CLeaning up gun powder - Page 2

FrankenMauser · April 20, 2009, 10:09 PM

You guys are entirely too paranoid.

You take greater chances of never returning home every day, just by getting on an expressway / freeway / interstate; than you ever will by vaccuuming up smokeless powder.

Just today, I demonstrated the burning characteristics of smokeless powder outside a pressure vessel. It calmed my fiancee down an amazing amount. I actually had 3!! matches burning in the pile of "scrap" powder before it ignited. Then, of course, the 8 second burn time made another impression of a less-than-alarming nature.
As of now, she could care less what I do with smokeless powder.

iblong · April 21, 2009, 05:33 AM

I sweep up primers,and use my shop vac for powder never had an issue and dont expect to.Im reasonably carefull with my powder and the amount of spillage is not going to create a bomb even if it did ignite.But then again I might not be the brightest bulb on the tree.
Bob.

aerod1 · April 21, 2009, 08:38 AM

I let the lady who cleans my house vacuum it up.

Mike38 · February 14, 2020, 01:17 PM

I vacuum it up, even from my reloading room floor which is hardwood. Remember, modern smokeless powder does not explode, it burns rapidly. Vacuuming up 50 granules or so is not going to explode. I've done it for years, no problems at all. I wouldn't vacuum up a pound of it, but a few flakes shouldn't be a problem.

hounddawg · February 14, 2020, 01:36 PM

zombie thread from 2009, someone must be bored

LE-28 · February 15, 2020, 08:57 AM

I vacuum it up also, as long as it is smokeless powder and not Black.

I don't think smokeless powder will conduct electricity so it shouldn't be prone to ignition from a static spark.

It should act more as a faraday cage and the static will just pass around it.

If it were prone to static ignition we would all be using brass and aluminum powder measures like you have to use with black powder.

Black powder does conduct electricity because of the salt peter in it and will ignite with a static spark.

If the humidity in the room is 35% or higher the chance of a static spark isn't very high anyways. Above 35% and there is no chance of a static spark.

buck460XVR · February 15, 2020, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankenMauser

A vaccuum will be just fine.

We're not talking about black powder here.
This is smokeless powder. It burns like a wet poop*, if not in a pressure vessel. *(t-urd; the uneditted word is censored here.)

Even if it does ignite in a vaccuum cleaner, you'll have more than enough time to grab some popcorn and watch... or pick it up and take it outside to watch it burn.
The odds of ignition are probably about the same as being stuck by lightning twice, on the same day.

^^^for the win!

**Unclenick** · February 15, 2020, 12:10 PM

Even black powder isn't easily ignited by sparks. The problem is more along the lines of it not being a good idea to have it confined in an environment where you might also suck up a nail or a primer or anything else that might supply enough of a spark to get it going. The wet vac with water inside will handle that.

The revival of this zombie thread by the new member appears to be entirely for the purpose of advertising expensive explosion-proof commercial vacuum cleaners. The post is a first post. Its body is entirely a quote from the site literature at the end of the link and is not original. The poster registered from one of the two places where a distributor of the mentioned products exists.

Because it violates our advertising policy, I will delete the post.

NH15-45 · February 15, 2020, 03:56 PM

I've been reloading in a carpeted room for forty years and I'm sure I've spilled more than a little powder. Wife's been vacuuming up after me all along and never had an incident. Assuming she vacuums once a week, that's 2,080 times gunpowder probably got sucked up.

higgite · February 16, 2020, 12:05 AM

If any of you posters from the original 2009 thread have blown yourself up vacuuming up spilled powder in the last 11 years, please speak up. I need to know if I should stop doing it. Thanks.

mehavey · February 16, 2020, 11:18 AM

Piling On . . .

Quote:

....primers will explode....

Has anyone, anywhere, ever actually had a primer explode and/or powder ignite while being vacuumed...?

No theory, please.
Just evidential instance/experimental results.

mikld · February 16, 2020, 11:52 AM

I doubt if the amount of powder spilled on a carpet is much more than a few grains (unless you drop a charged 45-70 or fully charged 44 Magnum and it empties on your rug). I have a small Shop Vac and a dust buster I have been using for quite a while with zero Kabooms. Just wondering, has anyone seen or read from a reliable source an instance of a fire or explosion when vacuuming up spilled powder? Or a "Chicken Little", old wives tale idea?

hounddawg · February 16, 2020, 02:41 PM

When I was in the Navy a long time ago we had a guy vacuum up a lit cigarette, a couple of minutes later the vacuum began spitting out a trail of smoke. Scary part is the guy was a missle tech whose job was working on Polaris missiles. True story

on that note never vacuum up a lit cigarette, in particular if you have just vacuumed up a pound of powder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...ture=emb_title

LE-28 · February 17, 2020, 07:07 PM

Vacuuming up a lit cigarette with a vacuum full of lint doesn't surprise me coming from a rocket scientist.
Sometimes they are so smart their dumb.

Quote:

The revival of this zombie thread by the new member appears to be entirely for the purpose of advertising expensive explosion-proof commercial vacuum cleaners. The post is a first post. Its body is entirely a quote from the site literature at the end of the link and is not original. The poster registered from one of the two places where a distributor of the mentioned products exists.

Because it violates our advertising policy, I will delete the post.

Thanks for pointing that out.
Enough said.

Quote:

Has anyone, anywhere, ever actually had a primer explode and/or powder ignite while being vacuumed...?

No theory, please.
Just evidential instance/experimental results.

I haven't had a problem in 48 years, I vacuum my reloading room out every couple weeks, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen in the winter when the air is really dry. Mr Murphy is always watching us.

mehavey · February 17, 2020, 09:23 PM

While 6-sigma stats are always a surprise (by definition)...
https://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml...ks/sparks.html
https://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml...eignition.html

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/t.../#post-1600811

.

**Unclenick** · February 19, 2020, 12:39 PM

Pioneers wearing static-prone furs had to handle muzzleloading in winter. If the stuff were wildly sensitive to static sparks, they'd have experienced damage from bursting powder horns on a regular basis, but I've not heard of such incidents figuring large in the history of the times.

LE-28 · February 19, 2020, 06:12 PM

That's a really good point Uncle Nick. I hadn't thought about that.

jetinteriorguy · February 22, 2020, 11:23 AM

Just think of how much static the wool uniforms worn during the Civil War would produce. Especially ramming bags of it down cannon barrels. Yikes. Or tearing open paper packets and pouring them down barrels when the rifles had been rubbing up against wool while marching along.

jaguarxk120 · February 22, 2020, 06:23 PM

Where are Myth Busters when you need then! A shop vacuum cleaner
half full of powder and primers with a lit cigar should solve any questions.

Kram · February 22, 2020, 07:42 PM

I installed new plank flooring last month. I got down to the last row, clicked in a new plank, tapped it in with the mallet and tapping block and Boooommm. Somewhere along the way, I picked up a primer.

I had to check my shorts after that.

hounddawg · February 22, 2020, 08:11 PM

Quote:

I had to check my shorts after that.

I would have had to call the fire department to bring the "jaws of life' to spread the cheeks for that

Quote:

Where are Myth Busters when you need then! A shop vacuum cleaner
half full of powder and primers with a lit cigar should solve any questions.

Loved that show but youtube to the rescue

Vacuuming a lit cigarette when the vacuum is filled with gunpowder

LE-28 · February 25, 2020, 06:17 PM

If your dumb enough not to ever empty your reloading room vacuum and let it fill up with powder, I guess Darwin has something to say about your existence.

Nice Pyro show though.

April 21, 2009, 08:38 AM	#28
aerod1 Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2000 Location: Garland Texas U.S.A. Posts: 734	I let the lady who cleans my house vacuum it up. __________________ NRA Life Member, TSRA Life Member, C&R 03 FFL, Texas LTC Recreational Reloader U.S. Navy Veteran (USS Midway V-1 Division)

February 14, 2020, 01:36 PM	#30
hounddawg Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2009 Posts: 4,232	zombie thread from 2009, someone must be bored __________________ “How do I get to the next level?” Well, you get to the next level by being the first one on the range and the last one to leave.” – Jerry Miculek

February 15, 2020, 12:10 PM	#33
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	Even black powder isn't easily ignited by sparks. The problem is more along the lines of it not being a good idea to have it confined in an environment where you might also suck up a nail or a primer or anything else that might supply enough of a spark to get it going. The wet vac with water inside will handle that. The revival of this zombie thread by the new member appears to be entirely for the purpose of advertising expensive explosion-proof commercial vacuum cleaners. The post is a first post. Its body is entirely a quote from the site literature at the end of the link and is not original. The poster registered from one of the two places where a distributor of the mentioned products exists. Because it violates our advertising policy, I will delete the post. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

February 16, 2020, 11:52 AM	#37
mikld Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2009 Location: Southern Oregon! Posts: 2,891	I doubt if the amount of powder spilled on a carpet is much more than a few grains (unless you drop a charged 45-70 or fully charged 44 Magnum and it empties on your rug). I have a small Shop Vac and a dust buster I have been using for quite a while with zero Kabooms. Just wondering, has anyone seen or read from a reliable source an instance of a fire or explosion when vacuuming up spilled powder? Or a "Chicken Little", old wives tale idea? __________________ My Anchor is holding fast! I've learned how to stand on my own two knees... Last edited by mikld; February 17, 2020 at 12:02 PM.

February 16, 2020, 02:41 PM	#38
hounddawg Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2009 Posts: 4,232	When I was in the Navy a long time ago we had a guy vacuum up a lit cigarette, a couple of minutes later the vacuum began spitting out a trail of smoke. Scary part is the guy was a missle tech whose job was working on Polaris missiles. True story on that note never vacuum up a lit cigarette, in particular if you have just vacuumed up a pound of powder https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...ture=emb_title __________________ “How do I get to the next level?” Well, you get to the next level by being the first one on the range and the last one to leave.” – Jerry Miculek

April 20, 2009, 10:09 PM	#26
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	You guys are entirely too paranoid. You take greater chances of never returning home every day, just by getting on an expressway / freeway / interstate; than you ever will by vaccuuming up smokeless powder. Just today, I demonstrated the burning characteristics of smokeless powder outside a pressure vessel. It calmed my fiancee down an amazing amount. I actually had 3!! matches burning in the pile of "scrap" powder before it ignited. Then, of course, the 8 second burn time made another impression of a less-than-alarming nature. As of now, she could care less what I do with smokeless powder.

April 21, 2009, 05:33 AM	#27
iblong Senior Member Join Date: October 1, 2008 Location: MN Posts: 559	I sweep up primers,and use my shop vac for powder never had an issue and dont expect to.Im reasonably carefull with my powder and the amount of spillage is not going to create a bomb even if it did ignite.But then again I might not be the brightest bulb on the tree. Bob.

February 14, 2020, 01:17 PM	#29
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,710	I vacuum it up, even from my reloading room floor which is hardwood. Remember, modern smokeless powder does not explode, it burns rapidly. Vacuuming up 50 granules or so is not going to explode. I've done it for years, no problems at all. I wouldn't vacuum up a pound of it, but a few flakes shouldn't be a problem.

February 15, 2020, 08:57 AM	#31
LE-28 Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2012 Location: North Carolina Posts: 759	I vacuum it up also, as long as it is smokeless powder and not Black. I don't think smokeless powder will conduct electricity so it shouldn't be prone to ignition from a static spark. It should act more as a faraday cage and the static will just pass around it. If it were prone to static ignition we would all be using brass and aluminum powder measures like you have to use with black powder. Black powder does conduct electricity because of the salt peter in it and will ignite with a static spark. If the humidity in the room is 35% or higher the chance of a static spark isn't very high anyways. Above 35% and there is no chance of a static spark.

February 15, 2020, 03:56 PM	#34
NH15-45 Member Join Date: April 15, 2018 Posts: 15	I've been reloading in a carpeted room for forty years and I'm sure I've spilled more than a little powder. Wife's been vacuuming up after me all along and never had an incident. Assuming she vacuums once a week, that's 2,080 times gunpowder probably got sucked up.

February 16, 2020, 12:05 AM	#35
higgite Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2010 Posts: 1,025	If any of you posters from the original 2009 thread have blown yourself up vacuuming up spilled powder in the last 11 years, please speak up. I need to know if I should stop doing it. Thanks.

February 17, 2020, 09:23 PM	#40
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,896	While 6-sigma stats are always a surprise (by definition)... https://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml...ks/sparks.html https://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml...eignition.html https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/t.../#post-1600811 . Last edited by mehavey; February 17, 2020 at 09:30 PM.

February 19, 2020, 12:39 PM	#41
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	Pioneers wearing static-prone furs had to handle muzzleloading in winter. If the stuff were wildly sensitive to static sparks, they'd have experienced damage from bursting powder horns on a regular basis, but I've not heard of such incidents figuring large in the history of the times. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

February 19, 2020, 06:12 PM	#42
LE-28 Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2012 Location: North Carolina Posts: 759	That's a really good point Uncle Nick. I hadn't thought about that.

February 22, 2020, 11:23 AM	#43
jetinteriorguy Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2013 Posts: 3,176	Just think of how much static the wool uniforms worn during the Civil War would produce. Especially ramming bags of it down cannon barrels. Yikes. Or tearing open paper packets and pouring them down barrels when the rifles had been rubbing up against wool while marching along.

February 22, 2020, 06:23 PM	#44
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,620	Where are Myth Busters when you need then! A shop vacuum cleaner half full of powder and primers with a lit cigar should solve any questions.

February 22, 2020, 07:42 PM	#45
Kram Member Join Date: January 5, 2019 Posts: 70	I installed new plank flooring last month. I got down to the last row, clicked in a new plank, tapped it in with the mallet and tapping block and Boooommm. Somewhere along the way, I picked up a primer. I had to check my shorts after that.

February 25, 2020, 06:17 PM	#47
LE-28 Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2012 Location: North Carolina Posts: 759	If your dumb enough not to ever empty your reloading room vacuum and let it fill up with powder, I guess Darwin has something to say about your existence. Nice Pyro show though.