original style combustibles my way

[Enfieldguy]

I found it at Michael's arts and crafts store. But they seem to have stopped carrying in the stores. I was in 3 Michael's over in Tampa last week and nothing. But it's on their web site. I use the Bienfang 13.5" 100% linen paper. It works for both my combustibles and my Pritchett cartridges. The Potassium Nitrate I found online in powdered form. My bullet lube is a 8:1 beeswax/mutton tallow blend straight from a Civil War Ordnance manual.

 

[thomas]

Thank you enfieldguy :hatsoff:

 

[Zonie]

For folks who want to buy some potassium nitrate but don't know where to get it, if you have a Ace Hardware, Lowe's, Home Depot or similar stores, look for some Spectracide 16-oz Stump Remover.

It is 100 percent potassium nitrate and costs about $6 per pound.

 

[Flintfan69]

I use the Bienfang 13.5" 100% linen paper.

Are you refering to "Bienfang Graphics 360 Marker Paper" which is 100% rag paper? This is a cotton product, not flax based.

I can find several places to buy their rag paper online, but can find no reference to a "linen" product.

 

[Juice Jaws]

I've been rolling combustible revolver cartridges since I was 10 or 11. I used cig paper for many years before I made the jump to making my own nitrated paper. I use the Bienfang 13.5# 100% linen paper. I get powered potassium nitrate online. I'll heat up a quart of distilled water and add the nitrate until no more will dissolve. I then pour it into a metal broiling pan I got for a dollar at a thrift store. Photographic developing trays work good too. I'll cut the paper to pan size and then soak it in the solution for at least 8 hours. Then I'll remove it from the solution and let it air dry on a wire baking rack.

Couple of question for you, I took Zonie advice and brought some Spectracide Stump Remover, for the potassium nitrate, Bienfang paper will be here Sat. First can I soak more than one sheet at a time, or do they stick together. And can you reuse the solution? Thanks

 

[Enfieldguy]

Yes you can reuse the solution. I've never used the Spectracide before, only KNO3 powdered form. Using the powder, I'll add it to a warmed quart of water while stirring. It will dissolve rather quickly. When no more will dissolve and it starts settling on the bottom, it's good to go. I have a photo developing tray that I pour it into to soak the paper. I'll let it soak for 8-9 hours. I then carefully remove the paper and allow it to air dry on a flat surface on an old cotton beach towel. The left-over solution then is poured back in it's original bottle with the cap screwed on tight. I make up a quart at a time and store it in a 1-liter plastic Pepsi bottle. It's not necessary to wear gloves, but if you have an open cut it will let you know. It also tastes terrible.

 

[Enfieldguy]

Are you refering to "Bienfang Graphics 360 Marker Paper" which is 100% rag paper? This is a cotton product, not flax based.

I can find several places to buy their rag paper online, but can find no reference to a "linen" product.

Yes it is the Bienfang Graphics 360. And it is 100% cotton. The 'linen' is a misnomer on my part. I also use it for the outer wrapper on my Pritchett cartridges. Chosen for the latter because of it's .0025" thickness and it's resistance to the beeswax soaking through when the cartridge is lubricated. When dip-lubing the combustible's, if I go slightly past the junction of the paper and lead it won't let the beeswax/tallow mix bleed through to contaminate the powder.

 

[Flintfan69]

Yes it is the Bienfang Graphics 360. And it is 100% cotton. The 'linen' is a misnomer on my part. I also use it for the outer wrapper on my Pritchett cartridges. Chosen for the latter because of it's .0025" thickness and it's resistance to the beeswax soaking through when the cartridge is lubricated. When dip-lubing the combustible's, if I go slightly past the junction of the paper and lead it won't let the beeswax/tallow mix bleed through to contaminate the powder.

Ok, good. Thank you for clearing it up. Just wanted to make sure I was going to buy the right one.

 

[bigted]

So i have some 9 pound onionskin paper that i roll patched bullets with. This may be just the shis ness for soaking and rolling these cartridges.

Yes ... no?

 

[Enfieldguy]

Give it a try. I saw a 9lb onionskin at the store but haven't tried it yet. Let us know how it does.

 

[hawkeye2]

For folks who want to buy some potassium nitrate but don't know where to get it, if you have a Ace Hardware, Lowe's, Home Depot or similar stores, look for some Spectracide 16-oz Stump Remover.

It is 100 percent potassium nitrate and costs about $6 per pound.

I found 10 lbs. at Walmart online for about $30, free shipping.

 

[Enfieldguy]

That's not bad for 10 pounds. That much will go a LONG way. IIRC, I paid $8 for 3 pounds online. The stuff I got is rated 'food-grade' and is in powdered form.

 

[Eras Gone]

I make combustables with this device developed by Cliff Manley. It works great with my Eras Gone conical bullets.

 

[Juice Jaws]

I try the combustibles with potassium nitrate and bienfang paper. It work but for all trouble of soaking the paper, drying time etc. I just went back to cig. papers. Faster and works find for me. Made some last night.

 

[Rat]

At this current time i make my cartridges like this,

Made a stick that tapers as a mold to wrap around.
I take top cig papers and roll em around the tapered stick leaving about half inch past the narrow end and after licking the gummed edge i stick it to itself along the stick, then another lick on that half inch flap and fold it over and slightly up the stick, making a tapered flat bottom cartridge ready for loading.
I place these sleeves in a 9MM plastic tray to hold em uprite for loading.
Next I load 20 grains 3Fg Old E powder in each one.
Next i drop a .375 ball in each cartridge.
Now i lift one at a time out and twist the remaining paper tightly over the ball snugging them nice n tight against the powder.
I melt SPG lube in a shallow saucer, now I dip the cartridge ball end so the lube coats the entire ball and twisted paper.
After they harden overnight, i clip the twisted paper close to the ball leaving a lubed paper cartridge ready to load and shoot.
Before i lubed them i loaded and shot 50 some cartridges in a row with nothing lube wise except for ballistol on the arbor. I wiped the cylinder face after every 4 or 5 cylinder fulls, but otherwise no lube, no nitrated paper and no smoldering paper bits to ignite the the next cylinder full.

I did blow down the bore after each 6 rounds fired. These 50 some all went into a 5 inch circle at 30 yards off the bench.

Cleanup was almost as easy as using lube over the cylinder face. There was bits of paper in each cylinder after this test but nothing hindered the shooting except the occasional cap thing. Gotta do another test with lubed balls.

Already gave up on conicals as the ball seriously out classes them accuracy wise. Accuracy is my goal along with fast repeatability.

Gotta try the nitrated papers tho. Sounds great. Keep us posted as there are many interested in your quest.

I'm going to have to try that. I've always used just a paper cartridge that I tear open, pour in the powder, and then the ball, but I think I'm getting the combustible bug. Although my method has worked good, I can see where a combustible will speed things up even more. That might come in handy when the wolf pack attacks!! Balls are much more accurate in my Remington Navy, over the slugs, and since one of the main reasons I carry it when hunting is for small game, survival, etc., the greater accuracy is important.

 

[scrubby2009]

Had a great snow day, icy roads and no school for the kids so I fired up the lead pot. Cast about 350 J&D conicals, then spent the afternoon building cartridges.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Nice job Scrubby. What paper do you use?