Spilled Powder

Orange Dust said:
You just might be on to something. Especially if you had a hose with a static wire that grounded your tips to the machine full of water. HMMMM
Click to expand...
It's the friction caused by the powder passing through the impeller guys. If you want to use a vac, use a rated "explosion proof" one. I have seen films of just an explosion using a shop vacume in tech school. Think about it.
 
Orange Dust said:
I load a lot of both centerfire and shotshells on progressive loaders. Yesterday I was watching a Youtube video on changing a collet on a MEC 9000. Afterward another one came on. It supposedly explained how to clear a missed primer. The guy used a hand vac to suck the powder out of the machine. Excellent way to get killed. The only proper way I know of is to dig out with a paint brush, and blow the rest with canned air. If that doesn't get it, disassemble the machine. I've been doing that on MEC's and Dillions forever. Progressives are by nature dirty. They spill small amounts of everything and over time they do create hazards if both the machines and the area around them are not kept clean. My tools are canned air, paint brushes, and 409 cleaner. All this got me thinking. Am I too old school and missing out? I would pay good money for an explosion proof Vacuum. Does anyone know if such a thing exists? Have one? Who has a better way to deal with this problem than I do? This does create stoppages that are both time consuming and frustrating. I'm sure one of you guys have invented a safe way to deal with all this. You have sent way too many pictures of spotless reloading rooms.
Click to expand...
I made a dustless and explosion proof vac system that is pretty easy. I don't have a pic of it right now, but I'll post one later. Start with a suction tube from a shop vac. This tube goes into a 5 gallon bucket, with a lid gasket so it's sealed relatively well. bucket is filled half way with water, and suction hose from shop vac is ABOVE THE WATER AS FAR AS IT CAN BE. a second hose is below water line, and exits the bucket. seal all openings (caulk, GOOP, etc). What ever you suck in, gets trapped by the water. If you're worried about vac motor in an explosive environment, you can park the shop vac in a different room, and have a long hose connecting to the bucket.

If you search for "DIY water filter vacuum" you should find lots of examples.
 
Kliff said:
I made a dustless and explosion proof vac system that is pretty easy. I don't have a pic of it right now, but I'll post one later. Start with a suction tube from a shop vac. This tube goes into a 5 gallon bucket, with a lid gasket so it's sealed relatively well. bucket is filled half way with water, and suction hose from shop vac is ABOVE THE WATER AS FAR AS IT CAN BE. a second hose is below water line, and exits the bucket. seal all openings (caulk, GOOP, etc). What ever you suck in, gets trapped by the water. If you're worried about vac motor in an explosive environment, you can park the shop vac in a different room, and have a long hose connecting to the bucket.

If you search for "DIY water filter vacuum" you should find lots of examples.
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I figured one of you crafty guys figured it out. did you use a grounded (to the water) hose upstream of the water or just antistatic? I'm going to build one
 
Kliff said:
I made a dustless and explosion proof vac system that is pretty easy. I don't have a pic of it right now, but I'll post one later. Start with a suction tube from a shop vac. This tube goes into a 5 gallon bucket, with a lid gasket so it's sealed relatively well. bucket is filled half way with water, and suction hose from shop vac is ABOVE THE WATER AS FAR AS IT CAN BE. a second hose is below water line, and exits the bucket. seal all openings (caulk, GOOP, etc). What ever you suck in, gets trapped by the water. If you're worried about vac motor in an explosive environment, you can park the shop vac in a different room, and have a long hose connecting to the bucket.

If you search for "DIY water filter vacuum" you should find lots of examples.
Click to expand...
As long as the powder does not get sucked up into the impeller, this sounds like it should work. Pics please. Thanks, stay safe.
 
Should be easy enough to build a fireproof box, kinda like a grease trap and use your shop vac for suction? Sounds good.....
 
This.
 

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Orange Dust said:
I load a lot of both centerfire and shotshells on progressive loaders. Yesterday I was watching a Youtube video on changing a collet on a MEC 9000. Afterward another one came on. It supposedly explained how to clear a missed primer. The guy used a hand vac to suck the powder out of the machine. Excellent way to get killed. The only proper way I know of is to dig out with a paint brush, and blow the rest with canned air. If that doesn't get it, disassemble the machine. I've been doing that on MEC's and Dillions forever. Progressives are by nature dirty. They spill small amounts of everything and over time they do create hazards if both the machines and the area around them are not kept clean. My tools are canned air, paint brushes, and 409 cleaner. All this got me thinking. Am I too old school and missing out? I would pay good money for an explosion proof Vacuum. Does anyone know if such a thing exists? Have one? Who has a better way to deal with this problem than I do? This does create stoppages that are both time consuming and frustrating. I'm sure one of you guys have invented a safe way to deal with all this. You have sent way too many pictures of spotless reloading rooms.
Click to expand...
Static electricity would be the worse culprit. You would not think that sugar would be a problem when it comes to explosions. But a sugar dust explosion leveled part of a packaging plant in Georgia I believe. First explosion can cause more lose dust which can cause secondary explosions. Some people were never recovered. Grain dust does the same thing. I believe that Winchester does not have more than 4oz. Of powder on their shot shell loading line.
 
As an aviation mechanic often times a shop vac is too large so we mostly used air vacuums. They're loud but run off of your air compressor. The housing is a Venturi made of aluminum and dump everything into a cloth bag.Theyre also fairly inexpensive and I don't ever recall any static electricit. Used ones can sometimes be found on eBay or The Yard Store.
 
Small machine brush, large paint brush, dental pick, and dustpan are all I've ever used. I do use plastic mat to cover my bench. Leary of any vacuum cleaner. Electric motor spark could be deadly!
 
This video home screen shows a good picture, but the description is terrible. I also added a round piece of plywood to the inside of the bucket so it is below the curved tube, and above the straight tube. Water goes up to the board, so intake hose is below water. curved tube goes to vacuum. NO DUST makes it to the vac. I started using this for extremely fine dust like drywall, and ash. I've since used it for flamables.

Sorry, I don't have pictures of mine, I'm at vacation place making syrup for a while. If you're interested in detailed photos or directions of mine, e-mail will get fastest reply: [email protected]
 

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