Powder Spills

[Jack Crevalle]

I stupidly spilled some powder this evening. I've read over and over not to vacuum it up but nobody ever says how do you get it up other than sweep it up and this fell on carpet.

I ended up wrapping some wide packing tape around my hand, sticky side out, and this worked pretty good. I fortunately only dropped a cartridges worth and it was a large kernel powder but unfortunately it was berber carpet. Toward the end I found that if I beat the area I was working slightly the embedded stuff seemed to jump up.

Anyone have any methods they like to share?

[savageT]

Hell,  just vacuum it up with a dustbuster or regular vacuum and throw out the bag.  You gotta do it, and that's all there is to say!


Jim

[Thomas Krupinski]

Jack,

I have been hearing the same thing for years, but I have been picking smokeless powder and shot up with my wet & dry vacuum.  Haven't had any fires or anything other than the noise of rattling the shot inside.

[jhm]

Jack :  Like everyone said use a wet vac. I would think that that is good advice not to use a vacume as static elec. or any spark could set it off, I dont have any carpet around the reloading bench, I just sweep up any spilled powder and throw it on the grass outside.    JIM

[Thomas Krupinski]

Jim,

You got me thinking.  When I get a chance I think I will try to ignite some different smokeless powders in the lock of my flintlock.  Just interested to see how much spark it takes to ignite smokeless.

If anyone has already tried this, let me know to save me the trouble.

[jhm]

Tom:  Make sure its unloaded :-D   I would guess if you think about the first time you saw the warning on the powder can and the first time you saw a wet vac. I believe the warning was b-4 the wet vacs were vary popular, and the fire hazard was a great concern with the older type vacumes.   JIM

[Thomas Krupinski]

Loaded or unloaded it would not make any difference.  The smokeless test would only be in the lock where there is no compression and only provides an external ignition sourse that is not under any pressure.

But guessing from my previous experience burning smokeless powder to disgard it, that the smokeless will not ignite from the sparks produced in the frizzen pan.

[Jack Crevalle]

I had thought about a dust buster before and examined it with an eye to using it for this if I ever had to. On the negative side, it does have openings in the side near the motor.

[John Traveler]

Several years ago, I did my handloading on a workbench where I had bolted down a Craftsman benchtop grinder/buffer motor.

Yep, you guessed it:  I had spilled some powder (shotshell type, I recall) and neglected to clean all of it up.  Just sorta brushed it off the plywood benchtop with a wipe or two of a rag.

Some weeks of months later I used the grinder to touch up a punch or awl.  The sparks ignited the leftover powder granules, which flared up and ignited buffing wheel dust and lint accumulations on the benchtop and floor.  Things got sorta EXCITING for several seconds because there were piles of wood chips and shavings from my stock carving activities.

Did I learn anything from this?  You bet I did.  I now keep a clean bench top and floor, and do the powder charging completely away from any source of sparks or ignition.

HTH
John

[contendernut]

I've been using a shop vac for a few years with no problems.  When in college, I reloaded in my apartment and used a regular vac on the floors with no problems.

[Smokey Joe]

Just today I used a friend's shop vac to clean spilled powder. (We were setting up his progressive—of course there was spillage!)  What the H else are you supposed to do?—the little granules get into every crevice and cranny in the floor, on the bench, everywhere.

The lawyer-leery shop-vac manufacturers tell you not to. The powder manufacturers say likewise.  Same reaction as for the cotton T-shirts you're supposed to turn inside out and handwash in cold water.

I agree if you set your shop on fire it would be (1) exciting and (2) your own darn fault, but so what.  That's what fire extinguishers and calling 911 are for.

So to keep myself lawsuit-protected, I cannot advise anyone else to disregard the cautions regarding picking up spilled smokeless gunpowder in a shop-vac.  But for me, I know what I'll do next time...

[Ron T.]

To vacuum or not to vacuum, THAT is the question.

BUT... I'd sure move the carpet or my loading bench if I could.  If you can't, think about putting down a heavy, clear plastic "tarp" for the next time you spill powder... and don't "kick" yourself for spilling it, we've ALL done the same thing!     :oops:


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

[Jack Crevalle]

Ron T., I came to the same conclusion. I came across some carpet runners my wife bought one time when we were having some stuff moved in. I'm thinking about cutting a couple to lay side-by-side under the bench.

[BigMike]

One trick to using a vacuum:

Take some pantyhose and put the
toe end inside the nozzle

Wrap some tape around the outside to hold it down
If you are really careful, you can just hold on to the
outside, but if it gets sucked in, it makes a
frightful knot around the fan.

Vacuum up the mess

Hold nozzle over a bag or dish then shut
off the power.  Powder falls out of nozzle
into the bag or dish.  
You can then pull out the toe end and shake it out.

Dispose of correctly.

Works best with large grain or flake powders.

Also works well for small things like washers and
small screws, but that rips the pantyhose.
I usually use some nylon mesh like salmon egg
sacking for parts etc.

If you are really, really careful, your wife MIGHT
not even notice.  (except with graphite coated powders)

Cheers & Good Luck,

BigMike