Tidying up after a powder spill

PaseMkr · April 7, 2012, 02:52 PM

Being new to reloading and knowing that there are people in this forum who have been reloading for a long time, I was hoping to see if the vast experience in this forum had any creative ways to clean up powder after any minor or major spills. Just thinking that someone out there may have a tip that wanders outside of the obvious ways.

Peter M. Eick · April 7, 2012, 02:57 PM

I have a drafting brush left over from my mapmaking days that I use with a dustpan. I normally sweep up the area (my reloading room is tile) and then I just sweep up at the end of the session. Normally all that is in the dustpan is powder which frankly I just dump in the measure and use. I use a straw to blow around the press and use the same drafting brush to sweep up the bench.

The key is to clean up before you start and clean up again after you finish. Then you know the powder is safe to use over. Otherwise, trash can.

Rifleman1776 · April 7, 2012, 05:25 PM

Brush up or sweep up. I wouldn't reuse. Makes good garden fertilizer. Small amounts of residue can be vacuumed.

Lost Sheep · April 7, 2012, 10:14 PM

Dropcloth catches all. Take outside and shake off on the lawn. The high nitrogen content is good for greening up.

Lost Sheep

Fullthrottle · April 7, 2012, 10:26 PM

All of the above works for me.

Jerry45 · April 8, 2012, 12:07 AM

3” or 4” throw-away paintbrush cleans off the bench. Broom and dust pan cleans up the floor and into the garbage it goes.

C7AR15 · April 8, 2012, 02:44 AM

A can of compressed air from a stationary store works
very well. $8-$10.
Good for dusting entertainment centre as well!!

I just vacuum up small spills.

Brush up the big piles and throw it into the toilet and flush.

PS Iwas looking at the City of Burnaby sticker on the front of the
Smithrite and it lists 14 things you cannot throw into the garbage !!!!

**Mike Irwin** · April 8, 2012, 07:21 AM

I just drop a match.

mo84 · April 8, 2012, 08:38 AM

I use a small acid brush for cleaning up my prograssive shot gun shell reloader. I don't use a brush when useing my single stage press as everything is easy to get to. The powder that gets on the floor and table get swept into a dust pan when I am finished and put into foil and burned on the grill. it's not as fun as black powder but still entertaining.

wogpotter · April 8, 2012, 09:22 AM

Dustbuster rules!

excelerater · April 8, 2012, 11:02 AM

Im with Mike........I dropped a bunch on the floor not long again and
torched it.......made for quite the show , was on a concrete floor on my garage .......was not a big deal really stuff burns slow but makes pretty colors

m&p45acp10+1 · April 8, 2012, 12:21 PM

Use a broom, and dust pan for the floor. On the bench I use a shop vac.

sc928porsche · April 8, 2012, 10:26 PM

Vacuum cleaner?? Really?????? C'mon guys!!!!!

warningshot · April 9, 2012, 01:56 AM

Little sparks and years of gun powder accumulation behind the corners of you reloading bench corrects itself after 8 to 12 years.

Sirens...ah yes. I can hear them now. Job security for the firemen...persons. I ment fire p-e-r-s-o-n-s.

NWPilgrim · April 9, 2012, 05:22 AM

Broom and dustpan for floor, and 3" paintbrush and dustpan for the reloading bench. I have not spilled enough to bother reusing it. The small amount gets thrown out on the lawn.

oldmanFCSA · April 9, 2012, 09:40 AM

Big spills on floor or in carpeting, use shop vac, but first go suck up some water, then suck up the powder. Water stops the static. Then clean out vac before it dries.

praetorian97 · April 9, 2012, 04:47 PM

I have one of the girlfriend's old makeup brushes. The big kind. I sweep the bulk up then run the vacuum all over.

WESHOOT2 · April 10, 2012, 08:07 AM

While one may successfully vacuum spilled powder for a while, one may also find flames shooting out of said vacuum at some point, too.

I tuck a hankerchief into the vacuum's nozzle, poke it in deeper with a finger, then rubber-band it onto the nozzle.
The hanky traps the sucked-up powder, eliminating the flames, and often allows me to reuse the powder.

Jim243 · April 10, 2012, 08:52 AM

Quote:

The hanky traps the sucked-up powder, eliminating the flames, and often allows me to reuse the powder

Now that's cool, but haven't spilled that much powder YET. I use a small shop vac (8 years no flames) if you have a concern then an inch of water on the bottom of the shop vac will prevent any combustion. I do use a 4 inch dust pan and brush that you can buy from any dollar store and yes it costs one dollar.

Jim

FrankenMauser · April 10, 2012, 01:01 PM

Compressed air, vacuum, broom... whatever it takes.

April 7, 2012, 02:52 PM	#1
PaseMkr Junior Member Join Date: January 29, 2011 Posts: 13	Tidying up after a powder spill Being new to reloading and knowing that there are people in this forum who have been reloading for a long time, I was hoping to see if the vast experience in this forum had any creative ways to clean up powder after any minor or major spills. Just thinking that someone out there may have a tip that wanders outside of the obvious ways.

April 7, 2012, 02:57 PM	#2
Peter M. Eick Senior Member Join Date: August 3, 1999 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 2,991	I have a drafting brush left over from my mapmaking days that I use with a dustpan. I normally sweep up the area (my reloading room is tile) and then I just sweep up at the end of the session. Normally all that is in the dustpan is powder which frankly I just dump in the measure and use. I use a straw to blow around the press and use the same drafting brush to sweep up the bench. The key is to clean up before you start and clean up again after you finish. Then you know the powder is safe to use over. Otherwise, trash can. __________________ 10mm and 357sig, the best things to come along since the 38 super!

April 7, 2012, 10:14 PM	#4
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	Never need to Dropcloth catches all. Take outside and shake off on the lawn. The high nitrogen content is good for greening up. Lost Sheep Last edited by Lost Sheep; April 7, 2012 at 11:19 PM.

April 7, 2012, 10:26 PM	#5
Fullthrottle Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2009 Posts: 280	All of the above works for me. __________________ When seconds count, why is help minutes away?

April 8, 2012, 12:07 AM	#6
Jerry45 Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2000 Location: Metairie, Louisiana Posts: 890	3” or 4” throw-away paintbrush cleans off the bench. Broom and dust pan cleans up the floor and into the garbage it goes. __________________ Guns are not dangerous! People are! RKBA!

April 7, 2012, 05:25 PM	#3
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	Brush up or sweep up. I wouldn't reuse. Makes good garden fertilizer. Small amounts of residue can be vacuumed.

April 8, 2012, 02:44 AM	#7
C7AR15 Senior Member Join Date: April 24, 2011 Location: Burnaby Posts: 260	Compressed Air A can of compressed air from a stationary store works very well. $8-$10. Good for dusting entertainment centre as well!! I just vacuum up small spills. Brush up the big piles and throw it into the toilet and flush. PS Iwas looking at the City of Burnaby sticker on the front of the Smithrite and it lists 14 things you cannot throw into the garbage !!!!

April 8, 2012, 07:21 AM	#8
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,381	I just drop a match. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

April 8, 2012, 08:38 AM	#9
mo84 Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2011 Location: Michigan Posts: 257	I use a small acid brush for cleaning up my prograssive shot gun shell reloader. I don't use a brush when useing my single stage press as everything is easy to get to. The powder that gets on the floor and table get swept into a dust pan when I am finished and put into foil and burned on the grill. it's not as fun as black powder but still entertaining.

April 8, 2012, 09:22 AM	#10
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Dustbuster rules! __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

April 8, 2012, 11:02 AM	#11
excelerater Junior member Join Date: June 27, 2011 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 694	Im with Mike........I dropped a bunch on the floor not long again and torched it.......made for quite the show , was on a concrete floor on my garage .......was not a big deal really stuff burns slow but makes pretty colors

April 8, 2012, 12:21 PM	#12
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	Use a broom, and dust pan for the floor. On the bench I use a shop vac. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

April 8, 2012, 10:26 PM	#13
sc928porsche Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2008 Location: now living in alabama Posts: 2,433	Vacuum cleaner?? Really?????? C'mon guys!!!!! __________________ No such thing as a stupid question. What is stupid is not asking it.

April 9, 2012, 01:56 AM	#14
warningshot Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2009 Posts: 995	Spilled gun powder...No problem. Little sparks and years of gun powder accumulation behind the corners of you reloading bench corrects itself after 8 to 12 years. Sirens...ah yes. I can hear them now. Job security for the firemen...persons. I ment fire p-e-r-s-o-n-s.

April 9, 2012, 05:22 AM	#15
NWPilgrim Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,346	Broom and dustpan for floor, and 3" paintbrush and dustpan for the reloading bench. I have not spilled enough to bother reusing it. The small amount gets thrown out on the lawn.

April 9, 2012, 09:40 AM	#16
oldmanFCSA Senior Member Join Date: November 8, 2010 Location: WISCONSIN Posts: 283	Big spills on floor or in carpeting, use shop vac, but first go suck up some water, then suck up the powder. Water stops the static. Then clean out vac before it dries. __________________ OldmanFCSA = "Oldman" at www.fcsa.org FCSA Member, SCSA Member, NRA Member, & AMA Member "Oldage & Treachery will overcome Youth & Skill"

April 9, 2012, 04:47 PM	#17
praetorian97 Senior Member Join Date: May 9, 2011 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 455	I have one of the girlfriend's old makeup brushes. The big kind. I sweep the bulk up then run the vacuum all over. Last edited by praetorian97; April 10, 2012 at 02:26 PM.

April 10, 2012, 08:07 AM	#18
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	my big bench's top is carpeted While one may successfully vacuum spilled powder for a while, one may also find flames shooting out of said vacuum at some point, too. I tuck a hankerchief into the vacuum's nozzle, poke it in deeper with a finger, then rubber-band it onto the nozzle. The hanky traps the sucked-up powder, eliminating the flames, and often allows me to reuse the powder. __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

April 10, 2012, 01:01 PM	#20
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Compressed air, vacuum, broom... whatever it takes. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.