How do you clean up spilled powder?

[TheIndifferent1]

I just did my first batch of reloads, and i spilled a bit of Varget when pouring it into the scale pan. Those little extruded pellets sure do jump!

Anyways, I painstakingly swept each grain off the top of my table, or picked them up with my fingers. My table top is just plywood at the moment, so this wasn't easy as the pellets would hop, skip and jump while I tried to corral them. It'll be covered in 14ga aluminum as soon as I get my lazy butt to the metal shop I thought of using my shop vac, but I don't know if sucking up gunpowder so close to a big electric motor is such a good idea.

So how do you guys clean up your powder when you spill it?

 

[dumbdawg]

a big no for using the vacume.try useing a small brush and pan

 

[Gatehouse]

 

[fogducker]

do as i do....
i just yell out,to the wifey
look what your stupid cat just did..he knocked over my powder tray..


blame the damm cat


she will clean it up in a jiffy

 

[bill c68]

I just kinda wipe mine on to the floor with my hand it eventually gets swept up. I haven't had a significant spill yet though.

 

[sunray]

A vaccum cleaner won't explode or catch fire from cleaning up powder. If the motor is throwing sparks, you shouldn't be using it in the first place.

 

[XXXXX]

do as i do....
i just yell out,to the wifey
look what your stupid cat just did..he knocked over my powder tray..


blame the damm cat


she will clean it up in a jiffy

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about

 

[bill c68]

A vaccum cleaner won't explode or catch fire from cleaning up powder. If the motor is throwing sparks, you shouldn't be using it in the first place.

I think dust and dryer lint are almost as flammable as powder so I would think it is safe to use.

 

[Boomer]

A vaccum cleaner won't explode or catch fire from cleaning up powder. If the motor is throwing sparks, you shouldn't be using it in the first place.

I'ver never had a problem cleaning up a small amount of spilled powder with a vaccum, and a vaccum cleans any joins in your bench top surface or around tools that are bolted to the bench more efficiently than a brush.

 

[Hi-Standard]

A shop vac works just fine, just make sure you remove all of the things from your reloading bench that you don't want to suck up first! Like a shell holder, pen, primers, brass.......

 

[blacksmithden]

My bench is out in the garage. If I have a spill, I just keep on working......grind it into the floor. Eventually I either get out a broom because it's usually easier than the shop vac........but I've used the shop vac on many occasions to clean up. One day when it's quiet, I'm going to take the contents of the tank out to the range and put it in one of the burning barrels and light it just to see what hapens

 

[joe-nwt]

A shop vac works just fine, just make sure you remove all of the things from your reloading bench that you don't want to suck up first! Like a shell holder, pen, primers, brass.......

Dillon locator pins.......

 

[timoram]

a lighter

 

[Joel]

Swept tidily into the wastebasket and stored by the outlet with the oily rags

Nah I use a whisk broom.

 

[Hi-Standard]

Dillon locator pins.......

Some sweet joe when you gotta tear that bloody bag open and root through contents on the floor Great for allergies too

 

[pirate122]

CALL 911 dont take anny chance if you dont know wath you are doing,make sure nobody smoke in the house,shut all your light off and wait for tactical squad....

 

[Claybuster]

Shop vac. I haven't had one go up on me yet.

 

[dixda]

CALL 911 dont take any chances if you dont know what you are doing,make sure nobody is smoking in the house,shut all your lights off and wait for tactical squad....

THANK GOD!
Finally someone with a lick of sense! KD

 

[sunray]

"...with the oily rags..." And BLO soaked rags. If you're going to have spontaneous combustion you might as well make it spectacular.

 

[waynesixgun]

Dust Buster.