Well, I have found many diffrent ways to make smoke bombs, and I just can't decide which one is right for me/which one works the best.

So I was wondering if anyone had any personall favorite methods of making smoke bombs?

Does the Nitrate (saltpeter) and sugar composition work the best? And which are the best percentages to mix these with (I have found diffrent percentages)?

And also, when you try to buy saltpeter at a pharmecey, do they check for any kind of identification (if you have ever tried to buy some at a pharmacey)?

I am going to start off making some smoke bombs, before I make my M-80's... just so I can get acustomed to the pyrotechnic world and just wanted to know the best and most productive ways to make these.

You're in the US. Don't buy KNO3 at a pharmacy. Get it at a home-depot or garden center, it's sold as fertilizer (postassium nitrate fertilizer).

For the smoke bomb, use a 50/50 mix of KNO3/sugar, either powdered and mixed, or go to krimzonpyro for how to melt it safely. The advantage to melting is that it produces more smoke, is better all around, but it can be dangerous to melt KNO3 and sugar together.

So I should go down to home depot and get a bag of potassium nitrate fertalizer, and just take it out of the package and use it as is ?? Or do I need to do something to it?

And with the sugar, should I use powdered sugar, or regluar house sugar (in granuales) ?

And yea one of the ways I saw was through krimzonpro, just making sure it was a good way on doing it though.

Well, if you get the right kind of fertilizer, just mix it 50/50 with granulated or powdered sugar. It'll light if you put an unlit match in it, then light a match and set that one burning. But, when in Home Depot, DON'T ask for the fertilizer. Find it yourself, and don't buy it regularly. Just buy a 25 pound bag, it'll last.

K thanks for the info on that.

But I got a few more questions.

What kind of potassium fertalizer am I looking for, any particular name brands or tpyes?

And I read that you can use stump remover, will this work as good, or work even better ?

And one more thing, I know that you are always supposed to mix chemcials by weights,so in this case I do the same right? I should not do it by volume correct?

it's by weight and just look on the bag to find out if it's pure saltpeter. i'd say that powdered sugar would work much better since there's more surface area.

quote:Originally posted by And1Drew:

What kind of potassium fertalizer am I looking for, any particular name brands or tpyes?

And I read that you can use stump remover, will this work as good, or work even better ?

And one more thing, I know that you are always supposed to mix chemcials by weights,so in this case I do the same right? I should not do it by volume correct?

Okay, no particular brand, just look. Stump remover is KNO3 (potassium nitrate) but in prills, it would work worse. And for the mixing/weighing.... always (as you said yourself) mix by weight UNLESS EXPLICITLY STATED OTHERWISE.

quote:Originally posted by grandmassa:

i'd say that powdered sugar would work much better since there's more surface area.

You'd think that, but if you're just dry mixing it and not melting, it works better with granulated sugar and KNO3. I think what happens is that it prolongs the burn time, producing more smoke and less flame.

Yea, but I was thinking that icing sugar would work too, well thats what I got from here: http://krimzonpyro.com/rat/smoke/kno3smoke.html

He says to use a 60/40 mixture though, anyone have any comments on that ?

quote:You'd think that, but if you're just dry mixing it and not melting, it works better with granulated sugar and KNO3. I think what happens is that it prolongs the burn time, producing more smoke and less flame.

I wasn't thinking right cuz i was eating a burger w/my left and tying to type w/my right hand. ya for explosives the powdered sugar would work best

Zero's Energetic Materials Encyclopedia has a revised formula that says 70 KNO3 to 30 Sugar. However in most formulas I've seen, it is 6/4. I don't think I've ever seen 50/50. If any one with more experience has anything to contribute to this, please add. I'm interested.

quote:Originally posted by And1Drew:



He says to use a 60/40 mixture though, anyone have any comments on that ?

For a very basic smoke composition, the ratios aren't too critical. The more KNO3 you use, the more complete the combustion( think more flame, less smoke)...as KNO3 is an oxidyzer. Just keep it around the suggested ratios and you'll be just fine.

One thing I do is when making stovetop white smoke comp. is to heat the mixture in a vessel I'll never use again. I typically use coffee cans. Just be patient, and stir frequently. The main thing is to WATCH your chems. while the heat is applied. It's really simple, but like anything, it is not idiot proof.

Scuzzy, I've never done tests using the different ratios, but more KNO3 certainly does produce a much hotter, more complete compustion. I'm so lazy about smoke now, that I don't even bother measuring the chems.(and yes, white smoke is the ONLY comp. that I don't bother meauring) Anything close to published ratios seems to work just fine.

[This message has been edited by miscreant (edited 07-18-2003).]

I like using 1/1, since for me it seems the less oxidizer I use the more smoke it makes, but 1/1 is absolutly as low as anyone should go, becuase after that you will just be wasting chemicals. If you are melting the mixture (dry mix produces a lot of smoke, but melted mixture burn with a lot more smoke) you can go ahead and use 6/4 since with melted mixture the mose oxidizer the more smoke is produced.

This does NOT mean you can melt 7/3 together to make your salutes give off more smoke.

50/50 is kinda lame in my opinion, It burns too slow.

Zero's Revised 70/30 burns much faster, but It dosent put out as much smoke.

Therefore I allways stick to the classic standard of 60/40. As for icing sugar, I have found it to be kindof better than just plain sugar in producing smoke.

So I tried to make the smoke bomb today, but I dont think I quite got the right kind of fertalizer. It was like 27% nitrate, or something to that effect (that was the most I could find). And I even went to the drug store to look for saltpeter, but they did not have any

I think I should just wait untill I get my real chems from pyrostuff.

Most drug stores dont carry potassium nitrate anymore, or will say they dont. Look around wal mart for a product called stump remover, and is usually 98 percent or more potassium nitrate (KNO3).

i recommend using the 60/40 mix. normal sugar works, but the powder-like-stuff works better (i guess it's called cane sugar, or so).

you can just mix them together and ignite the mix, but you should melt them together, as it will give off way more smoke, and also, the smoke will be more dense.

a hint: do your first tries outside, so if it accidentally ignites, it's no problem.

after you've done it two or three times, and feel sure about what you're doing, just do it inside

My rocket fuel is 60/40. I think more smoke is produced at around 50/50 however, or i assume.

With that dirt you bough yourself you cound try and crystalise it. Try pouring boiling water through it, collect the liquid and let it cool and evaporate, any crystals will be nitrate. You could try and purify more but i cant be bothered explaining. id just buy something else

I always use 3:1. Chemically speaking, you should use 74.5:25.5, but 3:1 works for me.

Oh yeah, I forgot to add, that Icing sugar works well for smoke, but DONT use it for sugar rockets. It tends to leave behind lots of crap (unburned stuff & carbon) that can form in the nozzel and reduce performance, or stability.

For sugar rockets, just use regular sugar.

[This message has been edited by Rat_Bastard (edited 07-20-2003).]

I always use iceing sugar for rockets

quote:Originally posted by static_firefly:

I always use iceing sugar for rockets

hmmm, could be I was using a shitty brand.

I guess I am corrected on that.

If you melt it, powdered and regular sugar dont really make a difference, but unmelted powdered sugar does leave behind more residue.