"Houston, I have a problem" [ with static elec."

Heating air by any means will lower the relative humidity. It increases the size of the sponge.

Heating air by any means will lower the relative humidity. It increases the size of the sponge.

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Not necessarily true; actually the opposite applies. Air Conditioning was first added to the "P" class subs and was good at removing excess water from the air inside the subs. All subsequent classes of US submarines were equipped with A/C. Cooling the air actually removes airs ability to support moisture. Water reaches maximum density at 39 F. As you get under 20 F air has an increasing inability to support moisture of any kind.

My computer was in the shop a last winter and the repairman took me in the repair room to show me the problem. He said "Be sure to touch this before you handle anything" and pointed to a steel plate bolted to the work bench. It had a copper wire attached going to the ground that would discharge any static electricity before you touched the sensitive electronics. There were also rubber mats all around the work station where you could not build up a negative charge by dragging your feet like you can on the carpet.

As I understand it, this is a common practice where people have to handle electronics and explosives and it would not be hard to rig up some sort of grounded piece of metal near your reloading bench.

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If you reach for a ground and have a static build-up, you'll get zapped big time.
Actually, a ground provides a path for the "biggest" arc. Those methods aren't "directly" to ground. They are first through a tiny resistor to control "current". The wrist straps contain a resistor as do other paths to discharge the static.

Don't just ground it. Put a 1 meg-ohm 1/4 watt resistor in the ground wire.

SHR970 said:

Not necessarily true; actually the opposite applies. Air Conditioning was first added to the "P" class subs and was good at removing excess water from the air inside the subs. All subsequent classes of US submarines were equipped with A/C. Cooling the air actually removes airs ability to support moisture. Water reaches maximum density at 39 F. As you get under 20 F air has an increasing inability to support moisture of any kind.

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Cooling the air will bring it closer to the dew point which will increase the relative humidity.
Steel Horse Rider was correct in his statement that warming the air will decrease the relative humidity.

http://www.bigelow.org/virtual/handson/humidity.html

Assuming a perfect system.

Heating the air by "any means" (SteelHorseRider stated this)...so if one uses steam to heat the air you are saying that the RH will go down? You are changing both the actual and relative humidity by this method. If there is an excess of water available to the system, and enough energy added, the RH will come back up to what the air will support up to and including Dewpoint.

And I should have said the opposite CAN apply. I should have been more careful in my wording.

This is getting off topic but....

The OP shows a location of Culbreth NC. Now I don't know exactly where that is but right now, with the exception of the coastal areas the average (give or take) RH in NC is about 67% with the coastal areas as usual being higher. That outside RH should be comfortable and ESD should not be a problem. Clueless as to what the inside RH is. Here in Cleveland, Ohio the current RH is about 50% and it is cooling down outside. We use a forced air natural gas heating system and heating will decrease the RH, matter of fact as we move into winter and dry air forced air natural gas tends to really dry the air out. Dry to where you wake up at night with a dry or sore throat, dry to where the inside RH is lower than the already dry outside air. Good heating systems up here include some form of humidifier built in.

All that aside, and sans a fancy wet bulb / dry bulb hygrometer system all the OP needs to do is go to the local Wally World (Wal-Mart) and invest $8.94 in one of these units. While not quite a laboratory grade hygrometer it should do just fine. When the RH gets low use a humidifier like this one which can be had for a whopping $37 or so. First, if the OP has a hotplate make tea as suggested or just boil a pot of water. The RH in the room should increase and the static dissipate.

ESD mats, straps and other similar ESD solutions are treating the symptom and not the cause of the ESD.

Ron

Just take off your shoes and socks....problem solved.

make a solution out of fabric softener and mop the floor with it.

Jaxondog said:

Reloadron; Culbreth is a little community below Oxford, above Durham, and right smack dab in the middle of Stem and Berea.lol I will try both of those and maybe some anti-static for this cheap-o laminate flooring as i believe it is the cause some how. The whole time I have been trying to finish the room, never had a static spark till the flooring was put down. Thank's again everyone.

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Yeah, I do not doubt the floor is a contributor. You can treat it as suggested. I know know where Culbreth NC is too, yay! Love NC and have lived on the coastal areas, visit Carey and Winston Salem every spring to see friends.

Ron

You should be glad you're not in CO where humidity is never more than 35%, and usually about 25%. Every step creates S.E. and a long blue spark when you make contact with any metallic item. Somehow, and luckily, I haven't had any problems at my reloading bench.

Most electronic supply places sell a variety of inexpensive and fairly easy-to-use anti-static equipment. There are wrist bands with a small wire that you ground yourself with. There are mats, also with the grounding wire, that you stand on. It might make sense to ground your equipment too.

A small squirt of Static Guard anti-static spray on the plastic powder hopper prevents any static problems with the powder. I also occasionally give the outside of the plastic primer dispenser a squirt just for a little peace of mind.

I have static here in Alaska big time. We shoot sparks when petting the dog that will knock the skin off your finger nail. I put in the humidifier, and I grounded my press. I added a resister inline to avoid an abrupt discharge (works great). There was a thread a few years ago and I think the recommended resistor was a mega ohm but can't remember. You can pick up one at the local radio shack for probably less than a dollar. I use dryer sheets constantly. My garage/re-loading room has a concrete floor. We also run 2 huge humidifiers in the house to avoid shocking the crap out of one another and the pooch's.