can blackpowder be dried out if wetted?

[M. De Land]

Got this question on another forum and have read that the old timers were able to dry powder out in the sun and have it still work.
I suppose the question is how wet it got.
My guess would be that as long as it doesn't get wet enough to dissolve the grains so that the ingredients are separated that it should burn fine when the exterior is dried out.
What say ye?

 

[coloradoclyde]

Can you make dry powder wet? :haha:

 

[M. De Land]

It's actually much harder to do than some would expect if it isn't mixed with fouling.

 

[BrownBear]

You're stretching my memory gland here, but I've read those same accounts of drying "fouled" powder.

Here's the memory stretching part. I seem to recall reading accounts of powder being too wet to salvage. Dunno. Looking forward to more.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Why don't you test your theory ?

Just remember that there's a big difference between damp, wet, and powder soup.

Also the temperature and humidity of a particular climate will affect the results.

 

[MSW]

i remember hearing or reading that powder could be dried out, but that it lost some of it's explosivity (is that a word?) ... this sounds like a good project for someone with a decent budget (at least three or four pounds worth) and some high speed photos ...

Pletch - come save us from ourselves!!

 

[coloradoclyde]

(at least three or four pounds worth)

:shocked2: we're not building sandcastles :haha:

 

[tenngun]

Old saying for things going bad. "Heres wet powder and no fire to dry it". Had to have been done a time or two. Powder is made wet, often with stale urine, and dried.

 

[George]

I did an experiment to see if wet powder could be fired in the gun by poking powder through the touchhole. I stirred water into a small amount of powder until it was a very wet mud, not just damp, but mud. Tried it outside of the gun, first, to see if it was possible. Laid trail of dry powder to the wet pile and set it alight, it burned with a flash no different that I could see from dry powder. Stage two, I wet some more, put it into a pistol and fired it by poking in prime, it hissed and sputtered, but then fired, weakly, blew out the OP wad.

After the experiment was over I decided to try another, so I made up another batch of black powder mud, made sure it was thoroughly wet, then let it set until the next day to dry. It was a hard, dry lump. I pulverized it to fine powder, again, and dropped a match on it. Voila!







It all burned with a strong flash, apparently the same as original powder.

Spence

 

[M. De Land]

Thanks Spence, great work and exactly what I was looking for.
I amazed that it would fire wet when out in the open but not so much so when confined in the pistol barrel.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

The black powder was originally processed into a cake using water before being corned (crushed hard enough to separate into granules but not entirely into an air-float powder). So as long as you dry out your wet powder for 24-hours or so and carefully crush it into granules in small quantities, it will work just fine. You'll want to do small quantities in a small mortar and pestle and do it OUTSIDE. Be aware that 60-gr. of BP that you accidentally ignite by crushing it too aggressively will put up a flame 4 feet tall before you can get your head out of the way. So don't lean your head over it. As long as you're careful, you should be able to recover it.

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

 

[robinghewitt]

Colonel Peter Hawker always assumed his powder would arrive damp from his supplier. He heated stone slabs in the fire, moved them well away from the fire, then spread the damp powder over them to dry :thumbsup:

 

[Ron LaClair]

Some years ago, 38 years to be exact, I went on a canoe trek with some experienced buckskinners. One afternoon as we pulled to shore to set up camp for the night one of the canoes with two men capsized because of the swift current. Everything they had was soaked including the powder in their horns.

The next morning I was shocked to see them drying their powder in a frying pan over the coals of the breakfast fire. Needless to say I kept a safe distance form those crazy men. :youcrazy: I was a greenhorn back then but I learned something that day. True story, no :bull:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Hot stone, or heating up a skillet, walking from the fire, then putting the powder in the pan after testing the pan temp with a pinch... will work but over the fire is plain stupid.

LD

 

[Artificer]

A little historic background.

18th century British Army Regulations called for "refreshing" powder after it got wet OR even after it was even loaded in the Sentries' Muskets overnight and the load was pulled and the powder and ball saved the next morning.

After powder got damp or wet, it was usually laid on cloth in the sun. After it dried, the chunks were crushed back to powder grains. Then the "Official" method of refreshing the powder was to mix it with an equal part of powder that had never been used. This was done under an Artillery Officer's directions, if an Artillery Officer was present. (When Artillery accompanied the Infantry, they were always in charge of all gun powder for everything from cannon down to pistols.)

Considering as how we "Americans" were actually British until 1783, this "refreshing" method was also used by Militia Units that had experienced Officers and enough powder to do it. It was also used by the American Army in the AWI.

Gus

 

[Mickc01]

Just be sure the "wet" isn't from your trusty hound dog, who couldn't get out of the tent at night to do his do......

 

[Loyalist Dave]

When Artillery accompanied the Infantry, they were always in charge of all gun powder for everything from cannon down to pistols

So the pioneers and Quartermaster Sergeant were in charge of the powder and cartridges when the artillery wasn't present? Is that correct?

:idunno:

LD

 

[mooman76]

It's mixed wet and then dried. I see no reason it wouldn't work. The granules might break down in size a little but should still work.

 

[Flintlock]

Great thread.

 

[cynthialee]

If the powder has gotten moist but has not leached it can be dried, screened and fired with no real worry. It may loose some power.

If the powder has gotten wet enough to leach, then it will loose too much power due to nitrate loss.

So was it dripping wet? Throw it away.
Was it moist? Dry, screen and fire away.