How stable is black powder?

I have a plastic rock tumbler and I want to use it as a ball mill. I am going to use lead balls as the medium but I need to know if the plastic tumbler is going to create a static charge enough to set of the powder. Any suggestions would be helpfull here.How stable is black powder?
Black powder is about as stable as a flammable solid can get and that isn't very much. Static electricity can set it off. Your tumbler could generate enough to do so.





Traditionally, the ingiedients are ground INDIVIDUALLY by hand with a mortar and pestle and then placed on a sheet of paper and rocked back and forth to mix. No grinding or tumbling once mixed. Keep in mind, this will make a very fine and fast burning powder. At best it would work for priming applications, definitely not a propellant. You would want larger granules to use as a propellant charge.How stable is black powder?
Try it, and you may be a candidate for the Darwin Awards....
You must have a death wish.
If you're not putting the powder directly into the plastic container, I don't see the problem here. Lead balls don't hold enough charge, and would loose any charge they would have when you load them, so if you insist on using the lead balls in your tumbler as ammunition, I'm sure it'd be safe.





If you meant you wanted to use blackpowder as an abrasive for tumbling lead balls, that's not such a good idea. You might want to give light sand or walnut shells a try.
You only need to be wrong ONCE...


is there any ceramic or non-static type of container you can


substitute ?
Well I never reloaded or used black powder, so I was trying to find out what a ball mill was and came across this site which shows you how to make your own. It says that it's safe to use for black powder, but I would leave that up to the pros to decide.





http://www.unitednuclear.com/ballmill.ht鈥?/a>
Suggestion....Forget It! BAD Idea...Black Powder isn't THAT stable. Whatever possessed you to even consider using Black Powder in a Rock Tumbler to begin with? They are usually motorized, and electric powered and that spells static electricity and an potential explosion, causing serious injury or death....Did you really need to ask this question?
When I was young %26amp; foolish enough to make


Black Powder, I wasn't foolish enough to


dry grind the final mix in bulk.


Grind your ingredients separately, mix %26amp; press


to cake, then grain.


You get a slower powder, but it's safer.


Work with small batches.


It's more work but a lot safer.