Pick up a copy of Foxfire 5, it goes through making it in detail as well...

Couple of tidbits...The Chinese invented gunpowder around 1000AD...The charcoal is the fuel, the sulfer reduces the ignition point and the potassium nitrate is what supplies the oxygen for quick burning...Powder burns, it doesn't explode...When I give talks on the American Revolution one of my demonstrations is to remove the lock from one of my rifles and put powder in the pan while holding the lock and sparking it off...The kids expect an explosion, I then explain to them what powder is made of and why a gun goes boom...

btw...du Pont came over here and started making blackpowder in 1802, it is the oldest company on the NYSE...David Crockett took Dupont powder with him to the Alamo...