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Thread: Fix for inconsistant Powder measure drops.

  1. #1
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    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.

    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
    Last edited by W.R.Buchanan; 10-18-2011 at 06:42 PM.
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  2. #2
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    ok where do you live in arkansas .that is a good one for sure

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    It will look more professional with Black Tape! And it circulates the air around your reloading bench on hot days.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan View Post
    It will look more professional with Black Tape! And it circulates the air around your reloading bench on hot days.

    Randy
    Ahem! Duct tape or a large, preferably used, hose clamp would me more my style.

    Good job. Regards, Woody
    Take a kid along

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by woody1 View Post
    Ahem! Duct tape or a large, preferably used, hose clamp would me more my style.

    Good job. Regards, Woody
    Fluorescent duct tape or a well rusted hose clamp.

  6. #6
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    Fan on measure

    C-o-o-o-o-o-L!!!

  7. #7
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    With my luck that taped on bullet would slide right off the fan blade at a high velocty and hit me in a very sensitive spot.

    Other than that, I think the idea is sound.

    Robert

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    Boolit Buddy Box13's Avatar
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    You probably could just snip little bits off of one blade until you get it enough out of ballance to do the job.Its a very good Idea...Robin

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  10. #10
    Boolit Man
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    Hey Lloyd, I see they had a "Rock Chick" mini vibrator futher down the page. Just the thing for a Uniflow mounted on a "Rock Chuck".

  11. #11
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    Guys; I really was looking at the Bullet Style Vibrator,but the main reason I didn't use one was the high speed buzzing type of vibration. The slower frequency of the out of balance fan spinning at about 3-400 rpms was more on the order of what was needed.

    This thing actually shakes the whole measure, and holding the lever in the up position for about 3 seconds was all that was needed to completely settle the charge, and yeild a consistant charge.

    I'll figure out a better mounting so you guys won't think I'm an amatuer.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    I prefer the ability to turn it on and off:
    http://www.amazon.com/California-Exo...f=pd_sbs_hpc_6

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    One option is the vibrator motor out of a game controller. It'll run at ~ 300 RPM on 3V battery power, or you can use a cell phone charger.
    It's pretty easy to epoxy it to the bottom of the measure.

    I used a cell phone vibrator motor to do this on my LEE disk measures.

    I'm sorry, I didn't realize that the purpose of this thread was to offer an opportunity to search sex toy catalogs!

  14. #14
    Boolit Man dillonhelp's Avatar
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    A small aquarium pump will have the same effect-justs needs 110V.

  15. #15
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    A friend of mine, yes I do have a friend, once taped an old Rem. electric razor to his RCBS uni-flo measure to achieve the same result as you have. He jerry- rigged a pressure switch so he could turn the razor on and off at will. Worked pretty good as I recall for making a more uniform powder drop.Robert

  16. #16
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    And Here I thought I was the only one with this problem.

    I'm surprised the manufacturers haven't addressed this issue.

    I know Lyman measures have the little knocker doodad which is for this purpose, but what I am most interested in, is how a Harrell measure, which works exactly the same way, can throw charges consistant enough for bench rest shooters with no means of settling the powder?

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan View Post
    Guys; I really was looking at the Bullet Style Vibrator,but the main reason I didn't use one was the high speed buzzing type of vibration. The slower frequency of the out of balance fan spinning at about 3-400 rpms was more on the order of what was needed.
    Hey, Randy...

    I've been using the innards of an "adult toy" clamped onto my old Belding & Mull for a couple years now. The one I dismantled for parts was a variable-speed model so obtaining a lower frequency wasn't a problem.

    Just finished running off a batch of .30-40s using IMR4350 and every one of my spot checks (every fifth round) was within +/- .1 gr.

    Bill
    Last edited by Kraschenbirn; 09-03-2011 at 05:20 PM.
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  18. #18
    Boolit Master rmcc's Avatar
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    This kind of thinking and the kind of people we are to implement and use said ideas is WHY no one will ever beat us in a war!!

  19. #19
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    Hey; Necessity is the mother of invention.

    Why do you think all of the major advances in technology are driven by war?,,, or sex?

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  20. #20
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    This was a total failure!

    Well, after exhaustive testing I have concluded that this experiment is a total failure.

    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.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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GC Gas Check