ROCKET FUELS
All the rocket fuel I use is based on black powder. This of course, is Saltpeter 75,Charcoal 15, and sulphur 10
IF you are serious with pyrotechnics you will need a powder mill. A mortar and pestle is only good for so long. The cheap homemade version is a rocck tumbler with glass marbles in it.
I found a simple way to make a "crippled" form of black powder. I used to buy 10 lb bags of sulphur for 12 dollars at the gardening supply stores under the name of dusting sulphur. Last summer as I got back into pyrotechnics I noticed that dusting sulphur now contains 10% inert ingredients. This is an outrage. I could not find pure sulphur anywhere except in the pharmacies for 3.00 a half pound. This used to be the most commonly available pyro chemical there is. I went ahead and milled some black powder with it anyway and discovered it made a nice , slower burning propelant. I think it would be usefull in some situations but it bothers me that I dont know what the 10% inert ingredient is. It may be hard to recreate a formula used with it in the future so the bag just sits on my shelf now.
The general rule is the bigger the rocket, the slower the fuel should burn. If the rocket is a core burner, chances are strait meal powder is too powerfull. I got the 3 lb tooling from firefox and tried to press a rocket with meal powder. The things exploded like a bomb. I had trouble getting my powder SLOW enough to work. The best formula I have found yet for large rockets is :
FUEL FOR LARGE (1inch+ diameter ),CORE BURNING ROCKETS (slower than normal meal powder)
200 grams meal powder
400 grams green mix (just stired together, no milling)
For the green mix I mixed coarse saltpeter with airfloat charcoal and sulphur in the standard 75/15/10. The light moistening should disolve the saltpeter
20 grams Red Gum
mix thourouly. By moistening and pressing/ramming more power is added to the mixture (like pressing black powder)
lightly moisten with 90% acetone and 10% water
DONT MAKE IT TOO WET!! After moistening, the mixture should appear dyr and clumpy, stick together when pressed with a spoon and not drip any moisture when squeezed.