35 replies to this topic

[monty]

Hi

with respects to melting the nitrate and sugar together what is the average time scale for this and also is there a limit in respects of weight to use in
one go.

Once this process has been followed how do you ignite the smoke b**b, would an electrical igniter work, connected to le maitre firing system.

Thanks Paul

[BurlHorse]

Hi

with respects to melting the nitrate and sugar together what is the average time scale for this and also is there a limit in respects of weight to use in
one go.

Once this process has been followed how do you ignite the smoke b**b, would an electrical igniter work, connected to le maitre firing system.

Thanks Paul

Hey there Paul, Just a couple of Things.....

1) Work Outside......Using a Hotplate with tin foil over the elements, if you spill while stirring, nothing will fall through where you can't get to it. if it does you basically will have to start over to get the spill cleaned up, foil makes it alot easier.....

2) Remove Pan from Hotplate while stirring, easily the safest way to go and it only takes a second. Totally eliminates problem #1.

3) Use Gloves, Cotton Garden Gloves will do, Once this Stuff Starts Getting Soft like taffy, if you accidently spill any, on your skin, it Keeps Right on Burning for a long time, you wont be a happy pyro!

5) Trying to Funnel this stuff in your casing is a joke unless everything is hot, so Be sure that your comp has reached the "pourable" stage before you attempt filling any cases. (This can take a very long time, so be patient and allow yourself a couple of hours for a 2 pound batch.)

5a) Keep a Bowl of Sand Nearby to Put any bottom Leaking Cases into, just push the leaking end in the sand and finish filling it, the sand will stop the leakenough to continue,

6) I can't stress enough how ho this stuff is, If your Hot Glue gun has ever attacked you, thats a walk in the park compared to a sugar Smoke Candy Burn, similar but the candy stay hot ALOT longer, Keep a Bucket Of Cool Fresh Water Around at all times when Working on any Pyro Project as removing the heat from any burn is the fastest way to keep a little burn from be a nasty one.. Speed is critical if you do get burned, so make this an automatic responce sort of thing.

7) When your done and things have cooled, store these in a tightly lidded Metal biscuit tin as Rats, Mice Etc. Will make a bee line for them or any hard to remove spills.

I would not try anymore than 2 pounds to start out with until you get comfortable with all the procedure and safety issues. Just remember all burns hurt, some more than others. This above operation is relatively straightforward except for the very few pitfalls I mentioned above. Just don't rush and things will go fine. Also after you have had this over the heat for 1/2 hour, and any moisture in the chems is evaporated, you can put a lid on the pan and this will speed things up a bit, but will require a closer eyeball on whats going on inside the pan, check it and remove from heat and stir regularly. Hope That Helps.

Good Luck,

Best Regards,

Bear

[Electron]

The simplest way i have found to make some smoke is to measure out equal volumes of sucrose and sodium chlorate weedkiller and add them to boiling water to make a saturated solution, then pour the solution over absorbent paper 5 or six layers thick. Put this somewhere to dry. The dried product will light easily, burns fast and very hot, and is hygroscopic.

The composition contains a chlorate so you must know about the dangers of this before making it, read up about chlorates on this forum, google, and books if your current knowlege of them is limited.

For more details about making this stuff check out this page:

http://www.chemlab.o...chems_comps.htm

and scroll down to 'WeedKiller Sucrose Propellant'

[fireball85]

i was told epsom salts and sugar works the same as KN03, but i tried and it didnt And i need some potassium nitrate, though only 500g of it, can anyone point me in the right direction to get some for very low prices (NOT GD), or if anyone knows of any alternative smoke mixtures that dont require ordering fertaliser etc. but can be made from household objects?

Thanks

[sizzle]

i was told epsom salts and sugar works the same as KN03, but i tried and it didnt And i need some potassium nitrate, though only 500g of it, can anyone point me in the right direction to get some for very low prices (NOT GD), or if anyone knows of any alternative smoke mixtures that dont require ordering fertaliser etc. but can be made from household objects?

Thanks

You can get KNO3 from several retailers (HINT: kno3.com, gardendirect.co.uk) at cheap prices, gardendirect sells 2kg for about ?10 I think.

[Pretty green flames]

You can get KNO3 from several retailers (HINT: kno3.com, gardendirect.co.uk) at cheap prices, gardendirect sells 2kg for about ?10 I think.

HINT: Kno3.com is a ripoff

HINT2: You can get potassium nitrate as K-power fertilizer IIRC

[sizzle]

HINT: Kno3.com is a ripoff

HINT: HINT taken, I'm no longer buying from any of the KNO3.com websites.

[fireball85]

yes but i only really want upto 500g, im only making a few smokes and wish to spend no more than a fiver on em incl postage. (i know im a cheap skate lol)

[completebeginner]

where i live its about $15 for 500 g

[sizzle]

yes but i only really want upto 500g, im only making a few smokes and wish to spend no more than a fiver on em incl postage. (i know im a cheap skate lol)

If you go to http://www.thegreenman.me.uk you can get about 500g Potassium Nitrate for about ?4.80.

Edited by sizzle, 12 October 2005 - 07:21 PM.

[neo]

can any other types of suger be used? like lactose/sorbitol?
if they can, should the formula be changed?

[fishy1]

can any other types of suger be used? like lactose/sorbitol?
if they can, should the formula be changed?

yes they can, just use your standard formula, sorbitol is meant to be safer as it melts at a cooler temp, so their's less risk of ignition(i use it for rockets because it melts at a lower temp than sucrose(normal sugar).

[damocov]

Somone asked about how to make KNO3, if you want to do some relativley simple "bucket" chemistry and learn a bit about the history of the chemical industry try a read of www.cavemanchemistry.com

I'ts very informative, in summary from memory the KNO3 recipe there avoids having to spend years with Nitre beds etc by using Quicklime to leach the nitrate out of the manure as calcium Nitrate and then by mixing aqueous solutions of Calcium Nitrate with Potash or pottassium carbonate (burn lots of wood and extract by recrystallisation from wet ash after filtration).

Simple metathesis occurs to produce potassium Nitrate and calicum carbonate the latter of which is insoluble and hence precipitates out leaving an aqueous solution of pottasium nitrate.

But lets face it buying it is a little easier

[lew]

If you just want a small sample of KNO3, www.hobbychem.co.uk sell it in 50 gram increments.

[juggalo_pyro]

I found a easy source of KNO3 for very cheap is a store like Wal-mart or Kmart in the form of chemical stump remover it usually comes in 1LB jugs but most of the chemical stump removers are very pure KNO3 but you should check the jug first as some of these have other nitrates in them

Good Luck
Steven