Thread: Making Black Powder

Originally Posted by Cordite

Do you have a picture please of the puk-pressing tools you use, I can't quite visualise it.

This is a new Computer my son gave me and it's not registered or licensed for 'Word' - so it won't read my 'old computer' I got on a disc - and that's where my pictures are.

My plastic cylinders are 97mm long, one inside the other and both split longitudinally.
The I.D. of the smaller one is just under 61mm and the O.D. of the outside one is just over 68mm.
Wall thickness of each tube is about 1.75mm - three hose clips hold them closed.
The short aluminium end cap is shaped like a 'top hat' and has barrel 10mm long that fits neatly in the pipe - the 'top hat' bit is a flange 10mm thick by 76mm diameter. This cap is in place when I load powder into the die.
The other cap has the same diameter barrel but is about 76mm long. It has the same flange as the other end, but is longer as this is the one that squeezes down.
I just squeeze 'em up until they can't go any further.

The two splits in the plastic barrels are offset to each other - so nothing comes out of them, and when I press I get almost zero free water, just a light dampness.
I use distilled water as I read Early American powders could be plagued by impure water which had a deleterious (bad) effect on the long storage of that powder - so I play it safe.
In the old days I used urine, fresh and stale because I'd read it made stronger powder, but reading up on the British powders of the time - and it's interesting reading too, they didn't bugger around with anything other than clean water.

All up, my die is 116mm long and remarkably pleasing to look at