Static from Carpet in new reloading room

[jonp]

I remodeled the upstairs bedroom and managed a silent coup while the wife was at work and took it over for my new reloading room. The floor has wall to wall carpet like the rest of the house. I was going to store some of the powder in the original plastic bottles on the floor next to the bench and keep the rest in the closet but I was wondering if there is any danger of static electricity. I have never noticed any static in the house as it is kinda damp here in NC and I have the house grounded with several copper stakes I pounded in myself. UGH!
Should I put the powder on a piece of wooden flooring or will it be ok on the carpet?

[DougGuy]

Powder is not going to generate static sitting still. What generates static is your movement on the carpet, then touching an object which forms a path/completes a circuit which the static will dissipate through. You could become charged from walking on the carpet and grab the powder which would then subject the powder container to the static discharge. I guess it's possible in dry weather to collect over 25,000 volts walking across a room, which if you can see the spark at all, it's about that much voltage.

I haven't ever heard of smokeless powder igniting from static, black powder may explode but not smokeless.

[opos]

I load in 2 places...my main area is in the garage but it gets really hot there in the Summer so I load with a Lee hand press in my office....it's carpeted...first I never advise anyone what to do but will tell you what I was told and what I do...If the relative humidity is under about 25% I don't touch powder or primers. I have one of the plastic carpet mats under my chair so I'm not moving around on carpet. I store powder in an old locking (but not strong by any means) file cabinet...no primers with the powder...they are in a separate area in a drawer in an old dresser. My "indoor" loading is kept very simple...I load with the hand press (or sometimes bring in a single stage press on an adapter that sits on my desk)...I weigh every powder load and my 505 scale sits in a rubber tray so any spill or possible dump stays on the rubber tray...if any were to spill the last thing I'd want to do is use a vac cleaner to try and get it up. I'm really particular indoors....nobody in the room..door closed...radio and tv off...computer off....and I keep my leg in contact (usually in shorts) with the metal desk side of the knee hole...Don't wander around on the carpet while messing with powder. I've never had a "spark or tic" in the area....I'm really particular to not slide or pull things around that might cause a static build up. I've not had any issues at all...the biggest thing that would scare me is dumping a case full of powder on a carpet and then trying to get it cleaned up...I figure with the rubber tray on the desk and the big plastic mat on the floor I can whisk broom up any mistakes. Nice to sit quietly in a cool back room on a very hot day and do some loading....come fall and all winter when it's nice temps (San Diego) and nice humidity I do everything in the garage....good luck.

[Dean D.]

Take a peek at this and see what you think: http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/sparks/sparks.html

[Mike 56]

I am a retired carpet layer. Find a carpet layers supply house in your area they sell a spray to control static electricity in carpets.

[jonp]

I do have a rubber skid mat on the table I'm using to load on and the table has wooden legs. I am aware that static comes from my movements across the carpet so If I am barefoot or wear sneakers I'm ok as long as I dont have one of those Dr. Frankenstein Van de Graaff Generators I can do without a Faraday Cage.

[Shiloh]

No issues with powder or primers in the last 15 years of loading on a carpeted floor.
No issues loading on carpeted floor several times in the past before that. I'm not concerned.

Shiloh

[jonp]

Take a peek at this and see what you think: http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/sparks/sparks.html
Convinces me!

[leeggen]

If someone is really concerned about static in the load room from carpet maybe to feel more comfortable just remove the carpet.To me it is like anything else, If I or the wife is really. Concerned we change so we are content.
CD

[mroliver77]

Follow Deans link in post 4! Awesome. Then follow the link on that page to the guys experiments and design of his ignition setup. Just great stuff!
J

[rollmyown]

I went floating floor so I can sweep up spills.