How to make Potassium Nitrate by The Jolly Roger Potassium Nitrate is an ingredient in making fuses, among other things. Here is how you make it: Materials needed: -3.5 gallons of nitrate bearing earth or other material -1/2 cup of wood ashes -Bucket or other similar container about 4-5 gallons in volume -2 pieces of finely woven cloth, each a bit bigger than the bottom of the bucket -Shallow dish or pan at least as large in diameter as the bucket -Shallow, heat resistant container -2 gallons of water -Something to punch holes in the bottom of the bucket -1 gallon of any type of alcohol -A heat source -Paper & tape Procedure: - Punch holes on the inside bottom of the bucket, so that the metal is"puckered" outward from the bottom - Spread cloth over the holes from the bottom - Place wood ashes on the cloth. Spread it out so that it covers the entire cloth and has about the same thickness. - Place 2nd cloth on top of the wood ashes - Place the dirt or other material in the bucket - Place the bucket over the shallow container. NOTE: It may need support on the bottom so that the holes on the bottom are not blocked. - Boil water and pour it over the earth very slowly. Do NOT pour it all at once, as this will clog the filter on the bottom. - Allow water to run through holes into the shallow dish on the bottom. - Be sure that the water goes through ALL of the earth! - Allow water in dish to cool for an hour or so - Carefully drain the liquid in the dish away, and discard the sludge in the bottom - Boil this liquid over a fire for at least two hours. Small grains of salt will form - scoop these out with the paper as they form - When the liquid has boiled down to 1/2 its original volume let it sit - After 1/2 hour, add equal volume of the alcohol; when this mixture is poured through paper, small white crystals appear. This is the posassium nitrate. Purification: - Redissolve crystals in small amount of boiling water - Remove any crystals that appear - Pour through improvised filter then heat concentrated solution to dryness. - Spread out crystals and allow to dry Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253