laclongquan
Boned Hunter of Sister
Very good Mr Ah-Teen. You obviously did your homework carefully. There's a few glaring flaws to your solutions that only Real Working Experience can help you to solve. But overall very good.
First, you gave us a list of names of chemicals, which is helpful if we have a working library, a full chem storehouse, and of course, a full workshop-cum-lab. Indeed, a selftaught (with helps from lots of books and-or access to computer) postapoc. technician can do it. With lots of difficulties, but CAN DO.
Second, you did address the problem of cartridge. Name of some machines are helpful if they still exist in working condition, in accessible storehouse of postapoc. wasteland. At worst we can find info about them in computer's database, or books.
Alas, the most important problem is ignored. How to manufacture all those chems? How to manufacture those brass? How to, as the say, is the rub.
I assure you, manufacture (produce in large quantity with consistent quality) chemicals are not easy for pre-industrial societies. It's proved time and again in pre-50s history of all the thirdworld countries. Not Easy! Nearly Impossible!
The only way, possible way, for manufacture chemicals in the Wasteland, that I can think of, is through organic plants. Plant the plants in radiated soils, watch them grow, harvest them, and process. The tidbit about oil vines of Shi in the SF area is quite a big hint. Still, no other info about it, which is vexing!
Point of fact, manufacture brass is more probable than chems. brass and copper compound/alloy exist in all those rusted materials: City ruins, broken machinery, whatever... the problem is the knowledge howto make those existing material into brass or materials fit to produce. Howto, indeed, is the rub!
Okay, now the ball is in yours.
EDIT: the more I think about it, the more organic gunpowder sound more logical. We are talking about Earth at several centuries later, after long period of exhausting our mineral reserves. Oil is long gone (holodisk's data is half a century late and after a great war, remember?!). I f they can cook up a virus to force evolution, cook up a plant to concentrate on certain elements in industrial, radiated wastes is even more easy, and profittable.
First, you gave us a list of names of chemicals, which is helpful if we have a working library, a full chem storehouse, and of course, a full workshop-cum-lab. Indeed, a selftaught (with helps from lots of books and-or access to computer) postapoc. technician can do it. With lots of difficulties, but CAN DO.
Second, you did address the problem of cartridge. Name of some machines are helpful if they still exist in working condition, in accessible storehouse of postapoc. wasteland. At worst we can find info about them in computer's database, or books.
Alas, the most important problem is ignored. How to manufacture all those chems? How to manufacture those brass? How to, as the say, is the rub.
I assure you, manufacture (produce in large quantity with consistent quality) chemicals are not easy for pre-industrial societies. It's proved time and again in pre-50s history of all the thirdworld countries. Not Easy! Nearly Impossible!
The only way, possible way, for manufacture chemicals in the Wasteland, that I can think of, is through organic plants. Plant the plants in radiated soils, watch them grow, harvest them, and process. The tidbit about oil vines of Shi in the SF area is quite a big hint. Still, no other info about it, which is vexing!
Point of fact, manufacture brass is more probable than chems. brass and copper compound/alloy exist in all those rusted materials: City ruins, broken machinery, whatever... the problem is the knowledge howto make those existing material into brass or materials fit to produce. Howto, indeed, is the rub!
Okay, now the ball is in yours.
EDIT: the more I think about it, the more organic gunpowder sound more logical. We are talking about Earth at several centuries later, after long period of exhausting our mineral reserves. Oil is long gone (holodisk's data is half a century late and after a great war, remember?!). I f they can cook up a virus to force evolution, cook up a plant to concentrate on certain elements in industrial, radiated wastes is even more easy, and profittable.