Do you ground your reloading machine?

2312 Views 61 Replies 31 Participants Last post by Rick Barker, 2 d ago

Steve Randall

Discussion Starter · 6 d ago

I reload in my basement and I run a ground wire up to the ground on my house water pipe. Yesterday it didn't seem tp work very well though. When I went to weigh my powder, I dumped it into the scale and the powder started jumping all over the place from static electricity. When I dumped it back into the hull, it was literally jumping out of the hull. I was reloading the green STSs. It didn't do it with other hulls so I stopped reloading those. I guess the grounding wasn't working yesterday. So, do any of you ground your reloading machines? Does it work for you?? Thanks for any opinions.

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MBA5

· #2 · 6 d ago

Never. Mine are mounted on a sturdy wood built in wood bench.

Reactions: 5

Nebs

· #3 · 6 d ago (Edited)

I, too, tried grounding my loader and it had no impact. Static electicity is, well, static; it doesn't move and grounding the loader won't make it move. Your loader must be in a dry environment, no?, Dry air promotes static. The best solution (pun?) is to add humidity to the air. Bu an inexpensive humidifier, put it in the room where you reload and switch it on an half-hour before you start loading.

Reactions: 5

Steve Randall

Discussion Starter · #4 · 6 d ago

Nebs said:
Static electicity is, well, static; it doesn't move and ground the loader won't make it move. Your loader must be in a dry environment, which promotes static. The best solution (pun?) is to add humidity to the air.

I thought about doing that but my basement gets so damp in the summer that I run a dehumidifier most of the time.

Nebs

· #5 · 6 d ago

Steve Randall said:
I thought about doing that but my basement gets so damp in the summer that I run a dehumidifier most of the time.

If your basement is damp, you should not have static.

Reactions: 4

Pat McKean

· #6 · 6 d ago

Nebs said:
I, too, tried grounding my loader and it had no impact. Static electicity is, well, static; it doesn't move and grounding the loader won't make it move. Your loader must be in a dry environment, no?, Dry air promotes static. The best solution (pun?) is to add humidity to the air. Bu an inexpensive humidifier, put it in the room where you reload and switch it on an half-hour before you start loading.

I just bought a swamp cooler for my garage. Living in northern Nevada, I’m hoping it’ll keep my garage cooler and add some humidity to the air as long as I can keep the door closed.

Reactions: 1

6878mm

· #7 · 6 d ago

most definitly, ground it to the earth in a power outlet

marbax

· #8 · 6 d ago

Steve Randall said:
I thought about doing that but my basement gets so damp in the summer that I run a dehumidifier most of the time.

Turn the dehumidifier up to 50% rh.

The static comes from the hulls mingling together in a low humidity atmosphere. Bonding to your electrical system's ground does nothing.

Reactions: 5

Silver_Is_Money

· #9 · 6 d ago (Edited)

Static charges do flow to ground when properly bonded. Otherwise grain silos would be blowing up rather frequently. The actual problem regarding static cling on bushings is likely to be anodizing.

The anodized outer coating on a charge bar is an insulator.

When a metal is anodized, a thin layer of oxide is added to the surface of the metal. This oxide layer is typically very hard and durable, and it helps to protect the metal from the elements. However, the oxide layer can also act as an electrical insulator, blocking the flow of electricity through the metal. This property of anodizing makes it a useful process for improving the electrical insulation of metal parts. For example, anodized aluminum or titanium parts can be used in electrical and electronic systems where it is important to prevent electrical current from flowing through the metal.

https://semanoinc.com/anodizing-for-electrical-insulation/

marbax

· #10 · 6 d ago

Silver_Is_Money said:
Static charges do flow to ground when properly bonded. Otherwise grain silos would be blowing up rather frequently. The actual problem is anodizing.

The anodized outer coating on a charge bar is an insulator.

https://semanoinc.com/anodizing-for-electrical-insulation/

Oh sorry, I thought we were talking about a shotshell reloader, not a grain silo.

Gee, I wonder if the plastic the hulls are made of are an insulator and when rubbing against one another creates static when the humidity is 10%. I figure if I run all the hulls and the charge bar through the magnetic field created by my flux capacitor will relieve the issue.

Reactions: 5

shotgunner50

· #11 · 6 d ago

Sounds like others posted that you have a humidity problem. You can put your hulls in a plastic bag with a dryer sheet and shake them up for a quick fix. The better solution for long term is to correct the humidity problem.

Reactions: 1

PTDriver

· #12 · 6 d ago

I ground my loader using wire to a 8 ft ground round outside my Shotgun Shell Shed just to be safe .
I didn’t want any chance of spark .
Still have static cling issues in the winter but no visible spark .

sdive2

· #13 · 6 d ago

Have been reloading Metalic and Shotshell for some 50+ years on various brands of loaders manual and hydraulic and never have had a static problem.

Reactions: 4

Leo

· #14 · 6 d ago

For grounding to work, everything must be grounded. Other thn that, whatever static is in the one item is actually attracted to the grounded object. You have to make so that everything is the same ground potential. It is a battle. Everything sitting on the same metal benchtop helps, but static is always tricky, more so since powder is in plastic jugs and the hulls are plastic.

jwooley

· #15 · 6 d ago

Living in Colorado , I have never had a static issue, might be because my bench is steel on a concrete floor in the basement.

Reactions: 1

Ken C.

· #16 · 6 d ago

Here is a link to a non technical article that explains grounding and bonding for static electricity control: Bonding & Grounding - Controlling Static Electricity

Silver_Is_Money said:
Static charges do flow to ground when properly bonded. Otherwise grain silos would be blowing up rather frequently.

The materials in question don't matter. The example of grain silos is quite relevant... so others can laugh all they want, but you are spot on.

Reactions: 3

likemybrownings

· #17 · 6 d ago

Static electricity is just that Static. Non flowing, but can accumulate on nonconductive surfaces.

Reactions: 1

Ken C.

· #18 · 6 d ago

After I posted the link to the grounding/bonding article, I think there are a few points I should clarify. If you noticed this symbol:

This is called "earth ground". You will see that they show several earth grounds on the same picture. This is misleading, and is done for picture clarity. In electrical work, what you do is called "single point grounding". That means if you need/want add a ground wire, it gets run back to the ground rod where your electric service enters the structure. Sound difficult? It can be... here's a link to that: Why Single-Point Grounding Works

If you decide to run out to the local big box retailer to buy ground rods and then start driving ground rods all over the place to make your set up look like the picture... problems! You will create what is know as ground loops. What is a ground loop?

If this is starting to make your eyes glass over and head spin HIRE AN ELECTRICIAN.

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Reactions: 1

wrd

· #19 · 6 d ago

I tried grounding my Mec AutoMate but it did not help. I tried a dryer sheet in the powder bottle. Same. Now I inspect my hulls for splits or pinholes and put 100 on the table next to my reloader. Then a shot of Sprayway Anti Static Spray on the hulls . Problem solved. I find that the newer the hull the worse the static problem. Once they have been fired a couple of times, no static. Sprayway is isopropyl alcohol under pressure. It dries in 5 or 10 minutes.

Reactions: 2

Silver_Is_Money

· #20 · 6 d ago

Many dryer sheets state that they are "heat activated".

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