Fix for inconsistant Powder measure drops.
On one of Seagiants threads about powder measures a few weeks ago, I was whining about my older RCBS Uniflow not dropping consistant charges with stick powder like IMR 4895.
This was making it so I was having to weigh and adjust every single charge which is not exactly the high production type of setup I was looking for.
We discussed several fixes for this problem and I expounded that I was going to try a pleasure vibrator taped to the powder hopper.
This brought about much laughter.
However the idea was sound even if the actual vibrating device was not PC. Besides Do you know what a quality vibrator costs nowadays? WOW!
I shelved the problem until I needed to load another batch of .308's for next weekends Silhoutte match.
I was at Harbor Freights big tent sale yesterday looking for the proper vibrating device, when it hit me.
A Personal Fan! Yes, I in fact have had two of them sitting in my closet for several years now, so I sacrificed one to the reloading gods.
I needed to create an out of balance condition so I taped a 300 gr bullet to one of the fan blades. The fan didn't have enough beans to turn the big bullet, so I removed it and installed a 150 gr bullet.
I taped the fan to the powder measure hopper and fired it up.
BINGO. [smilie=w:
45.0 gr of IMR 4895 +.1/ -.2 over fifty weighed drops, with no redos. Every charge right in the strike zone! Bam!
This is all it took to fix this problem, prior to this the measure was dropping +/-.4 gr completely irratic and just not close enough.
Cost $1.95 at Target. Uses 2 AA batteries (not included) , and one 150 gr fmjbt recycled bullet, and some masking tape.
Probably go back and remount the fan using some electrical tape that I can stretch for a more solid attachment.
Randy [smilie=2:
This was a total failure!
Well, after exhaustive testing I have concluded that this experiment is a total failure. [smilie=b:
I went out last night and tried to get my powder measure to drop the same kind of charges it was dropping last week. It wouldn't do it. Period. I messed with it for an hour and I couldn't do any better than +/- .4 of a gr. just like when I started.
Only thing that changed was I put new batteries into the fan motor.
Obviously I had gotten lucky the first time (not unusual for me) but couldn't duplicate the frequency of the vibration the second time.
This annoyed me that this process was this touchy. I mean, come on,,,, the frequency of the vibration sends this to the trash? I hate marginal processes and if that's all it took to kill this one then so be it.
I will try a different powder measure. Maybe one of those 'Quick Measures'?
If that doesn't work, then I'll get a Lyman DPS and be done with it. It is the fastest way to throw accurately measured charges. [smilie=2:
Randy