700x melting plastic hopper

[Reefinmike]

I have a relatively new lee load all that I keep loaded with 700x as it is nearly impossible to dump the powder out of the measure. I have noticed that powder flakes tend to stick to the sides of the hopper really well, and today noticed that the plastic is much softer down where powder has been sitting for a few months... anyone else have this problem?

 

[TenDriver]

Not with 700X, but yes with Titegroup. I empty mine out when done and clean up the sticky flakes with a dryer sheet.

 

[Kp321]

Bullseye is notorious for etching powder measures. Acetone is used in powder production so I suspect that some residual remains that attacks the plastic measure.

 

[243winxb]

Take better care of your nitroglycerine. http://firearmsid.com/Feature%20Articles/McCord_gunpowder/index.htm

 

[LAGS]

When I first started reloading I payed special attention to always swab out my hopper with a giant Q-tip made out of toilet paper on a dowel.
But I forgot about my powder funnel, and it still has spots etched into it from 700x from back in 1979
I am still using the same funnel even tonight.

 

[gamestalker]

I don't do much loading with hopper's, just the Mec 600 press mostly, so I haven't had the opportunity to take notice. But the acetone thing sounds very plausible, probably ether too, and especially so with the freshness of powder these days, not much time for those chemicals to dissipate. I opened a new container of IMR-4350 a couple weeks ago, and it darn near knocked me out it was so strong smelling, whew. I noticed the same with my other recently purchased powders too.

GS

 

[GBExpat]

... today noticed that the plastic is much softer down where powder has been sitting for a few months ...

I don't know about the others, but I never "park" unused propellant anywhere but in the container in which it came.

Perhaps folks with progressives leave their hoppers loaded 24/7? ... or, perhaps, I am simply in the minority for emptying the hopper after each session.

 

[Walkalong]

where powder has been sitting for a few months.

There's the problem. Always pour it back in the container you bought it in. The higher the Nitro content, the more apt this is to happen.

 

[rsrocket1]

Agree with Walkalong on both counts. Never let your powder sit in the hopper when not loading. Always put it back in its original container which should be the only powder container sitting on your bench.

Second, I've noticed that the higher the Nitroglycerin content, the more aggressive the attack on some plastics. Even though the powder never sat in the hopper for more than an hour at a time, after 5 pounds of Bullseye, my LnL AP hopper has a brown haze on it.

 

[Potatohead]

I don't know about the others, but I never "park" unused propellant anywhere but in the container in which it came.

Perhaps folks with progressives leave their hoppers loaded 24/7? ... or, perhaps, I am simply in the minority for emptying the hopper after each session.

If so, Im in the minority with you. I empty the hopper even if I just take an hour break to eat or something.

 

[Reefinmike]

I know, I always dump the powder after a session on my normal presses, but to dump out the powder on the lee load all, you either have to cycle the charge bar until the hopper is empty or unbolt the press from the bench and flip it upside down. Ive heard of powder etching hoppers but I just thought they'd get a bit cloudy. No, I can peel off plastic with my fingernail now!

 

[blarby]

Hey mike... although it may be a bit too late- you can leave Unique, HS-6, and STEEL in the load all for years at a time it seems without damage.

For the rest of you who leave powder in your hoppers like me, do yourself a favor- and take the top off.

The VOC's will not be contained in your hopper/powder measure at high concentrations, and wont warp the plastics (this one is from the wife, and its a great tip, lemme tell ya. Damn scientists). You have ventilation in your reloading area anyway, right ? You should.

For those of you past the point of no return into "softness"- you can get clear plastic tubes to put on the inside of your hoppers.... in amazingly varying outside diameters- I'm sure you can find one thats a perfect fit. Do yourself a favor and take a/the finest fine jewelers drillbit ( like ones in a pin-vise, for instance) and bore 4 holes around the base of the powder vessel- this will allow the heavier VOC's to vent out the bottom of the measure, and won't leak even the finest of powders. You could probably get away with even one- its gasses that are causing the problem, afterall- not magic.

I drilled my RL450 measure, and I leave the top off my lee measure. They both seem to work the same. I bored the 450 measure because the powder vessel is mighty deep, and I don't think cross breeze will get all the way down there... but hey, osmosis is a funny thing- it might have anyway.

Thats the reason your dillon measures have holes in the lids, btw- to prevent the buildup of VOC gasses.

 

[243winxb]

Lee Load All

Knowledgebase

Emptying Powder and Shot Hopper on Load All
Posted by on 21 October 2011 03:04 PM
The easiest way to empty the hoppers is to mount the press to a wood block from our bench plate kit, so it can be mounted and dismounted easily. When you want to change shot or powder bushings, just loosen the bench plate hardware, and use the tray cover as a valve by laying it on top of the hoppers, leaving only a corner of the hopper you want to empty uncovered. View drill template here for the blank hardwood base: http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/90070.pdf

Hardwood base blanks for Bench Plate available here: http://leeprecision.com/hardwood-base-blanks.html I found above here> http://leeprecision.net/support/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/324/0/emptying-powder-and-shot-hopper-on-load-all

 

[Jim Watson]

I think it was Power Pistol that attacked the plastic hopper on my Uniflo.
Powder is shipped in plastic jars and jugs now, so why do the measure makers use cheap acrylic that is affected by the residual solvents and nitroglycerine?
Decades ago, Star solved the problem with a tempered glass hopper.
I found a large diameter glass tube in the lab glassblower's shop that just fit the rapidly yellowing hopper on my old CH.
My Dillon measure hoppers are darkened because I leave powder in them, but not pitted or softened like that RCBS.

 

[243winxb]

Powder bottles are HDPE (High Density Polyethylene). Black keeps the sun/light off* the powder. Not a high price item i wont think??

 

[blarby]

You could just cut a powder bottle and wrap your hopper, I suppose. If light was the only issue. Or paper, snap !

Some people like to watch the powder levels though.

 

[buck460XVR]

Lil' Gun is also notorious for etching powder hoppers. I believe it too is because of the high Nitroglycerin content. I always figured that the etching/softening had to be a form of chemical reaction and just as bad for the powder as it was for the hopper. Seems the best solution is to pour it back in the original container when done.

 

[Catpop]

I left powder in mine and that's how I got mystery powder a short while ago. Catpop