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Thread: Does anyone use an air filter in their reloading room?

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Does anyone use an air filter in their reloading room?

    I’ve got an unfinished basement and I have a basement level French door that leads to a concrete patio that I ingress and egress along with a set of stairs from the main level. I keep my atv and my sons’ atv in the basement. This causes a bunch of GA mid to get trekked in and out. It dries on the tires and turns to fine dust. I sweep it up quite often but still this fine dust everywhere. The reloading area is walled off with Sheetrock for the most part and seems to get the usual basement “stuff”. Humidity isn’t a problem as I have a dehumidifier that runs automatically is over 50%. As I was cleaning up today I noticed a bunch of dust, mostly around the tumbler and presses. I imagine there must be some lead residue from the cases and primer compound when deprimed. Anyone keep a HEPA filter in their gun area? Any benefit? Thoughts appreciated.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    My tumblers are water tight so I tumble inside. I load and empty them and separate brass/media outside. I try to keep the wind blowing at my back.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    Mal Paso's Avatar
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    I have a HEPA filter in my shop vac so I don't breath what I vacuum from the bench.
    Mal

    Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.

  4. #4
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    The only filters I use in my reloading room are the ones on my cigarettes.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by osteodoc08 View Post
    I’ve got an unfinished basement and I have a basement level French door that leads to a concrete patio that I ingress and egress along with a set of stairs from the main level. I keep my atv and my sons’ atv in the basement. This causes a bunch of GA mid to get trekked in and out. It dries on the tires and turns to fine dust. I sweep it up quite often but still this fine dust everywhere. The reloading area is walled off with Sheetrock for the most part and seems to get the usual basement “stuff”. Humidity isn’t a problem as I have a dehumidifier that runs automatically is over 50%. As I was cleaning up today I noticed a bunch of dust, mostly around the tumbler and presses. I imagine there must be some lead residue from the cases and primer compound when deprimed. Anyone keep a HEPA filter in their gun area? Any benefit? Thoughts appreciated.
    That is why I moved the reloading into the garage. To keep any debris from reloading out of the rest of the house. Since my area is prone to dust its only natural to have some in the garage and that is why everything goes into a coffee can with a lid. With all due respect if your think reloading is that dangerous to your health you should investigate the actual shooting which provides for a lot of air born contamination.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    In my shop I use a box fan that I slap some cheap furnace filters on the back of to filter the air. Got the filters for free cause a coworker got a new furnace and the old filters didn't fit.
    quando omni flunkus moritati

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by 6bg6ga View Post
    That is why I moved the reloading into the garage. To keep any debris from reloading out of the rest of the house. Since my area is prone to dust its only natural to have some in the garage and that is why everything goes into a coffee can with a lid. With all due respect if your think reloading is that dangerous to your health you should investigate the actual shooting which provides for a lot of air born contamination.
    I’ve never really given it much worry. I was simply posing a question. If I was that worried I wouldn’t be smelting, shooting at indoor ranges or even deal with things like biohazards and infectious disease not to mention obnoxious individuals on the daily.

    My question mainly was for dust reduction and see if anyone has noticed a difference having a filter in their loading area.

  8. #8
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    Put positive pressure in the room like a lot of buildings have.

    Getting back to the obnoxious individuals and dust in the room. Unless you make yourself a "Clean Room" your going to have a certain amount of dust in it. Add off road vehicles with dirt and crap on the tires and you have introduced yet more into the area. So, I guess my obnoxious answer of pressurizing the room might do more for your dust problem at it would tend to keep dust out with the addition of positive pressure. You draw air in thru a filter which is attached to a blower motor of some type (insert a stand alone furnace blower motor into the equation. and the air is expelled into the room in the hope of creating a positive pressure. If the room is relatively leak free you will minimize dust and dirt. I hope I have explained this clearly enough that you can see where I'm headed with it.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I’m well versed in negative/positive pressure isolation rooms. I think that solution is quite extreme as is a clean room. But I do appreciate your answer.
    Last edited by osteodoc08; 02-21-2020 at 06:58 PM.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

    gwpercle's Avatar
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    No filters , doors at each end of my shop opened up and a fan running is all .
    Gary
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    I have a hay fever allergy. When I start sneezing in Sept I turn on a HEPA filter. After the first hard frost it is usually not needed.
    I do not perform dust generating operations in doors so I only run the filter during hay fever season.
    EDG

  12. #12
    Boolit Master Dapaki's Avatar
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    Yes, two 14x20 MERV 11 filters on my heater/blower. They keep the shop more dust free than the house. When casting, I can see the smoke rise and move to the blower/filter cabinet. Blood lead levels are good at 1, that is mostly from fish and vegetables.

  13. #13
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    skeettx's Avatar
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    No filters, but at 71 I do not work that hard

    For casting indoors, positive flow air from the outside.

    Mike
    NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95

  14. #14
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    Minerat's Avatar
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    I don't have a filter in my reloading and sizing room in the finished basement. I cast and PC in the garage.

    I haven't noticed any more dust in the reloading area then the rest of the house. Oops I better rephrase that in case the wife reads this.

    I don't notice the dust in the reloading area like in the rest of the house.

    Nnnoo, I don't see any dust in the rest of the house like is in the reloading area.

    Yyyaaa, that's it.
    Steve,

    Life Member NRA
    Colorado Rifle Club member
    Rocky Mtn Gun Owners member
    NAGR member

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    Only solution is vacuum the floor. Floor dust may get air born but will settle quickly as it is heavy. If you blow it around it WILL get everywhere.
    Whatever!

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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
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check