Static plagued powder funnel...

[DrB]

I had an rcbs plastic green powder funnel that was giving me fits the other night with static. The powder was building up a charge and sticking to the funnel, and some of the grains were actually shooting back out of the funnel when touched to dislodge them.

It was a pain, and possibly hazardous, so I looked around my bench and came up with a can of frankford arsenal mold release spray from midways. It's micron sized graphite in a carrier, and graphite is conductive so I thought it might work to eliminate the static charge (didn't much care for it as a mold release agent).

After a light coating to the inside of the plastic funnel I had a well adhered graphite coating on the inside of the funnel, dry in about five minutes. The carrier smells just like the spray brake cleaner I use, and I didn't find any pre-cleaning of the plastic to be necessary.

Worked like a charm! No more static! The coating is matte and seems to be holding up great without flaking or tubing off.

Thought someone here might be having similar problems this winter...

[r1kk1]

I have a box of dryer sheets that I keep in the reloading room. I wipe down funnels, powder measures, etc. Works well.

take care,

r1kk1

[DrB]

Thanks for the tip!

[r1kk1]

Your reference to brake cleaner is what I use to remove carbon from barrels. Fingernail polish with acetone (gotta look for it) takes plastic out of muzzleloader and shotgun barrels left by wads or sabots.

take care,

r1kk1

[Bullet Caster]

I'm like r1kk1 as I use dryer sheets to wipe down my powder funnel and powder measure. Works great to get rid of the static charges. BC

[Lefty SRH]

You can also take a used dryer sheets cut into small pieces and put them in your tumbler. It will help keep the dust down.

[Moonman]

+1+1+1 for Dryer Sheet usage to rid Static Electricity.

[DrB]

How long does the treatment last? I know guys doing pyrotechnic work use the antistatic laundry spray, but I want sure how long a treatment was good for. The conductive graphite coating seems like it's going to be a long term fix so far (though it wouldn't be good for anything you wanted to stay translucent like a powder measure reservoir).

[Reload3006]

I am sure that it would depend on how much you use it ... a dryer sheet treated powder measure and funnels usually lasts me through a season. But heck it doesn't hurt anything if you notice static building up wipe it down again. anyway thats what I do

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

the bucket I use to strain and transfer corn cob media builds up a charge like what you are discribing with a powder funnel. I clean it with a diluted orange based cleaner...it solves the problem for about 25 batches or so.

[30cal]

Dryer sheets=no more static

[myfriendis410]

I cut a 1" strip of dryer sheet and suspend it in the powder measure. Works like a charm. It's usually good for about six months. And your shotgun shells smell April Fresh!

[geargnasher]

Yup, dryer sheets for all plastic. Putting half of one in the vibratory tumbler both sucks up dust and reduces the cling of the media at the same time.

Short of making everything out of metal and grounding it electrically it's tough to get rid of all the static. I have some ground cuffs and a recoiling lead that plugs into a grounded receptacle that I use when handling black powder or on dry winter days when my hair is standing on end from scooting around on the carpet and sitting in a cloth-covered office chair in the gun room. It's also handy for handling sensitive electronics. After about the 30th time I forget about it and yank the breakaway in two I finally get used to wearing it!

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