Can I vacum loose powder?

[crabo]

I want to know if anyone has ever had a problem vacuming up loose powder. I would be forever in the doghouse and out of gun money for a while if I blew up my wife's Kirby. I think I have done this before but.....

I just have a little spilt around here and there.

Thanks,

[DLCTEX]

I have vacuumed small amounts but was nervous. I now use a dust proof bag from Wally World in my shop vac and have no qualms about it. I also vacuum spent primers with it, with an occasional live one maybe. The shop vac puts it directly in the can and it doesn't go through the impeller as some sweepers do. The only danger would be from static electricity, and some studies have shown it is unlikely to set smokeless powder off with a static spark. I would not ever vacuum black powder, however.
$30 for a small shop vac is cheaper than borrowing the wife's Kirby, that's just asking for trouble.

[HeavyMetal]

Very small amounts of spilled powder, with the right vacuum, yes no problem!

I wouldn't worry about static as much as I would an unsheilded vacuum motor! The spark on the brushes is what will get you "lit up" and quick!

I have to warn people about scrubbers and Gas, Diesel, and Laquer Thinner used as a floor cleaners! Anything flamable can and will go up at the worst time!

The dust proof bag and a cheap shop vac best suggestion, cause if it does wind up on the moon it will be your Vac that went not the Boss's!

[crabo]

There was a guy who used gasoline to clean the old adhesive off the floor when he pulled up some vinyl flooring. He lived about a mile from me. He sparked when he used a metal scraper on the concrete floor.

I wasn't there by the head of arson is a good friend of mine and he told me about it. It was lights out for him. Totally destroyed the house and him.

[PatMarlin]

There was a guy who used gasoline to clean the old adhesive off the floor when he pulled up some vinyl flooring. He lived about a mile from me. He sparked when he used a metal scraper on the concrete floor.

I wasn't there by the head of arson is a good friend of mine and he told me about it. It was lights out for him. Totally destroyed the house and him.

That should be up for Darwin.

I vacuume spills around my presses with a shop vac. Never blown up yet.. :mrgreen:

[HeavyMetal]

It's the fume's that cause trouble! Get enough in the air, inside a closed room, house or barn and you got a bomb!

During the first gas" shortage" circa 1974, I saw an article in the L.A. Times concerning a man who wanted to store gas at home!

Seems he would drive his extra large GM automobile down to the gas station, fill up and then go home and syphon it out!

Since he didn't like the taste of gas, pre unleaded don't you know, he used a Vacuum Cleaner to suck the fuel out of the tank and into his storage drum!

First time set vacuum on fire. Fire dept told him he was lucky. needed a better vacuum.

second time set garage on fire. Fire dept told him he was lucky. Vacuum didn't catch fire.


Third time, using the "lucky" vacuum cleaner, he detonated the gas tank, the vacuum and the drum in the garage.

Coroner didn't think he was that lucky!

Upshot of the article? Don't store gas at home!

I still wonder why the fire dept. didn't have that loon commited on the second go round?

[DLCTEX]

Knew a guy who used gasoline to start a fire in his fireplace. Caught his house on fire twice, the second time burned it to the ground. Another used a propane high pressure line to unclog kitchen sink, pilot light burned him, his 5 yr. old son, and his house badly. Another used high pressue propane to run an impact wrench to change sweeps on a plow, spark from wrench set off pooling gas, severe burns. People are dangerous.

[Blammer]

I use a regular vacuum to vacuum up little bits of powder too. No problems here, the MOST powder vacuumed is probably 40 grs of whatever.

I'd really not worry about that little bit.

[Boerrancher]

For small amounts of powder and spent primers I use a cordless dust buster. If it were ever a large amount of powder it would be swept up first until it was a small amount. Then I would use the dust buster on it. I like the dust buster because they are inexpensive, cordless, and the little dust bag catches everything before it gets to the motor.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[vernm]

I now have a Shop Vac with a bag. But, in years past I used this method. Push part of a kleenex tissue into the end of the vacuum hose to make a pouch. Hold the ends of the tissue back over the hose and put on a crevice tool to keep it in place. Vacuum the powder, hold the hose upright and remove the crevice tool. Carefully withdrawl the tissue with the powder in it and throw it in the toilet.

Problem solved.

[PatMarlin]

Upshot of the article? Don't store gas at home!

The Upshot should read... "Don't store gas if you are "Brain Dead" at home!

[Geraldo]

People are dangerous.

Yeah, but without them I'd have had to find another career.

Anything beyond the few grains that end up around a press or scale I sweep up with a small broom and dustpan. The risk is probably small, but I never wanted another shift coming to my house.

[blackthorn]

I would not worry so much about 40 (or so) grains of powder in a vacume cleaner as I would about it acting in a way similar to a primer in a cartridge. House dust is VERY explosive and the dust in the vacume bag is roiling around all mixed with air (oxygen). Under the right circumstances you have a real bomb!!! I was present at a demonstration years ago where the guy had a sealed box with an air hose hooked to it and a small ship's port hole made into a door/window. Inside, there was a heating coil from a hot plate and there was about a 2" hole in the top of the box that he plugged with a cork. He put about a teaspoon of dust on a small metal plate and put it on the heat-coil and closed the door. when the coil began to glow he gave the box a shot of compressed air and all the dust went air borne, the glowing coil set it off and the cork dented the ceiling tiles. I would never use a vacum to clean up any amount of spilled powder. Be safe!

[montana_charlie]

Some things just need to be done, and the only way to do them 'feels' scary.

I have been in smallish pens with some contrary bovines, usually to help them with a problem they were having. So far, I have managed to convince them that I am badder than they are, so I haven't been attacked...but it feels scary.

Thing is...there's no other way to do it.

In order to get a four wheeler down into some of our more remote locations, I have driven across some hillsides that really felt scary...but haven't tipped over, yet.

Thing is...there's no other way to do it.

Using a vacuum to pick up powder is something that I have occasionally considered...but have not done because it 'feels' scary.

Thing is...there are other ways to do it.

CM

[S.R.Custom]

Yeesh, all you guys with carpet in the gun room... how can you stand it? I, for one, like the linoleum in mine. That way when those tiny little pins and springs hit the floor, I can kinda hear 'em, and they're not so hard to find... not to mention being able to clean up powder and primers in the recommended fashion-- with broom & dustpan. :-P

[sturf]

some have the filter between the pick up tube and the motor. powder therefore cannot enter the motor where trouble can happen. some suck the trash through the motor into the filter. I would not use this kind to pick up powder.

[DLCTEX]

That's why I advised the shop vac with the filter bag, separation from the motor.

[PatMarlin]

I don't worry about sucking up the few grains around the presses, but a live- primer... now those I keep real close tabs on. When I drop one, I make sure I get it.

The current subject has been covered extensively on prior threads.

[schutzen]

Don't use a Kirby to vacuum up powder. Everything a Kirby picks up goes through the fan. Fan is short hand for rotary static generator. They are not a good combination.

Now for the voice of experience! It is best not to vacuum around any reloading or firearms cleaning areas with a Kirby. The powerful suction will pick up all small objects, like .22 LR shells. Trust me, a .22 LR detonated by the fan of a Kirby will break the vacuum housing. They way out of this dog house is a brand new Rainbow to replace the Kirby. $1500 16 years ago, but I still hear about it today.

To vacuum powder, I use a wet/dry shop vac. I put 1-2 cups of water in the canister before starting. I have never had a problem with the shop vac. The powder is pulled into the water. All materials collected, say like loose .22LR's, go into the canister and a vacuum is pulled on the canister by a filtered fan. No debris through the fan blades.

[PatMarlin]

That was my job as a kid- running the Kirby. I used to rebuild the thing. I love the old Kirby vac, and many folks don't know it but they are one of the most powerful machines with a very low amperage draw. The best vac for solar- off gridd systems.