Plastic, BP and static

[james6600]

I am by no means advocating or trying to do anything but gain an understanding. Anyone who has reloaded smokeless has witnessed static buildup in a plastic powder measure hopper, same goes for the factory plastic pound jug when you try to pour the last of it out. Now I purchased some Goex Old Ensford and it's in plastic . Do I handle it any differently than a steel container, and can someone explain why the factory container is safe. I had a good stock of BP so haven't had to buy any since before the law changes when you could buy BP anywhere and all BP was in steel. Thanks

[montana_charlie]

Now I purchased some Goex Old Ensford and it's in plastic . Do I handle it any differently than a steel container,
Nope ...

[CanoeRoller]

You need to dispose of that BP as quickly as possible. I recommend either loading and shooting it before there is a static build up, or give it to me, and I will dispose of it for you[smilie=l:

[oldracer]

There is an interesting series of videos of someone trying to make black powder "explode" by static electricity and using a coil and shooting sparks into the small piles. Nothing ever happened in the videos and in the fours years I was loading my 45-70 loads I used the same powder measure with just a drop tube added.

[bangerjim]

http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/sparks/sparks.html


If you are afraid of static discharge setting off you powder, send it to me for "discharge"!

HA..........ha..

bangerjim

[james6600]

I'm not afeered. lol I just wondered why I am being told "do as I say not as I do" by the BP industry.

[bob208]

I get my powder in a baulk keg. 25 lb. at a time. it comes in a big cardboard box. with a plastic bag inside. it has always come that way.

[wills]

I'm not afeered. lol I just wondered why I am being told "do as I say not as I do" by the BP industry.

Probably to make the insurance defense lawyers happy.

[dbosman]

Some plastics, particularly for shipping computer parts, are conductive, so static dissipates.
My guess would be that powder containers are using either neutral plastics that don't build a charge or electrostatics conductive plastics that won't hold a charge.

[irishtoo]

bob208, where do you buy your powder and is there a savings in buying bulk rather than one pound cans? i use goex 3f. thanks irishtoo

[bangerjim]

Some plastics, particularly for shipping computer parts, are conductive, so static dissipates.
My guess would be that powder containers are using either neutral plastics that don't build a charge or electrostatics conductive plastics that won't hold a charge.

Powder bottles are HDPE (#2 in the triangle on the bottom). So are most OTC pill bottles and other product bottles. The are all the same. The powder bottles are black to keep UV out, but I do not know of many that store their powders inDIRECT SUNLIGHT!.

I use the white HDPE bottles to store smaller amounts of powder from larger 8# kegs.

You cannot ignite powder from the slight static charge that is in a funnel. Be sure to see the link I have above in #5.

The thin "static" plastic wraps are normally pink/gray/black and are used for IC/memory circuits that CAN REALLY (!) be damaged by static discharge. The company I own deals in hi-tech products and receives many items in static wrap for security during UPS/FEDEX shipping.


banger

[Bent Ramrod]

There is a conductive plastic made in this country by 3M under the trade name "Velostat." I checked a Swiss plastic bottle (empty and label taken off) on the Shoe Tester at work and it registered only a couple ohms so they must use something similar to Velostat for their black powder containers. I tested an empty Triple Seven container and it was infinite ohms so it was obviously nonconductive.

I'm retired now so can't get to the Shoe Tester any more. Sometime I'll try my Harbor Freight Multimeter on some plastic BP containers (empty) and see if I can get a reading from the probes.

[bigted]

this is a subject that comes up from time to time. I also just received a pound of GOEX in the plastic.

now im gonna go have a go with my multimeter and the different plastics in powder ... measure hopper ... dippers ... funnels ... etc. I will post my results here and maybe a smarter then me feller can interpret the results for us all.

I have used my RCBS powder funnel ... adjustable powder drop ... Lyman electronic powder measure ... Lee powder dippers ... etc. with blackpowder and everytime I read these posts im reluctant to proceed but I get over it and just about that time somebody else posts the same question so ... im gonna do an ohms test on the different plastics involved here in my reloading process and post the results.

[bigted]

ok here it is ... taken with the multimeter set on the OHMS setting ... naaa hold the applause please ... [smilie=s:

blue point multimeter with leads together = 00.0

RCBS drum style powder measure plastic hopper = O.L

RCBS plastic funnel = O.L

aluminum funnel = 00.0

metal GOEX 2F powder can = 00.0

plastic GOEX powder can = O.L

Lee dippers = O.L

me ... left fingers to right fingers = 250.0

Lyman electronic scale;
hopper = O.L
plastic internals = O.L
aluminum powder dribbler pipe = 00.0

glass bowel for dipping powder from = O.L

GOEX 2F blackpowder ... [pile of powder] = 4.5

so there is my findings from a multimeter set on ohms. I gather from all things considered that the plastics involved have no more nor no less static delivery capability's then any other in this test ... for instance the powder container [plastic] from GOEX ... WITH powder inside ... had the same reading as the plastic funnels and hoppers in the different scales involved. the powder cans [steel] from GOEX have the same ohms readings as the aluminum funnels and delivery pipes involved.

my humble opinion [ from an uneducated layman] conclude that there is no harm to be found in using blackpowder in ANY delivery system designed for any other type powder.

smarter folks then me may come up with a differing opinion then myself from these humble tests and if so I for one would very much be interested in the explanation of such.

:bigsmyl2: ... now the applause can commence ... thank ya very much ... be here all week ... :redneck:

[John Boy]

Thanks Ted!
83709

[bangerjim]

It takes very specialized high impedance instruments to measure what you are trying to do with a standard "hand job" field multimeter. It will not get the job done.

You need one of these:

http://www.trifield.com/content/surface-dc-voltmeter/

and one of these:

http://www.trifield.com/content/high-resistance-meter/

They work very well.

I have similar devices in my lab.

Bottom line, if you cannot ignite gun powder with a high static discharge as shown in the link I posted above, you should have absolutely no worries about a small buildup that causes a few flakes of powder to stick to your funnel.

Just adding more of my engineering knowledge base to the mix.

"Cache la Poudre"

banger :guntootsmiley:

[Ed in North Texas]

I have "Black Powder" powder measures - old threaded Lyman 55s with brass tubes replacing the plastic. I have them because they have large capacity and I don't have to refill as often, not because they aren't plastic.

If plastic is good enough for the powder manufacturers, why worry? And I'm not at all sure that the BP manufacturers were the ones putting out the advice about not using a plastic powder hopper, it just might have been the equipment manufacturers - or some gun magazine writers.

Edit: On further reflection, another source of concern about static electricity might be the concern for same during manufacture of powder. Grossly different amounts of powder involved, along with different handling during manufacturing processes.

Anyway, if static worries you - or you just find it a PITNeck with regular smokeless and your funnel, don't spend the money on those pricey aluminum funnels, just swipe a dryer sheet from the laundry room and occasionally wipe the funnel (or other plastic) to eliminate the "static cling" (do those fabric softener companies still use that term?).

[MtGun44]

"Obama" reading does not mean "non-conductive", more like "non-conductive or very high resistance"

Very high resistance is good enough to bleed off static.

Bill