its hot

[@rickt10]

@@polishnope5609 A kind of fuming nitric is made by nitric acid with added sulfuric--creates nitronium ions IIRC. So adding sulfuric to nitrate produces the same thing--you just need a bit more sulfuric. And like you said, it does not react to nitrile gloves like that.

[@beargillium2369]

Water is better to dilute acid

[@oliverbullmann6176]

The best is in gloves and a Bittners water in case that the Acid gets in your Skin !

[@JugglesGrenades]

Sometimes when I watch the news, they have stories about some random house in the suburbs blowing up. The authorities like to say it was a "gas leak". Now, I am not so sure. 🤔

[@SpiritedMaker]

lol

[@redrum9612]

Nice video. Don't understand why we had to watch the regular cotton burn lol

[@buckfizzard291]

Wow many to SEE THE DIFFERENCE

[@rollinmckim4719]

Comparison

[@purdyboi8078]

Yeah...and for 2 whole minutes also 🙄

[@redrum9612]

@@purdyboi8078 lmao

[@MagnumInnominandum]

There was no other way to do it. Nothing can be edited, ever.

[@_L0KI.]

It would have worked much better if instead of "rinsing" it with water, you neutralized the solution by adding baking soda to it and letting it sit for 20 minutes before taking the flash cotton out of the solution. You can then take the cotton out and let it sit and dry. It would combust even faster

[@SpiritedMaker]

Thanks

[@stevefridell4555]

I got one for you- next time you're out roasting marshmallows slip a cotton ball on one of your drunk friends branch and watch the fun.

[@augustm.moschera8646]

🤣 That's funny right there!!!! I'm going to have to try that!👍

[@Troublemaker1022-r9c]

Dollar stores , yard sales and flea markets are great places to find old pyrex pots and pans. LONG handled wooden or bamboo spoons and tongs would be useful too. Get stuff you can just throw away when you are done. You DEFINITELY don't want to have someone come along later and try making mac and cheese in the brew pan.

[@John-ir2zf]

And to think... you only needed to add about 30 grams of erythritol to the nitration mixture, keep the temp low, and stir for several hours to produce stuff with some really punch 🤷‍♂️

[@KY-np6ow]

If I only had a metal tray…I know: I’ll use the access panel from my desktop computer! 😂

[@SpiritedMaker]

use what ya got! :)

[@geeder9086]

I love the test burn table -- old PC lids make the best burn tables -- LOL

[@SpiritedMaker]

As a PC tech... I have them in abundance... lol

[@josephdupont]

When I take the cotton and blend it in the blender

[@maximusmeridius3380]

Additional safety tip. Wear rubber gloves and eye protection while do this, and use tongs to light the sample. Not your fingers. You can also use concentrated nitric acid as the nitrating agent.

[@nickaschenbecker9882]

The fact it put the candle out is amusing to me for some reason. It reminds me of how they put out fires in oil wells by dropping dynamite down in them.

[@SpiritedMaker]

use up the oxygen and no fire.

[@brycesstuff]

10:17 flash cotton be damned, I want some of that magic dissapearing cotton you have there 😂

[@Graeme_Lastname]

I'd look to letting it soak for a while longer. That was pretty slow burning and left a lot of residue.

[@herbertsmith6085]

In the early days of aviation we used cotton cloth, and painted it through with celliose nitrate, ( nice clear finish) , when the engine backfired, you landed right where you are, even at 1000 feet of alt

[@jakelandry5645]

Do what???

[@floorpizza8074]

@@jakelandry5645 Early aircraft had cloth covered wings and fuselages instead of aluminum skin.

[@barrymayson2492]

To make fuses i make a saturated solution of sodium nitrate and soak butcher string in it for a few hours or overnight. Then hang up tp dry. I used to use filter paper but would burn to quick.

[@DIXIEMAFIA251]

Awesome Tip Brother! Stay safe!

[@bawdydog176]

I sense a Darwin award in the making.

[@SpiritedMaker]

You should see my Rocket fuel episode... heh

[@catman4644]

Ok I got tired of reading the replies from the safety "officers" and didn't see what I was looking for and yeah I know I am a year too late to the party also. However I noticed that unlike most gun/flash cotton this leaves a bit of ash and I was wondering if this ash could be eliminated (or mostly eliminated) using the same method and chemicals but with a few modifications such as maybe a longer soak time? More thorough rinsing? Maybe a different ratio of the chemicals? Or are we just stuck with needing fuming nitric acid and the traditional methods to make ashless flash cotton/paper? In any case an extremely interesting video and if I am going to have to just put up with a bit of ash then so be it, it's worth it to not have to go to the hassles with obtaining and using concentrated nitric acid, thanks al lot!

[@TheFireGoose]

Yeah the ash can be reduced/prevented by simply doing this but more carefully. Make sure the nitrate salt is fully dissolved, let the,cotton soak for longer, wash very very well, and dry well too. All This can improve the final quality of the NC

[@ralphkoch6652]

not completely nitrated. to make nitric acid with Potassium Nitrate, you need to distill the acid off the solution. Just mixing H2SO4 with KNO3 as in this case still leaves the Potassium present

[@occasionalyirasciblegit4084]

Tickles my chuckle nerve.No protectives, exothermic reaction, chilled water, acting on a container constructed using one of the most common, efficient, (very efficient), insulation materials, (that will incidentaly disintergrate readily into potentially lethal shrapnel), one living, breathing, crash tester Have you used up all of your medical insurance cover yet? We have the national health, get rolled in, bagged out, wheeled out, or walk, no exit charge to either survivors or succesors.

[@SpiritedMaker]

Who needs em

[@briankerr4512]

why are you holding the gun cotton in your hand when lighting it ?

[@SpiritedMaker]

Why not? Magicians do it all the time with flash paper.

[@Preyhawk81]

if its in alcohol soluble its only collodium wool. its an test how high you have nitratet it. but when i see the remains its only kollodium high nitrated burns much faster. highnitrated burns in an withe flash.

[@senseisecurityschool9337]

It burns a lot faster if you fluff it up.

[@zackzimmer7167]

If this video taught me one thing, it’s that tongs are over rated.

[@Will-dn9dq]

Funny I've always wanted to have guncotton to try out. Yet didn't realize id always had the chemicals available to do so. Homemade flash paper magic lol

[@blg53]

Your gun cotton leaves some carbon residue after it burns. Is that because the ingredients are not pure enough?

[@madd-mattmitchell917]

Where is your bucket of baking soda solution for "just in case"!

[@SpiritedMaker]

Just off screen

[@GabbyBillNumberOne]

Suggestion: Use a long handled Iced Tea spoon, to keep your hand farther away from the acid.

[@tonybarnes3658]

Think possibly if your water bath had been colder and cotton left in the acid longer the results would be even better. Faster and brighter flash and virtually no ash. Using fuming HNO3 works better but may raise some eyebrows on purchase if indeed you could get it! Gloves, and a glass stirrer may also be recommended!!

[@SpiritedMaker]

Yeah, I knew little and rushed this for entertainment purposes.... I would like to try again and make some good flash paper.

[@tonybarnes3658]

@@SpiritedMaker you will! There's at least one more video on yt on this subject. Can't quite remember his name. Schell....or something like that

[@tonybarnes3658]

Schel Sullivan?

[@pascaledits7219]

Normal gloves will just be trouble.

[@natew.5511]

In the 1970s got a 10 pound full bottle of Mallinckrodt fuming nitric acid out of a locked science lab via the five finger discount. Dummys who built the building installed the lab door with the hinge pins on the outside. Removed the hinge pins and lifted out the door. We had a lot of fun making stuff with it.

[@Chipr62]

You needed to rinse the cotton more in water until they rinse clear.

[@kenibnanak5554]

If I esd editing this video I would edit out some of the pauses and drop the music. :) That said, great video. Now, how do you decide how much is needed to duplicate some of the old British rifle loads?

[@stephenembrey883]

It's got a whole lot more oomph than black powder. I've seen people shoot it in their cap and balls and then the 357 magnum I'm sure it's got a hefty pressure spike. I'm gonna make some more, but this time I'm gonna try activated charcoal instead of cotton, no idea what that'll do😂😂

[@PhycoKrusk]

Sounds like a blast

[@floorpizza8074]

Nothing. Gun cotton is nitro cellulose. The cotton balls are the source of the cellulose. If you made your charcoal correctly, there won't be any cellulose left, just carbon.

[@Computski]

Wow, at first i thought, yeah but I can't buy these ingredients in Australia.... Sulfuric acid is available as pool cleaner and yup, a company here will ship you potassium nitrate as stump remover, which BTW can be used to make black powder with sulfur and good quality charcoal.... not that anyone should try any of this.

[@Chelovik_NZ]

I'm glad you were using a bionic hand to hold the gun cotton when lighting it

[@SpiritedMaker]

lol

[@rogergadley9965]

He couldn’t find his tweezers.

[@rogergadley9965]

By the way, I have fine hair on the backs of my hands. Do you? Perhaps you could use a taper or one of the long nosed lighters (the kind most people use to light barbecues) to touch off the guncotton.

[@rneal63]

I saw a video of someone using sulphuric acid and potassium nitrate with glycerin. They put a drop of the nitrated glycerin on a piece of paper and hit it with a hammer, causing it to detonate. I'm not sure if drain cleaner works for that or if you need to heat it to get the water out for fuming sulphuric acid.

[@anthonytroyrussell8179]

I jumped when you lite them like I was doing it myself lmao 😅

[@SpiritedMaker]

I think most people were expecting me to just blow up my shop.... heh

[@Max_Chooch]

I asked the a.i. some questions about what you did here, it seems to think you were 28g short on your addition of kno3 to the equation. That is assuming your sulfuric acid is a 40% concentration.

[@deanallman2506]

Is it ok to lick the spoon when you're done?

[@SpiritedMaker]

Probably not. :)

[@tomfile3131]

"Don't do this at home." "Do this in a well-ventilated area." LOL

[@DavidFMayerPhD]

Better yet, don't do this AT ALL.

[@PenDragonsPig]

Don't forget gauntlets, respirator, and eye protection.

[@roygaisser9230]

Okay. I watched the whole video hoping you were going to show us something useful to do with it, at the end. For what CAN it be used?---Anything practical or mo' bigger, mo' blasty fun??? Could it be compressed and shot with a tracer or something? Thanks

[@kellygraham4451]

During the civil war, the confederacy used it in place of black powder. I read that somewhere. I just don't remember the book it was in.

[@nancyhainline2517]

Ignore detractors. I enjoyed it. Just glad my sons are grown and didn't see it in their young and crazy days.

[@Johnpao215]

Bare hands is much safer than having gloves in nitration reactions. :) Use non-nitrile gloves, if you can find any.

[@idontknowmyfirstname69]

Mixing it like that when its being chilled while the nitrate salt will be fully disolved it will take some heat to get it converting to nitric. I've read that heating to 70°c is sufficent. I simply just warmed the sulphuric acid up to temperature and add the saltpeter you'll lose a fraction through decomposition into Nox gas but its negligible and is the fastest method to make the nitric you need. Kinda the dame goes for the gun cotton.. chill it in ice over night... Or just do it at room temp just keep an eye on the solutions temp or if it gets too high itll start melting the cotten or possibly have runaway nitration. But this way 10 or 15m nitrating is sll it requires. If you really want to give it some more kick. While the cotton is still in the solution instead of taking it out, pour in another equal volume of frest solution. You do it right instead of cellulose trinitrate as you would have from the first pass in the solution, to cellulose hexanitrate after double nitating it... Think if that like cellulose try nitrat's bigger stronger angrier, less stable older brother

[@EmilNemat]

You can not hexanitrate cellulose,you can barely trinitrate it😂😂😂😅

[@thatoneguy454c]

You shoud have golves and an acid gas cartridge respirator. You can absolutely destroy your lungs if you breathe in those fumes.

[@Brandon-Kraemer]

Gordon's tree stump remover and tsp in proper proportions... paired with a cap will make a loud noise

[@friball8728]

Is there a way to make musket cartridges with gun cotton and metal BBs?

[@alexjason7741]

I suggest you to use a pincerz next time, preventin u from burn))

[@DivineMisterAdVentures]

Okay, Mr. No-Eyebrows - show us your work! What's the reaction formula - in full?

[@tinkeringclaws5559]

Great video man, got my sub. I'm actually planning on making some of this soon and am gonna see if I can reload some ammo with it.

[@tinkeringclaws5559]

@@RedDogForge didn't find really any videos of poeple testing this for reloading. uploaded my own videos of ammo loaded with flash cotton.

[@DIXIEMAFIA251]

And how did it go?! Are you alive and well?!

[@tinkeringclaws5559]

@@DIXIEMAFIA251 obviously or I wouldn't have uploaded a video

[@BerzerkaDurk]

The only thing that would have been better than the metal spoon and lack of gloves at the beginning would have been if you were smoking a cigarette while dumping the sulfuric acid solution onto the sodium hydroxide.

[@waitemc]

That's drain cleaner has an additive that keeps it from working well its usualy the purple color. Its supposed to keep it from burning your skin quicky if mistakes as made otherwise that cotton would go poof more quick

[@BobbyOfEarth]

I thought I saw a few flaming hairs. One looked like it went east, then a trail of smoke going north. LOL

[@Artorius19631]

"...just a few household chemicals mixed in the proper proportion." ~ Colonel Hannibal Smith

[@michaeleverett2650]

" I love it when a plan comes together"

[@Chemo735]

Can this be done with a whole tee shirt or a pair of jeans? Maybe a canvas tent?

[@MrGrxxx123]

Is this how Walter white got started???!!😂😂

[@SpiritedMaker]

LOL

[@worm_vaquero]

Paladin Press published a book "Improvised Explxsives" by Seymour Lecher. His was sulphuric axid and acetone mixture.

[@levihill9590]

What is the mixture of drain cleaner to sulfuric acid

[@randyshaffersr.785]

I wonder if you used cotton string instead of cotton balls, would it make a good fuse ?

[@tomarmadiyer2698]

Much too fast and unreliable

[@tomarmadiyer2698]

But maybe in a pinch

[@SpiritedMaker]

A new meaning to a short fuse... heh

[@Jagdtyger2A]

I have always wondered whether or not gun cotton can be made from the cellulose solution used to make Rayon. The Rayon fibers are formed by extruding the solution into an acid bath, so why not a "mixed acid bath which would normally be used to make gun cotton. Does anyone know? My eyes are too far gone to do the experement my self

[@michaelhoffman5201]

And how well would this mixture work for an firearms propellant?

[@SpiritedMaker]

not sure, it's probably better as a ignition system.

[@kudgelthree3085]

Why not just shred the cotton at the start? Wouldn't it also nitrate easier and evenly. Or is there a reason not to?

[@SpiritedMaker]

The reason: did not cross mind! heh.

[@Max_Chooch]

I asked the a.i. some questions about what you did here, it seems to think you were 28g short on your addition of kno3 to the equation. That is assuming your sulfuric acid is a 40% concentration. This might explain why your flash cotton is, uh, kinda slow.

[@occasionalyirasciblegit4084]

11:17 How about a REALLY big piece? Look! No hands!

[@johannlangner289]

Lol, yeah, even before he tried the gun cotton, I was like, woaw! Stop, get away from other chemicals, outside and use a stick or wire to put it in the fire, not your freak'n hands 😂

[@johnceglarski9460]

A short spoon and no gloves. I'm sure you probably didn't bother with those silly safety glasses either, right?

[@dlmsarge8329]

I was thinking the same thing given his overall lack of concern over safety.

[@springbloom5940]

Add nitrate to room temp acid in three parts and completely cover the cotten with the hot acid mix for 30min. Results will be as good or better.

[@ramzezcerberus1417]

HOLY HELL DAWGGY...time lapse my friend...I wanna watch the important bits...ur really jus gonna make me watch u stir something..what's next a riveting video of paint drying?? Shit man I thought we was friends. ..

[@AhmedSabry-cz4kf]

I did all the steps, but when I removed the cotton and put it in tap water, the cotton fizzed and dissolved in the water. What is the reason for that?

[@SpiritedMaker]

Are you sure it was 100% cotton?

[@AhmedSabry-cz4kf]

@@SpiritedMaker yes

[@russnotdisclosed7249]

Too much acid transferred with the cotton ball and not enough water exchange quick enough. Wring as much acid as you can from the cotton before plunging into very cold water and immediately work as much acid out as fast as you can.

[@keidanmeradi8085]

I tried to make some myself, but after about 10 minutes all the cottons where almost gone and the whole thing turned into a delicious soup. do you have any idea why? I used 30% battery acid but I evaporated most of the water by heating to concentrate it first and used KNO3. and the cotton label says 100%.

[@SpiritedMaker]

Not really, it does turn soupy and then if you can carefully rinse it and let it dry it becomes cotton again... not sure with replacement ingredients.... I only did what I know and it is for entertainment purposes only... :)

[@keidanmeradi8085]

@@SpiritedMaker okay. thanks for the reply

[@keidanmeradi8085]

@Footing Ball555 No, that might be where it went wrong for me. I didn't think the temp is very important.

[@keidanmeradi8085]

@Footing Ball555 I am going to give it another try soon. thanks for the advice.

[@KingOfChaos213]

Can I serve this with croutons or just some crunchy baguette?

[@morningstarsci]

If only metal spoons could be nitrated... 😂 In all honesty, the stabilizers in the drain cleaner likely keep the spoon from being attacked too much.

[@JoeMicalizziMPC]

I'm guessing this formula could be used to make magician flash paper.

[@filker0]

Gun cotton and flash paper; lots of fun to make. One important thing is to not let the mixture dry in the glassware with the cellulose in it; getting it out is... difficult. Well, that's a lie, getting it out and keeping the glassware intact is the challenge. I was soaking tissue paper to make flash paper, left it in the mixture with a beaker full of water holding the tissue in the solution to soak, then got busy doing something else. When I got back to it, it was a dry glass/nitrocellulose/glass sandwich. The rest I leave to your imagination.

[@sirridok]

What's the purpose of the cotton? Shits n giggles? Cool stuff!

[@SpiritedMaker]

yep pretty much

[@glennhouse3553]

Reminds me if 8thgrade. 1968.good old days

[@BEDavisBrown]

I found a formula for making a plastic explosive back in the 60's using gun cotton and something else I forgot so I never made any.

[@SpiritedMaker]

Probably for the best. :)

[@BEDavisBrown]

@@SpiritedMaker Then most kids were putting saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal together without getting it to a fine powder and getting the same slow burn and it wasn't till later I had the idea to put some in an used model rocket engine with nichrome wire on leads and set it off with a battery and it worked only to well but I was to close and caught some in my cheek and that was the last time I did anything like that and setting here with all my fingers I think of all the teenagers and younger that suffered a lot more than I did just for the thrill of making explosives.

[@UNoBugMe1]

We would buy full boxes of matches, 50 packs to a box for 25 cents at the local supermarket when we were kids in the 70s. Collect all the match heads and make really cool things with them.😂

[@BEDavisBrown]

@@UNoBugMe1 Were those the strike on the cover or strike anywhere?

[@UNoBugMe1]

@@BEDavisBrown on the cover

[@therealbadbob2201]

Gun cotton is tough on barrels if used instead of black powder. Black powder is corrosive enough but gun cotton? Have a spare barrel laying around.

[@Parasclepius]

I'm watching this specifically to elevate the blood cortisol levels of my FBI agent.

[@RichardBarker-d1h]

This guy is having way to much fun with his gun cotton ! Shortly after this video his nickname was "lefty " 😂😂

[@tomupchurch4911]

Why so much ash? Bad batch?

[@moyai2555]

when i added sodium nitrate nothing happend :/ i think my drain cleaner contains sulfuric acid but idk it’s slightly greyish and when i added water it made a huge cloud of smoke

[@WaldemarSzmuro]

Can we use gun cotton instead of black powder in our pistols?