Accidental mix-up of powders... help! - Page 2

Lost Sheep · June 30, 2011, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vaquerovazquez

Thanks to all,

i guess i'll smoke my stogies far from our tomatoes this year.

Not sure I'd use it on a food crop, either

Lost Sheep

wogpotter · July 1, 2011, 08:23 AM

Why not?

Clark · July 1, 2011, 12:05 PM

I would not throw it away and I would not worry about it.

But if YOU are going to worry about it, then throwing it away is a bargain.

Edward429451 · July 1, 2011, 12:13 PM

Yeah, why not? Nitrogen is nitrogen. I wouldn't sprinkle powder on my cereal but in the garden in the soil it will be broken down into plant usable compounds.

If nitro powder is no good for plants then Miracle Grow is probably bad too.

**44 AMP** · July 1, 2011, 08:19 PM

Very simple. THROW IT OUT!

Two simple rules to live by, (from now on) will prevent you from ever going throught this again. But they are just a little more work.

#1 ONLY ONE CAN OF POWDER ON THE BENCH AT A TIME! The one you are using.

#2 (and this is the one people seem to hate to do)
ALWAYS EMPTY THE POWDER MEASURE (and trickler) at the end of every loading session. Don't leave powder in the measure. Not even overnight.

For one thing, some powders will react with the plastic of the hopper. This takes time, but it can happen. And do not have your measure (or powder storage) where it is ever in direct sunlight.

Besides making sure there is no chemical reaction, emptying the measure after the last bullet is seated ensures that you will not ever be in a situation like the one you have now, ever again. It also makes sure that you will never come back to the bench a few hours/days/weeks later and not remember what powder is in the measure (cause there won't be any!).

Its a good habit to get into, once you are done loading that batch, pack up all components and put them back in storage.

Don't know if you load for more than one caliber, but I do, and I can tell you that if you don't put the stuff away when you are done, sooner or later you will have a mistake happen. The best you will suffer will be the loss of some components. The worst could be much, much, much worse. Don't risk it.

Lost Sheep · July 1, 2011, 09:47 PM

Because, while I know most of the powder is just healty nitrogen compounds, I DON"T KNOW what other minerals are in there.

But then, I don't like to use pretroleum products on my barbeque charcoal, either.

Just over-cautious, I guess. I do realize that the plants' root system probably filter out everything that is not a nutrition item, so, yeah. I am timid about some things. Mostly because I DON'T KNOW it is safe. If I did the research and found out, the story would be different.

Lost Sheep.

theycallmeingot · July 1, 2011, 11:04 PM

i'm with you on the petrolium fuels on bbq grills.

rogn · July 2, 2011, 08:04 AM

Yeah , they use things like DNT-dinitrotoluene, First cousin to TNT as a burning rate deterent. This has the New River, and the Shenendoah in VA on the eat only so much fish list. Thanks Federal, Dupont, and a few little known subsidiaries. Most of this came about before we knew of potential long term problems. Yes big busines is at fault, but ask yourself what would you have done 40 or 50 yr ago. If ya gotta dump it dump it on the lawn, unless yer a true vegan. I have made this mistake, not from having too many cans around but from not having engaged brain function, too late, too tired, too hurried. If you have a ball powder and an extruded or large flake powder you can separate them with an appropraite sized screen. Just sift out the finer ball powder and examine the large granules on white paper for any missed particles. And you shoul be OK. HOWEVER, if you leave the two mixed together for a long period of time(more than a coupla days) the nitroglycerine in the ball powder will tend to migrate into the extruded powder, changing the burning rate of both of them. SO, dont tarry , screen them apart and putem in the right jug this time.

Clark · July 2, 2011, 10:48 AM

Quote:

rogn

Yeah , they use things like DNT-dinitrotoluene,..

I think breathing these chemicals would explain some of my behavior at the range. I hate it when the range master calls my wife and tells her I have left some guns at the range, again.

hAkron · July 2, 2011, 11:47 AM

You should toss it, but if you can't bring yourself to do that, get a metal cookie sheet (like the kind you bake cookies on and dump the powder slowly in a long line on the cookie sheet. See if you can visually discern the AA from the other powder. If you pour it out carefully it should hopefully all be lumped together. If you can separate that clump from the rest of the powder and discard it, you could probably still us the rest of the unmixed powder. Again, best to throw it out as you are playing around with dangerous chemistry.

cornbush · July 2, 2011, 01:10 PM

Chuck it............. I would use it, but I can't advise that to anyone else.

Don P · July 2, 2011, 01:12 PM

Burn baby burn.

TXGunNut · July 2, 2011, 11:03 PM

Been giving my garden a few years off. I don't use the last bit of powder and have done the powder mixing thing on occasion. Have maybe 2-3 pounds to dispose of-think I'd rather blow up something, just not a gun.

hagar · July 2, 2011, 11:15 PM

If it was pistol powder mixed with rifle powder, I'd throw it out. But 2 very similar powders mixed in small quantities should not be dangerous. I once mixed a little Accurate 2520 out of my powder measure with an almost full 5 pound can of RL15 by accident just like you did, and since they had similar burn rates I just shot a slightly reduced load. Actually it shot really well, shot some of my best scores with it.

I'm not saying this lightly, been reloading for 30 years and never had a mishap, and I'm very careful about my loads, but I will not throw almost $100 of salvageable powder away.

July 1, 2011, 08:23 AM	#27
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Why not? __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

July 1, 2011, 12:05 PM	#28
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	I would not throw it away and I would not worry about it. But if YOU are going to worry about it, then throwing it away is a bargain. __________________ The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books." "Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist. Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought?

July 1, 2011, 08:19 PM	#30
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,860	Very simple. THROW IT OUT! Two simple rules to live by, (from now on) will prevent you from ever going throught this again. But they are just a little more work. #1 ONLY ONE CAN OF POWDER ON THE BENCH AT A TIME! The one you are using. #2 (and this is the one people seem to hate to do) ALWAYS EMPTY THE POWDER MEASURE (and trickler) at the end of every loading session. Don't leave powder in the measure. Not even overnight. For one thing, some powders will react with the plastic of the hopper. This takes time, but it can happen. And do not have your measure (or powder storage) where it is ever in direct sunlight. Besides making sure there is no chemical reaction, emptying the measure after the last bullet is seated ensures that you will not ever be in a situation like the one you have now, ever again. It also makes sure that you will never come back to the bench a few hours/days/weeks later and not remember what powder is in the measure (cause there won't be any!). Its a good habit to get into, once you are done loading that batch, pack up all components and put them back in storage. Don't know if you load for more than one caliber, but I do, and I can tell you that if you don't put the stuff away when you are done, sooner or later you will have a mistake happen. The best you will suffer will be the loss of some components. The worst could be much, much, much worse. Don't risk it. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

July 1, 2011, 09:47 PM	#31
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	Why not use gunpowder on a food crop? Because, while I know most of the powder is just healty nitrogen compounds, I DON"T KNOW what other minerals are in there. But then, I don't like to use pretroleum products on my barbeque charcoal, either. Just over-cautious, I guess. I do realize that the plants' root system probably filter out everything that is not a nutrition item, so, yeah. I am timid about some things. Mostly because I DON'T KNOW it is safe. If I did the research and found out, the story would be different. Lost Sheep.

July 2, 2011, 01:10 PM	#36
cornbush Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: The retarded place below Idaho Posts: 1,408	Chuck it............. I would use it, but I can't advise that to anyone else. __________________ The best shot I ever made was an accident

July 1, 2011, 12:13 PM	#29
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	Yeah, why not? Nitrogen is nitrogen. I wouldn't sprinkle powder on my cereal but in the garden in the soil it will be broken down into plant usable compounds. If nitro powder is no good for plants then Miracle Grow is probably bad too.

July 1, 2011, 11:04 PM	#32
theycallmeingot Member Join Date: February 3, 2011 Posts: 54	i'm with you on the petrolium fuels on bbq grills.

July 2, 2011, 08:04 AM	#33
rogn Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2005 Posts: 203	Yeah , they use things like DNT-dinitrotoluene, First cousin to TNT as a burning rate deterent. This has the New River, and the Shenendoah in VA on the eat only so much fish list. Thanks Federal, Dupont, and a few little known subsidiaries. Most of this came about before we knew of potential long term problems. Yes big busines is at fault, but ask yourself what would you have done 40 or 50 yr ago. If ya gotta dump it dump it on the lawn, unless yer a true vegan. I have made this mistake, not from having too many cans around but from not having engaged brain function, too late, too tired, too hurried. If you have a ball powder and an extruded or large flake powder you can separate them with an appropraite sized screen. Just sift out the finer ball powder and examine the large granules on white paper for any missed particles. And you shoul be OK. HOWEVER, if you leave the two mixed together for a long period of time(more than a coupla days) the nitroglycerine in the ball powder will tend to migrate into the extruded powder, changing the burning rate of both of them. SO, dont tarry , screen them apart and putem in the right jug this time.

July 2, 2011, 11:47 AM	#35
hAkron Senior Member Join Date: March 31, 2011 Location: Akron, Ohio Posts: 318	You should toss it, but if you can't bring yourself to do that, get a metal cookie sheet (like the kind you bake cookies on and dump the powder slowly in a long line on the cookie sheet. See if you can visually discern the AA from the other powder. If you pour it out carefully it should hopefully all be lumped together. If you can separate that clump from the rest of the powder and discard it, you could probably still us the rest of the unmixed powder. Again, best to throw it out as you are playing around with dangerous chemistry.

July 2, 2011, 01:12 PM	#37
Don P Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Swamp dweller Posts: 6,187	Burn baby burn. __________________ *NRA Life Member, NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, NRA Certified Pistol Instructor,, USPSA & Steel Challange NROI Range Officer, ICORE Range Officer, ,MAG 40 Graduate* *As you are, I once was, As I am, You will be.*

July 2, 2011, 11:03 PM	#38
TXGunNut Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: If you have to ask... Posts: 2,860	Been giving my garden a few years off. I don't use the last bit of powder and have done the powder mixing thing on occasion. Have maybe 2-3 pounds to dispose of-think I'd rather blow up something, just not a gun. __________________ Life Member NRA, TSRA Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call Lonesome Dove My favorite recipes start out with a handful of used wheelweights.

July 2, 2011, 11:15 PM	#39
hagar Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2000 Location: Colombia, SC Posts: 745	If it was pistol powder mixed with rifle powder, I'd throw it out. But 2 very similar powders mixed in small quantities should not be dangerous. I once mixed a little Accurate 2520 out of my powder measure with an almost full 5 pound can of RL15 by accident just like you did, and since they had similar burn rates I just shot a slightly reduced load. Actually it shot really well, shot some of my best scores with it. I'm not saying this lightly, been reloading for 30 years and never had a mishap, and I'm very careful about my loads, but I will not throw almost $100 of salvageable powder away. __________________ I don't have time for busy people