Hi Musketman and Forum:
To make pecussion caps you need first to buy from Dixie a punch called "tap o cap" ref: MI0730 price (1996) 26 Us$. You simply cut out with strong sissors some beer or Coke aluminium tins into strips and then punch out holes into them with the magic tool. In this case you throw away the holes and keep the little cups produced by the "tap o cap".
Priming mixture: Nick from your Old Man's casket an old WW2 smoke flare, they contain pure red phosphorus. Grind to a very fine powder and add some Magnesium filings in it. Magnesium available in camping shop as fire starters. If no Mg available use Aluminium but the filings would have to be finer or better: aluminium powder. (Wash some "silver " paint with acetone until you are left with the pure dry powder. A dice full should last you a life time) Grind SEPARATELY... phosphorus/magnesium and Potassium Chlorate. When happy, mix the 2 (75% KclO3, 23% P, 2% Mg) by sliding back and forth the 2 component from 2 sheets of paper and mixing progressively. After 40 times it should be ready. Wear safety goggles or better, dark soldering goggles. Don't be tempted to stirr with a spoon handle IT WILL FLARE! When it does, it really flashes quick, emitting a strange sound like a dog bark... You jump back a couple of meters so make sure nobody is behind you! Not dangerous if you wear goggles and work with very small amounts. Test minute quantities of it with a little hammer. If your ears whistle for an hour afterward the mix is good. Wearing safety glasses, fill up the little cups to half. Press it down with a modified nail. (cut the nail's end flat and polish it shiny so it won't stick). From time to time one will go off, no drama.
Mix one tea spoon of SHELLAC with 2 ts of methylated spirit. Drop one drop of this mix into cups to seal them. Let dry (1h) and press it with the nail. For a perfect and long lasting seal another drop can be added. The finished sealed mixture will be less "ticklish" therefore safe to handle but sill very explosive under the frank knock of a percussion hammer.
In Australia it is difficult and expensive to obtain Potassium Chlorate. So, I make my own. If you want to know how I will post. The magnesium or aluminium is important as it raise the temperature of combustion to 2000
