Static electricity in the powder measure - good, bad, don't care?

[IMtheNRA]

I am amazed at the static build up in my powder measure. The powder stream is pulled in all directions when I refill the hopper and some grains cling to the sides.

Should I be worried about static discharge sparks?

If so, what can I do to remedy this condition?

 

[ReloaderFred]

It's not going to explode, and you can take care of it by wiping it down with a dryer sheet from your wife's laundry room. Wipe down the outside and then push it down inside the hopper and work it up and down a few times. That'll take care of it.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[snuffy]

Nothing to worry about. The heat of a static spark is so low as to not be able to ignite powder. Powder needs a sustained, high temp heat to ignite it.

To control the static cling, wipe the powder hopper with a new dryer sheet. Or get some static guard spray, a spritz of that takes care of static problems. Ever get anything from midway? Those @*#%* plastic peanuts cling to everything in site!:banghead: A squirt of static guard into the box as soon as you open it, settles those peanuts right down NOW!

 

[gandog56]

Yeah, you worry more about sparks with black powder, not smokeless. And the dryer sheets work like a charm.

 

[ambidextrous1]

Many years ago, I took a course on "basic Pistol", or some similar name.

At one point, one of the (several) instructors poured a 'rope' of smokeless powder on the driveway and lit one end with a cigarette lighter. The powder burned with a hissing sound, and tok a few seconds to burn a three foot trail.

The instructor repeated the experiment, this time using black powder. when the flame of the lighter touched one end of the powder 'rope', the entire quantity of powder was burned in the time it takes you to say, "Whoomp!".

I believe the same results would occur if the powders were ignited by an electrical arc ("stun gun") instead of a lighter.

 

[John4me05]

Its my understanding that the powder has to be in a enclosed space where pressure cant leak off to go BOOM... Thats supposed to be why powder is sold in plastic containers now

 

[brickeyee]

"Thats supposed to be why powder is sold in plastic containers now"

All powder containers have always been weak enough to avoid building high pressure, even the old metal IMR cans.
Smokeless powder burns pretty slowly and with poor efficiency when unconfined.
It is rated as a flammable solid (NOT an explosive) for this reason.

Black powder is an explosive, and the class goes up with quantity.
Large amounts of black powder can detonate just loose in a pile if ignited.

 

[joneb]

Should I be worried about static discharge sparks?

Tell us more about your set up, the powder/s the make of your powder measure and what it is mounted to, also the floor surface.
I would be concerned static electricity may have led to the demise of that dirigible called the Hindenberg.

 

[Ol` Joe]

Static is never a good thing to have near flamables. The bigger problem in my eyes though is the fact your charges are affected by this. The powder clinging to the thrower will fall at some point and could possibly drop with a charge that didn`t have any of it cling. This could result in a load you don`t want to shoot, depending on the inital charge and how much extra powder came loose. I`d fix it! A wipe with the drier sheet is a good idea. Running a pound through the measure just to get a coating of graphite on the working surfaces after the wipe might help a bit more.

 

[hawkeye1]

Thanks Snuffy, the trick of the anti static spray in the Midway box is a classic. That stuff is everywhere as soon as you open the box. Sticks to everything. I am going to try that. Thanks again.
Also, here is another vote for the dryer sheet. Works like a champ.

good shooting