Static + reloading

L

Lavid2002

New member
Hy there...looking into getting into reloading. Just thinking about static and im seeing tips like "place a dryer cloth on our scale to see the static level" How do I maintain a good static level? How do i prevent it?
How can I keep safe it static sneaks around? Thanks!
Dave : D
 
S

Shoney

New member
I've been loading since 1960 and have never had a worry about static. I started with a single stage Pacific press, balance beam scales, a powder trickler, and dies. That’s all!

My equipment is basically the same today as it was then. I have added an electronic scale/dispenser, tumbler, dial calipers, two progressive presses, and a lot of seldom used "stuff" for loading.

Static is only a factor in the plastic tube of a powder dispenser. It is a bother, not a problem or danger. Static on the dispenser or scale is completely dissipated by wiping with a damp cloth, just like misting tap water onto a dress to remove the static cling.

Your greatest danger in reloading is from sever contusions and abrasions to your head, neck and upper body from your spouse! Either you spend more time with it than her, your spending toooooo much on loading supplies, Oh honey will you take me shooting again this weekend instead of going hunting/fishing, you used my blender to grind tumbling media, you used my washer to clean brass, you- - - - -
 
L

Lavid2002

New member
Bwahahaha

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! thats great, ill be shure to keep note of that, and while I order my scale ill gte some chest pads or something...maybe a hockey helmet : D
 
W

williamd

New member
Hey, the washer sure cleans up the dirty shotshell hulls! I live in a community property state so I can use the washer, too.

Hmmm. Walnut hulls in a blender ... why not. Thanx!

PS: Put the hulls or brass in a laundry bag like the Navy issued to you!
 
I

inkie

New member
I also have been reloading for 40 years or so and never worried about static. If it occurred in the powder scale I wiped the plate with a fabric fresh pad. A few years ago this came up at some of the clubs I shot at and most of the shooters used a ground wire attached to the press. So thats what I did, attached a ground wire. Don't know if it works but it does'nt hurt. Hope this helps.
 
S

Shoney

New member
williamd
I have never put walnut hulls in a blender, and really don't recommend it.

I buy my tumbling media at the feed store. Ground walnut is available in the form of lizard litter and so forth. I get corn cob mix in 50 lb bags, seive it in a 1/8 th inch hole seive, and pop a cupful at a time of the oversize into the blender with very short bursts, the reseive.
 
Z

Zippy06

New member
I got a guy from work, into reloading.
By the way. He is Deathly afraid of electricity. Guess my trade.:D
Anyway, he sends me a link about static and primers. I tell him, I use Static Guard around the area, on the carpet.
Well, I didn't do that for a couple weeks. One night the static was really bad.
I never got shocked, on my press. Usually just the light switches and such.
And I'm in stocking feet. I go to pick up a primer. This time I saw the static and closed my eyes.
Boy, what a surprise. No boom.
I guess that's all BS about static and primers blowing up.
But, with new plastic powder measures. Wash in sink, with a lot of dish soap.
Don't rinse. Let dry over night. Next day wipe a dryer sheet, inside and outside, on all the parts. Some have said rub pencil on everything the powder will touch.
I tried it all. Just had to wait for spring.
And still no boom.:D
Lots of bang, though.:D
 
L

Lavid2002

New member
gotcha : D

so basically static "is" a problem that hasn't occured yet haha, like cell phones + gas stations etc...?
 
Z

Zippy06

New member
A few years ago. I saw tape of a woman, filling a gas can, in the back of a truck.
Had a bed liner. You could see the static.
Bosch fuel testing lab, near Detroit. Burned down(brother has been working a lot of OT. At another lab.). Story goes, it was static. Ungrounded fuel filling hose.
Static is real. The Blue stuff. Stings like a hot needle.:eek:
My Friend, was worried about static and primers.
 
E

Edward429451

Moderator
We had a single primer detonate while finishing a marathon 223 run on a Dillon 550. Luckily it was the absolute last primer, murphy likes us. My buddy was running it when it happened, so all I have to go on is his word (good guy not likely to lie) that he didn't operate the ram too hard. We concluded that it may have been ESD. There was prolly a bit of primer dust around because we were loading a lot. He doesn't remember a discharge but it almost had to be ESD. We do not know for sure.

Just to be on the safe side I ripped out the carpet in the reloading room and installed a humidifier.
 
M

mattgreennra

New member
Static pisses me off more than anything. I use 2 powders, titegroup and varget in my uni-flow powder measure. The titegroup has an annoying tendancy to stick. I tried to rub dryer sheets on it or rubber band a sheet to it, but it still happened; it was probably a little less though.

I found the easiest way to remove powder that's stuck to the sides of the measure w/o compromising it is to take a kinetic bullet puller and paper towels w/o any chemicals on them. Get 2 paper towels, put the handle of the puller in the center and fold them up onto the handle. Rubber band them in place and you've got a free tool that gets the powder off the sides. This way you will have more of a "plunger" and you won't scratch up your powder measure.
attachment.php

powder cleaner.jpg
 
L

Lavid2002

New member
WOW thats a cool test : D so why are the pripers such a problem i thought primers were weak and not loud, i hear stories of people ducking in cover when 1 is about to go off from static??? whats the deal?
 
F

FM12

New member
The best way is the washing plastic equipemnt in soap and not rinseing, and allow to air dry overnignt...repeat as necessary. The anti=static dryer sheets work as an adjunct to the washing process.
 
L

Lavid2002

New member
hmmm

Are you shure its not just because you were inside? Being inside makes allot of things sound ouder, regardless thats ALLOT louder than I ever thought a primer ever had the potential of....WOW
What kindof primer did you have out of curiosuty? Rifle, Pistol, Mag rifle/pistol, Shotgun...whah?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top