256 replies to this topic

[broadsword]

With regards to find a willow tree etc. Look at the Bark most will look like this....



http://www.ibiblio.o...gnolia_bark.jpg

Notice the little dimples.

ALso another give away is the leaves, but ofcourse you can only tell this in the summer! They should look like this....

Edited by broadsword, 26 October 2005 - 04:04 PM.

[Draco_Americanus]

Quick question? I can get a limited amount of aged pine, they are from a 50+ year old barn that was demolished, would this be worth the effort to collect and then convert to charcoal?
Does regular coal have a use in fireworks as well?

[Andrew]

Quick question? I can get a limited amount of aged pine, they are from a 50+ year old barn that was demolished, would this be worth the effort to collect and then convert to charcoal?
Does regular coal have a use in fireworks as well?

You mean Coal as in the Coal that comes out of the ground? If so, it's not likely. If might have uses but it is a little on the toxic side; it's filled with all sorts of nasties. Coke (processed coal) would be a better carbon fuel.

[minalth]

Quick question? I can get a limited amount of aged pine, they are from a 50+ year old barn that was demolished, would this be worth the effort to collect and then convert to charcoal?
Does regular coal have a use in fireworks as well?

making charcoal gets rid of the volatiles and thats what makes the c-coal good (as far as I know) so the wood being aged probably doesnt make much difference because the hard stuff is all still there...
would probably make a different type of spark though, or a different speed of bp, its amazing how much of a difference it makes with different species of tree...

I would get some and try a small batch out of curiosity myself...

[fishy1]

coal is used in some higher temp prime mixes, i think it was mixed with perc?

[fishy1]

at the weekend, i whipped up a nice hot fire (i was casting a few ingots of aluminium), and before i started, i thought, why not, i'll make some balsa charcoal. i choped it up, put it in a can, and heated it. not long after, my steel can melted, and i thought oh s**t!
i pulled out all the balsa wood i could see(it was charcoal by now), and chucked it in water to rapidly cool it. i left it a while, and then tried making a bit of bp with it. inside the charcoal, which i crushed with my fingers, there was some kind of liquid came out, so the charcoal turned to a paste. ah well, i thought, i left it for a bit longer over a heatsource to dry. then, i weighted out 75:15:10 BP, with my charcoal, and let it run in the mill. after a while, i whipped it out, and it was all moist. burning it (very hard to ignite) was slow, and i could see there was an excess of kno3. so i milled it with more charcoal, and it was as fast as regular bp or slightly slower. but, i know my quantities aren't as exact with wet charcoal, as the liquid weighs alot, so how do i drive off the liquid? i've tried heating it. now, i've powdered some and left it to dry. hopefully it'll work. anyone got some ideas?

[broadsword]

1. Pulling abit of wood out of a fire that has been exposed to oxygen will produce an inferior charcoal.

2. You soaked it in water! Let it naturally cool.

THese should produce some better results.

[fishy1]

1. Pulling abit of wood out of a fire that has been exposed to oxygen will produce an inferior charcoal.

2. You soaked it in water! Let it naturally cool.

THese should produce some better results.

my container melted, i did what i could to save it.

[paul]

Today I made my first batch of barley-charcoal in my 60L drum. Out came about 1Kg of very fine blueish charcoal which is perfectly usable for making black powder. Ok, it is ONLY useful to make black powder.

This scale is the only useful if you intend to make charcoal from cereals. This charcoal is most easy to powder and great to work with due to that fact. BUT it is not useful in making streamers or whatever.

paul

[ProfHawking]

i just milled my first batch of BP using lumpwood bbq charcoal, as my commerical airfloat stuff is used up.
I must say, i was quite impressed with the results. Certainly good enough not to warrent making my own charcoal for most things.

I selected the most brittle, light and "snappy" charcoal from a big sack. Then used a meat grinder to crush it up into (mostly) millable size powder. I used a drainpipe and a bucket to collect it in, which kept the dust out of my face whilst cranking away.

The rest of the charcoal can go on the bbq tonight to feed & heat the viewers!

[Von Bass]

i made a small batch of balsa charcoal and i got excellent results in a fountain, nice height and very fast!

[s2525]

Has anyone here ever used Cedar Wood for charcoal?If so was it any good?I am having problems getting information on it.

[fishy1]

Has anyone here ever used Cedar Wood for charcoal?If so was it any good?I am having problems getting information on it.

yep, i had some, and it's good stuff.

[s2525]

Good enough for blackpowder for the normal use?How would you compare it to Willow?Also in general will it make much of a difference if wood is treated?

[fishy1]

Good enough for blackpowder for the normal use?How would you compare it to Willow?Also in general will it make much of a difference if wood is treated?

i think treated wood gives off nasty fumes, but i've done it before and had no bad effects.


cedar isn't as hot as willow, but believe me this stuff will do everything you need, including lift.