Ground my bench?

[Shrinkmd]

I noticed my powder measure going crazy today, and the powder was leaping out of the little pan onto my gloves. My bench is not grounded. This hasn't been a problem in a long time. I'm on a concrete floor in the garage. There is an electrical outlet nearby, so I could ground something into the screw in the middle?

What do I need to ground myself and the bench/press so this problem goes away? I have a big rubber anti static mat for my computer builds, but I need it for other things.

Thanks!

 

[Notoast]

The screw holding the faceplate onto the outlet should be connected to ground if wired correctly. As far as static on a concrete floor goes, have you just had a wind storm or run the shop vac? That could be the cause. You might try a very light misting of water with a little liquid fabric softener applied to the floor around the bench. This usually works on carpet when static is messing with printer toner but I've not tried it on concrete.

 

[snuffy]

You have a static electricity problem, not electrical. Grounding your bench would only work if it was metal. Ummmm, but what do I know, I'm NOT an electrical engineer, and I've never stayed at a Holiday Inn.

A softener sheet for use in a clothes dryer helps to discharge the static. So does a spray called static guard.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Static-Guard-Fresh-Scent-Spray-5.5-oz/11027264

Also, running a whole pound of powder through a measure will coat the interior with some graphite that rubs off the powder. Graphite is a good conductor of static, if you have some powdered graphite,(doesn't everybody), then coat the measure with some and try again.

 

[Mike 27]

I grounded my press (LNL) with a resistor in-line to slowly dissipate the charge. You can search THR there is a string about this. It seems to help. More so gives me piece of mind I suppose about a spark while filling my powder dispenser, as Alaska has some nasty static in the winter. I have shot sparks half an inch when I pet the dog. Shocks the crap out of us both.

 

[theicemanmpls]

I installed a "ground bar" on my bench. It is attached to cold water pipe ground the in the house. I always touch it after stroking the cat, and or before and working with powder. This is addition to a comfortable insulated mat.

Takes care of that static charge.

Some folks ground the press?

 

[rcmodel]

You can't ground a wood bench.

Static electricity is a sure sign of very low humidity in your home.
Maybe turn the A/C up, or the dehumidifier down.
Or if the furnace is still running, add a humidifier.

Failing that?
Best bet is buy a can of Static-Guard at the grocery store laundry department and Hose everything, including the floor, your fuzzy bunny slippers, and your silk shorts.
http://www.mystaticguard.com/

Works for me and my bunny slippers, slips, truck seats, and packing peanuts!

FWIW: A little goes a long way on powder measures, scales, and silk shorts!

rc

 

[JLDickmon]

Best bet is buy a can of Static-Guard at the grocery store laundry department and Hose everything, including the floor, your fuzzy bunny slippers, and your silk shorts.
http://www.mystaticguard.com/

Works for me and my bunny slippers, slips, truck seats, and packing peanuts!

odd as it may sound, Alberto VO5 hair spray. seriously.

if you have a water pipe nearby, you could just make a up a ground lead out of some 16 ga primary wire and a couple of hippo clamps..

 

[mahansm]

Grounding the bench won't help with the static charge causing the problem with the powder in the measure. The plastic reservoir tube is a very good insulator. You must have very low humidity in your reloading area. As others have stated, fabric softener sheets or static guard spray will help.

Old HiFi buffs will remember the ZeroStat, a piezoelectric gun shaped thingey that would neutralize static charges.

Steve

Yes, I *am* an electrical engineer.

 

[drsfmd]

All of my presses are wired together and grounded to a water pipe. Works great.

 

[rcmodel]

How does grounding your presses help with the OP's powder static cling in his powder measure and scales??

I'm simply mystified?

In my case, wiring the presses to a water pipe would seem to limit the room I have to stack more junk on the loading bench!

I think I'll pass on that and just use the Static-Guard spray on stuff that needs it!

rc

 

[GT1]

I'm no sparky but I understand what will happen if you ever get hot and are in line as an unrestricted path to ground. Besides, a fault can turn your ground hot. Plenty of folks have gotten zapped from a water pipe or a bad ground.

Stick with dryer sheets. Or ground yourself with a wriststrap, at least it is thin wire and has a 1 meg resistor inline, it will pop before you do.

 

[rcmodel]

+1

I found more then one grounded outlet in my house wired wrong by the electrician who wired the house.

Then, I got knocked clear off an aluminum ladder changing the outside porch light fixture.

The power was turned off, but the ground wire on the light was the hot wire to the power panel when I touched the green screw with a screwdriver!!

Yoweser!!

Wire them ground wires up to your powder handling equipment all you want!
But not before you do some circuit testing with a meter first!

Your house wiring might be more dangerous then your static electricity ever thought about being.

rc

 

[drsfmd]

How does grounding your presses help with the OP's powder static cling in his powder measure and scales??

My powder measure has a metal base. It's grounded like the presses.

Never had to deal with static on either of my scales, so I really don't have an answer to that.

 

[Shrinkmd]

It's weird, hasn't been a problem in a long time, but today the powder was leaping up from the plastic pan to touch my gloved finger. And the scale kept reading high by .1 to .2 grain. It never does that. The 14.5 charge of 2400 started reading 15.0.

The powder measure seemed ok at least, no trouble emptying it out

 

[SHR970]

Your main issue is low humidity. But if you want to ground the system including yourself a simple way is to lay some heavy duty aluminum foil out under the measure. Run a screw through it into the bench. At this screw connect your wire with a 1000 ohm resistor in line to a cold water pipe or center screw on the outlet after you have performed a circuit check to verify it's safety. This screw also serves as your connection between you and the ground because you need a grounding wrist strap to connect you to the system.

This is a simple version of what is used in industry at an ESD safe work station.

 

[paulo57509]

What kind of gloves are you wearing?

 

[Shrinkmd]

What kind of gloves are you wearing?

The disposable nitrile ones from Costco. Keeping the lead (and filth) out, and hand oils off the primers (even though they go right in the tube)

It's supposed to be a rainy day, so I'll open up the garage and let some more humidity in. But the crazy thing is, during the winter when it's dry, I did not have this problem. It's been a long time, like I said. It is a good wake up call to ground the bench. I need a voltmeter.

 

[Rule3]

But if you want to ground the system including yourself a simple way is to lay some heavy duty aluminum foil out under the measure. .

This is a simple version of what is used in industry at an ESD safe work station.

I thought you were going to tell him to make a Hat.

Try not using the gloves and see if the powder still has "static cling"

 

[jmorris]

More so gives me piece of mind I suppose about a spark while filling my powder dispenser

Seems to me you also need one of these on your wrist while holding the powder jug or grounding the press is useless.

 

[Blue68f100]

If you have caster on the chair or stool this could be the source. Those rubber wheels can generate static when you move around. Using one of those static guard straps might help, as well as grounding. But like RC said, humidity is the main reason. Increasing your humidity should lower your static problem. All other are treating the symptom not the cause.

 

[Shrinkmd]

When I build computers I keep part of my body on the grounded rubber may at all times. Even on carpeting, I haven't fried any parts, and they can be super sensitive to static. I don't use a wrist strap, but I literally keep myself on thdt mat with the parts. Seems to work ok for the past 14 years of opening up computers. I would never do that without the mat.

Anyway, I rubbed the scale and the powder measure with a dryer sheet, and it us more humid today. It looks like the scale is behaving better.

If I wanted to upgrade from the little scale that came with the hornady classic kit, which is the best electronic and mechanical scale?

 

[denton]

In a non-conductor, electrons are not free to move about. So if you're wearing nitrile or latex gloves, any static charge on them will remain pretty much anchored in place. Usually, touching the charged surfaces of the gloves to something like a sheetrock or cinder block wall will allow the charge to leak off. Grounding yourself or your bench will make no difference in that case.

The other problem is that to an electron, a piece of conducting material looks like a mirror, with an opposite charged particle reflected in it. The electron will "want" to move toward its mirror image.

Probably the simplest remedies are rubbing things down with a drier sheet or Static Guard or running a humidifier in the room.

 

[moxie]

Reloading is supposed to be simple fun for us older fellas. Let's try to apply Occam's Razor here.
Here's some simple and easy steps to take.
1. Lose the gloves.
2. Ground yourself to some likely ground by slapping a water pipe, electrical conduit, etc. 3. As noted above, spray a little water around your work area. Step in it.
4. Spray a little water on your hands and rub them together.
5. When you pour the powder, do so slowly and wait for any obvious charge to dissipate. Touch your pan or measures with your now ungloved hands to bond or equalize yourself to the equipment.

The above is what we used to do when working on nuke weapons and air-to-air missiles in the Upper Peninsula. Worked then. Works now. And yes, this problem can come up not only due to extreme cold and dryness, but also after running certain electrical equipment in the area, including forced air heaters, as well as cloud formations going overhead.