Originally Posted by
a.squibload
Thanks for this GP thread, got me to do stuff instead of just thinkin about it.
GP complaints & suggestions...
I was convinced by a video to purify the KNo3, and to try
making charcoal.
Nobody told me not to use aluminum to cool the solution.
I used foil to protect the aluminum baking pan. The nitrate salt
destroyed the foil and kinda wrecked the pan. I hope the bits of foil
won't make much difference in the mix.
I tried the "starch" powder, it was hard to do, took forever to dry,
set up hard as rock, failed to ignite in a 38 cartridge sticking the
bullet in the barrel (primer did that I guess). Won't make any more of
that stuff.
The Crimson powder worked well in a 38, point of aim at 25 yards.
I want to add some charcoal but the can I used to make charcoal
had no exhaust hole. I figured the smoke would get out through the
loose fit between the lid and can. It did but seems to need a hole
for more flow. There was a liquid residue that dried hard, also the wood
didn't all charcoalize. First time, I'll try again. As well as the CP works
I still want to try making BP.
(I didn't try CP in the frontstuffer, it was getting cold and I got hungry.)
Residue / rings in barrel with BP can be avoided with natural lubes
(non-petroleum), try a lube wad under the payload, works wonders.
Don't clean or lube with petroleum either, use natural stuff (Crisco base, etc.),
plenty of info here in other threads.
Bee trap: there are YT videos showing a simple wasp trap made from a 2-liter soda
bottle (cut the top off & invert it, wire it together making a bale to hang it
with, add colored sugar water, bits of fruit in for bait). Not sure if it would work on
carpenter bees, works great on wasps. 'Course "bee shot" is more fun.
PS: KNo3 smells like pee! :>(