#1 - typically folks use 4F Black Powder, the stuff they use for flintlock priming pans.

#2 - Yes, but a limited number of stores stock 4F. It's a lot easier to find 3F and 2F and Pyrodex.

#3 - I use a small digital gram scale when I'm prepping charges at home. I use these cool little plastic measures for reloading ammo when I'm at the field that were made by Lee back in the 50's and 60's. Found the set at a yard sale for $1. There are like 20 of these little measuring cups from .1 gram up through 4.5 gram.

#4 - there are a variety of good web outlets for carbon and fiberglass and such. I personally use Aircraft Spruce and Fiberglast.com as well as Mr. Fiberglass. By the way, the best deals I've ever gotten on carbon have been on Ebay for bolt ends and remnants.

Think $18/foot for 38mm high temp filament wound carbon and $24/foot for convolute wound carbon. Regular filament wound fiberglass is more like $6/foot. Competitors like Hawk Mountain do a 48" piece of 54mm carbon for about $140.

Warren

I bought my 4F here http://www.theblunderbuss.com/ a few weeks ago.

David,

No need to buy a scale for making charges. You can find a small scoop that is equal to one gram. I forget where I got mine but I also have some small plastic vials that can be used for charge holders as well as a measuring scoop. I can give you one next time I see you or I can put one in the mail for you.

Or
Do what I did. Buy a sliding measuring tube for black powder guns.
I actually use the brass dispenser too. Holds about 1/8 to 1/4 pound.
About 15 point somthing grains = 1 gram

Cool, thanks guys for the help.

Sounds like you got a rare find there Warren, neat.

I did see a couple of rockets this weekend with holes in the side of the airframe. So im guessing its real important for the charge to be centered? or would you think maybe they used to much?

RMS, seem to have 1 gram or 1.1 on alot of the motors i saw last weekend. so my qestion is, by drilling the charge, to make the delay less are you effecting the power of the charge?

Thanks Ed, for the offer. and yes im inrested in all the different methods that people use.

A scoop great idea, or a measuring horn, that sounds much cheaper than a scale.

Thanks again

David

I don't actually use a measuring scoop that is calibrated in grams. I have a small red cap that I filled and poured out 100 cap fulls and got it to be .85 grams. But, I don't size my charges by grams, I size them by the number of caps. The key is to ground test. When ground testing I find the number of caps that works, then stick with it for flight. For backup charges I generally add another cap (or if it is large number, say 10 caps, I'll add another 2-3). I've flown enough of my own rockets to know where to start when I build a new one so I don't have to ground test 15 times.

Edward

Here's what I use. I place a small paper cup on the scale , zero it out, then measure my charge.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93543

Mark, does that scale go to the 2nd decimal place on grams? I'd like one for mixing epoxy in *tiny* batches... even one decimal place on the gram scale would rock.

I use mechanical pencils.. the lead comes in a little tube. I dumped the lead and measured out a gram of BP and marked the little tube. It is basically a tiny graduated cylinder...

I don't know about that one, but I have one of the 100g models of this one, and it is great. Up to 100g, in 0.01g increments. Perfect for charges, epoxy, and thermite mixing.

http://www.saveonscales.com/product_mw_mxt_series.html

It weighs in .1 grams or .1 oz. For epoxy it's great because of the tare function to zero out the cup. The only thing I don't like is the auto-off timer is a little short

US Balance US-MAGNUM-1000XR 1000 g x 0.1g Digital Pocket Jewelry Gram Scale

I bought it from a seller listed on Amazon for about $25.00 delivered. It measures in grams, ounces, grains, etc.

Easy to read, but has a short on time.

It has a tare function. I use small plastic (4oz. ?) drinking cups (cheap) and it tares them out. Great for small epoxy batches.

US Balance US-MAGNUM-1000XR 1000 g x 0.1g Digital Pocket Jewelry Gram Scale

I bought it from a seller listed on Amazon for about $25.00 delivered. It measures in grams, ounces, grains, etc.

Easy to read, but has a short on time.

It has a tare function. I use small plastic (4oz. ?) drinking cups (cheap) and it tares them out. Great for small epoxy batches.

That is the one I have. Bought it at harbour frieght for 12.99

US Balance US-MAGNUM-1000XR 1000 g x 0.1g Digital Pocket Jewelry Gram Scale

I bought it from a seller listed on Amazon for about $25.00 delivered. It measures in grams, ounces, grains, etc.

Easy to read, but has a short on time.

It has a tare function. I use small plastic (4oz. ?) drinking cups (cheap) and it tares them out. Great for small epoxy batches.

I do the same thing, but with the paper dixie bathroom cups. That plus a bulk box of tongue depressors really makes epoxy easier.

wow, never thought I'd find a scale that cheap, thats accurate.
Thanks for the tips

David