Wouldn't you just know it? Having told people at Tatton that you can still get Izal hard'n'shiny bog paper in Morrison's - I go into my local Morrison's tonight, and there is NONE on the shelves . . . and the label is gone, too, which usually means they don't stock it any more . . .

However - I did find something called 'baking parchment', which I've used when baking cakes. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but you can use it in ovens - it appears to be a very heat resistant type of greaseproof paper. It's pretty tough, with a hard and shiny finish - though it comes in rolls a foot wide, rather than handy cut sheets. I have some powder in stock, so will make some up to try out at the Leek Shoot, and report back in good time for next season (and, if it works, let's just hope people keep baking cakes . . . )

But not tonight, Josephine, as I have a rotten cold, and me head feels like it's full of soggy cotton wool. How can a cold make you feel worse than a piggin' heart attack, eh?

Best regards,

Jack

well i hope not I bought a case last time of 6 and the young lass looked at me strange, even stranger when I told the bemused lass what I intended to do with it

Andy, I'd have loved to have been a fly on the wall when you told her that!

Having gone into Morrisons and asked where the Home Brand Metal Polish is, as it is very good and seems to have vanished, I was told they are having a refit across their stores so during this the stock range will be reduced to facilitate. I too buy Izal from our Morrisons so will check, although I seem to remember seeing it on Tuesday.

Ah, I thought quite a few lines seemed to have been dropped - fingers crossed that they get it in before next season, then.

Be careful with Izal, as it can absorb the nitrates from the powder.

Dave is quite correct about the nitrate leaching,but unlike the cartridge paper and other papers that are used, Izal does decompose quickly, when dropped. Horses for courses but of course the period of time that the powder is in the tube is minimal so will be the nitrate leaching.

Morrisons baking parchment is *very* tough, I use it for re-packaging food and It makes great kindling when it's been wrapped round salt pork, however I doubt it's very biodegradeable. We might look silly if we can't tear the tails off our cartridges.

The paper your fish and chips come in is good stuff

Metal polish ?????

YOU TART !!!

Izal is still in Tesco (roll only).

Phil Berry
19 Ind.

Also available in ASDA

Thanks for the tips, Phil and Ian - us Northern hillbillies don't have an Asda in Buxton, but there is a big Tesco's at Whaley Bridge.

Re. the baking parchment; you weren't kidding, Charles - my teeth are pretty solid in my jaw, but I couldn't tear the top off! Oh, well - worth a try; I'll just save it for me Christmas Cake . . .

Best regards,

Jack

There is no IZAL in my local Morrisons! SO when I asked they didn't now if it was coming back.

non in our largest tesco;s
When asking the duty manager, a blank expression on her face gave me the answer that she thought i had lost the plot, mind you she looked to young to remember the delights of the stuff at school.
The great search goes on!!
would anybody be interested in a bulk buy if it is available?

I am in the process of contacting the manufactuer, I do hope they understand our need and for prosperity evidence in the future of what we had to endure as children, not withstanding my parents had to put up with doodlebugs and rationing as well as Izal.

Brown 'kraft'/wrapping paper is a easier on teeth than baking parchment by a long way. I got a roll as it's about the correct colour for making inert authentic Union cartridges*. Then as there was a paper supply issue, I had the bright idea of making Christian, Mark and Miles put their own sugar in their coffee during our monday game so I rolled a few tubes*, filled them with sugar and made some coffee. Result: Very sturdy, and unlikely to burst by accident. They tore beautifully, especially when make with union style folded and pasted tails, although Chris seemed to be having some trouble, particularly with the twisted tails. My roll was 99p but I don't have the exact dimensions. I expect between 5 and 10 square metres but I'm not unrolling it to measure, i'll have to find a roll with the label intact.

Blank newsprint seems to be at the top of the list on US websites as a material for re-enactment powder tubes, and the colour is good for two of the three papers used in English cartridges, (I'm yet to find a colour specified for the 'rocket paper'). Another favourite is 3M masking paper, but I've had real trouble finding that.

Thinking of fish and chips (thanks Andrew) put me onto a source of blank newsprint, item BNO20 from the following site: http://www.bagnboxman.co.uk/acatalog/bl ... fcuts.html At £20.13 including vat and delivered it's not a cheap thing to experiment with, but maths time:

That's 285 square metres of paper
An average izal roll is apparently 336 sheets of 11cm by 16cm, giving 5.91 square metres of paper.
Assuming newsprint is cut to the same size as izal sheets that's just over 48 rolls of izal, or approximately16200 tubes.
I don't know super market prices for Izal, but I can find it online for 88p/roll. That makes newsprint about half the price of Izal

Oh and expect some kind of write up on cartridge construction at some point.
_________
* I use the convention of cartridges to refer to complete (original or authentic replica) cartridges consisting of ball, multiple papers and powder (or sand) and tubes to refer to the single paper tubes containing only powder we use on the battlefield.

If the answer is YES,
I will check at the Cash & Carry I use to see if they have any.
(If only they knew why I bulk buy kitchen foil !!)