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rhbrink
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Static Electricity
Sep 8th, 2014 at 7:20am
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Any body have any idea how to remove static electricity from a powder measure? I have been having a lot of shots drop low lately, very low! 10 to 12 inches at 200 yards. Got the chrony out and now and then a shot is 50 to 125 fps slower that the rest of my loads. Thought that the brass was bad? Something binding in the action? Two different kinds of  primers same results.  Finally discovered that my Redding BR3 powder measure has static electricity. 

RB
  
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Seanmp
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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #1 - Sep 8th, 2014 at 7:48am
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Eliminating static charges can be a real pain in the butt. First thing I would do is figure out where the charge is being generated. 
Certain countertop laminates can generate a lot of static as can some clear polycarbonates. In the past I have found that a copper mesh product sold by Lee Valley as a slug repellent is very useful for building static drains. Make sure there is enough paint removed to provide a good metal contact. 

Anyhow if it's coming from the bench top I would put the mesh or brass shim stock under the unit mount. If it's coming from you then a strip along the front of the bench would help drain the charge as you lean against it. 

Anyhow once you decide on a plan connect all your drains with a SINGLE wire and run that to a ground point such as a copper pipe. I wouldn't use a ground that could ever possibly reverse such as a neutral in an electrical box. I live in the country and I have measured voltage on my neutrals against earth ground. 
As I said connect it all with a single wire as you don't want to accidentally create a ground loop.
  

Sean
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rhbrink
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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #2 - Sep 8th, 2014 at 7:59am
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I use it most of the time clamped to a concrete bench top at the rifle range. This has been building over some time maybe a month or so as I have been experiencing a dropped shot now and then for no apparent reason. One curious thing that really got me looking at static electricy was when I add more powder to the measure I usually always drop a charge or two back into the open powder bottle just to assure consistency. When I worked to lever and dropped powder it did not fall straight from the drop tube but instead came out on a shotgun pattern that was nearly larger the  open top of the powder bottle!!!! That was an eye opener for sure!

RB
  
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40_Rod
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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #3 - Sep 8th, 2014 at 8:19am
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There are a couple of things that you can do to help with static electricity. First wipe down the outside of the measure with a dryer sheet this often helps. The best thing to do is get rid of as much plastic as possible. Get rid of the plastic drop tube and make up a new one out of brass or stainless. For powder bottles get some fine graphite and rub it into the inside of the bottle until you can barely see through the bottle this really helps with static build-up on dry days.

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SSShooter
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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #4 - Sep 8th, 2014 at 8:25am
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If you use a dryer anti-cling sheet(s), change them every few weeks as they lose their efficiency over time (can't turn them on & off). I wrap the plastic hopper with a couple of them and hold in place with rubber bands. Works reasonably well.
  

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Seanmp
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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #5 - Sep 8th, 2014 at 9:36am
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Oh I forgot to mention for polycarbonate, such as your hopper tube, there is an antistatic spray ( look in the laundry soap area at the grocery store) that essentially leaves a conductive film after the carrier dries.

Concrete should be a good ground ( this may actually be part of the problem) as long as there is a path between the measure and the concrete. ie if you have added an insulator such as the a piece of plywood the measure is mounted to then that is clamped to the concrete then you may have  all the ingredients for static buildup. Concrete has a typical strong negative potential, polycarbonates have a typical positive potential and every time your hand passes by the tube operating the lever more electrical charge is created. Static electricity is simply an expression of the difference of electrical potential between two objects.
« Last Edit: Sep 8th, 2014 at 9:41am by Seanmp »  

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rhbrink
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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #6 - Sep 8th, 2014 at 9:48am
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OK! I did build a nice wood stand for the measure to mount to and that is clamped to the concrete table top, but! I have been using this set for years and no problem until just recently and of course it really jumped up and bit me during an all-important match with no spare powder measure and didn't think to bring a scale as I had never encountered a problem of this nature. Scratch one up to experience I guess?

RB
  
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QuestionableMaynard8130
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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #7 - Sep 8th, 2014 at 11:14am
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I'm curious about this from another aspect.   We have all heard the stories about static and BP, though no one I know of has ever heard of a plastic powder bin exploding.

static build up affecting the powder drop is new to me but it sounds more logical.

I have been using the Redding measures for years, and have several of them.   However a couple years back I bought a rather large (by my standards at least) quantity of 4759 which since I have gotten back to shooting centerfire has been my primary powder.  I have had problems too with drop charge issues.  I have always attributed them to the powders stick-like granules wedging in the plastic drop tube throat since giving the measure a little tap seems to help with consistency.  
I have thought of reaming and polishing the plastic drop tube to open the throat up a little.  Now I'm wondering if static is a contributing factor as well. 
Does anyone make an aftermarket brass or copper drop tube for the Redding measures.  if sprayed in the plastic hoppers; how long does the anti-static spray commonly last?
  

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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #8 - Sep 8th, 2014 at 1:11pm
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Such a horrible thing to happen at a match. Was it the CBA Nationals?

I use only Redding measures at the matches and the measure mount that I made is steel and aluminum and clamps directly to the bench so, I've never had that happen. As a quick fix, you can run a copper wire from the threaded area of the measure to underneath your mount.

I've made aluminum drop tubes for them out of 5/8 stock but, just because the plastic ones broke. The taper (as I remember) is 10 deg. into the measure body and has to be matched accurately or it won't stay in.

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rhbrink
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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #9 - Sep 8th, 2014 at 1:33pm
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Yep! CBA Nationals. It wasn't pretty!

RB
  
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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #10 - Sep 8th, 2014 at 11:43pm
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I've used the static sheets for a few years but mainly to prevent or reduce smokeless powder from sticking in a plastic powder funnel.  Now I'm wondering if putting a small piece of the sheet in the powder can and mixing it might work well. I can't imagine a few milligrams of the anti-static stuff in a pound of powder will cause any ill effects.  Maybe I will try this with some old powder.    Try putting some powder in a plastic vial and it can really get sticky.   

Dave
  
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JLouis
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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #11 - Sep 9th, 2014 at 12:53am
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Who was the Plainbase National Champion this year?

JLouis
  

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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #12 - Sep 9th, 2014 at 1:52am
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Never had static affect the charge weight, just had powder cling to plastic hopper.
For plastic, wash in warm soapy water and let dry (do not rinse) or use anti-cling drier sheet.
For metal, ground it.
PS: an RCBS Lock-Out die or simply inspecting every case before you place a bullet on it might help.
  
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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #13 - Sep 9th, 2014 at 6:35am
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Verl Sigman won the Plain Base Championship.

I had about 40 cases loaded with powder when I looked into the cases before placing a wad in the case mouth I noticed that not all the charges appeared equal. That's the point that I quit it seemed to me to be a complete waste of powder and lead and primers to continue on. I brought those home and weighed them yesterday the charges ran from 12.5 grains to 5.4 grains the powder measure was set to drop 11.8 grains.

The powder was sticking to the inside of the powder chamber of the powder measure and I guess building up then now and then maybe a big clump would pull loose and fall into the case just guessing on this part. 

I bought some dryer sheets and also some static free spray neither of which had any immediate effect that I could tell. Graphite seemed to have the most effect so far I did ground the powder measure to the steel part of my work bench and have been measuring charges now and then. It is getting better for  a while but then begins to vary the charge weights a couple of tenths and still has powder clinging to the inside of the powder chamber. This is just a small amount of powder granules but I suppose that they would add up after time. 

If I ever get this measure back to a useable condition it will go to a backup mode and I will carry a scale along with it. I'm starting to think about sodering a nail to a small case and cut it back to get the desired weight dip and dump, dang sure be more accurate than what I now have.

RB
  
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Re: Static Electricity
Reply #14 - Sep 9th, 2014 at 7:33am
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I think I would try a different measure. Or completely disassemble the measure for an inspection and thorough cleaning. No sense beating a dead horse.

Bill
  
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