Production standardization and quality control for the manufacture of black powder are discussed. The powder is to conform to Spec JAN-223A. Results of Process I (the impregnating S is dissolved in CS2) and Process II (no CS2 is used) are compared. Of 6 powder batches prepared by Process I, and 6 by Process II, one made by Process II (from 6 micron charcoal and medium finess nitrate with ethanol as a slurry medium) produced ballistic traces of 137 and 51.5% relative quickness as compared to the DuPont reference powder. The next best trace was 72% from a Process I batch. Duplication attempts indicated that factors and conditions involved in the processing are not sufficiently standardized. Manufacturing methods, production costs, and testing results are being analyzed.

Written for reasonable risk takers and suburban dads who want to add more excitement to their lives, this daring combination of science, history, and DIY projects explains why danger is good for you and details the art of living dangerously. All of the projects - from throwing knives, drinking absinthe, and eating fugu to cracking a bull whip, learning baritsu, and building a flamethrower - have short learning curves; are human-focused, as opposed to technology-centric; are affordable; and demonstrate true but reasonable risk.

1/3 of the new Encyclopedic Dictionary of Pyrotechnics, which consists of more than 4000 entries (not counting cross-references), 1200 large format pages (8.5 x 11 inches), including 3000 photographs and illustrations. This is a major revision of the original Illustrated Dictionary of Pyrotechnics, originally published in 1995. In addition to many more entries, much more explanatory information has being included, with many of the entries now ranging from 1/2 to 1 (or even several) pages of text. This is a Black and White version that is fully searchable.

For over a thousand years, individuals made their own black powder, but then the technology was lost to the Industrial Revolution. This lost technology is now being brought back and made available once again. No chemical formula has had a more profound effect on the history of mankind than that of black powder. Even nuclear energy has not changed mankind to the extent that black powder has. For hundreds of years, the process of manufacturing black powder was a closely guarded secret. Black powder was a luxury item which was affordable to only the most powerful nations, and as such, has radically changed the history of governments throughout the ages. People have won their freedom from the tyranny of oppressive governments by the use of black powder in guns and cannon. The Industrial Revolution would not have happened as it did without black powder for mining coal and iron. Only black powder made possible the largest engineering projects of the 18th and early 19th centuries.Now for the first time, the manual Black Powder and How to Make It will show you how to make your own black powder. The author will guide you through each step and operation. He doesn't just explain how to make black powder, but tells you the reason for each process, why it is needed, and all in easy to understand terms. The result is that you will have all the knowledge at hand to make your own black powder for fireworks, rockets, blasting, and especially for use in black powder firearms.

One of "The Most Fascinating Books WIRED Read in 2020" "One part science book, one part historical narrative, one part memoir . . . harrowing and inspiring.”—The Wall Street Journal How a determined scientist cracked the case of the first successful—and disastrous—submarine attack On the night of February 17, 1864, the tiny Confederate submarine HL Hunley made its way toward the USS Housatonic just outside Charleston harbor. Within a matter of hours, the Union ship’s stern was blown open in a spray of wood planks. The explosion sank the ship, killing many of its crew. And the submarine, the first ever to be successful in combat, disappeared without a trace. For 131 years the eight-man crew of the HL Hunley lay in their watery graves, undiscovered. When finally raised, the narrow metal vessel revealed a puzzling sight. There was no indication the blast had breached the hull, and all eight men were still seated at their stations—frozen in time after more than a century. Why did it sink? Why did the men die? Archaeologists and conservationists have been studying the boat and the remains for years, and now one woman has the answers. In the Waves is much more than just a military perspective or a technical account. It’s also the story of Rachel Lance’s single-minded obsession spanning three years, the story of the extreme highs and lows in her quest to find all the puzzle pieces of the Hunley. Balancing a gripping historical tale and original research with a personal story of professional and private obstacles, In the Waves is an enthralling look at a unique part of the Civil War and the lengths one scientist will go to uncover its secrets.