Advice Needed

Take it apart, dig out what you can with a sharp wood dowel and a old toothbrush, and wash the rest with hot soap & water.

No solvent you can use will dissolve powder without dissolving the paint and plastic hopper too.

rc

Well, you don't want to wash the electronics in soap & water obvously.

I was only talking about the hopper & drum, and you need to take them out of the rest of the scale/measure unit to wash them.

If it's worse then that?
You may have to live with it, or send it back to RCBS for a total rebuild.

rc

Your other option would be to sand & polish the hopper.

jotjackson said:

Thanks RC. Would water not be bad for a unit like this?

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The water from my well would be bad for it. Too much calcium, iron and other minerals. However, the water from my still would be fine. When pure water evaporates, it leaves nothing behind.

Soap, (not detergent) likewise is pretty benign. Soap reduces surface tension, making water "wetter" so it can get into places where surface tension would prevent entry (similar to the "bridging" that powders experience). You just have to make sure to rinse well. (Hint: To keep water spots off of film negatives photographers often use Ivory Liquid Dishwashing Soap in place of the slightly purer "Foto-flow" designed for the purpose.)

The electronics are more problematic. Anything energized, of course, would be bad to immerse. A wipedown with a damp cloth is not particularly dangerous.

Spray keyboard cleaner should be safe for your electronics, too, though I would test a drop on the plastic and paint (spray onto a Q-tip and dab onto an edge of the hopper, wait a little while, but not so long it evaporates, then see if the plastic has softened.)

At the price of the unit, I would call RCBS for advice.

Lost Sheep