Safe to vacuum carpeted reloading area?

[Futo Inu]

Or can static electricity ignite the inevitably spilled powder? Kinda weird question, but I sure don't know how else I'm gonna get up the dirt and powder from the carpet, and wanted to see if there are any opinions on this.

 

[C.R.Sam]

I have had no problem using tank type vacuums that pull the crud into the bag with the fan and motor on the outlet side of the bag. IE...suck through the bag.

I have had primers pop when using Hoover type uprights because the dirt goes through the fan. Doesn't seem to hurt most full size uprights.

Have had, twice, wife type use Orek with disasterous results. Orek uses a very high speed, small diameter impeller and sucks the dirt through it. Primer pops knocked the high speed impeller out of ballance.....result kinda neat as Oreks self destructed.

If there is black powder in the area....then static becomes a major concern. Smokeless seems pretty hard to light; and not much concern except for a bit of fire when it is lit.

Just my experience.

Don't follow me around unless wearin safety glasses.

Sam

 

[Steve in PA]

I've used a dirt devil type vac for a long time......never a problem. But I'm not picking up half a can of powder with it either.

 

[P95Carry]

Large Shop vac .... primers, powder ... no probs ... they all just travel the tube and then fall into the tub. Can't see any hazards - even static.

 

[Standing Wolf]

You could lightly spray the area to be vacuumed with water first.

 

[kudu]

My wife about killed me the first time she vaccuumed a primer in the hoover. Just enough of a crack that she about p----ed herself. Ever since she won't clean near the reloading room.

 

[sm]

...creeping down the hall with dogs barking she asks " Honey, honey you allright in there? ...sniff, sniff, dogs confirm the vacuum is dead! I can't convey the next words she spoke...didn't start with "honey" I assure you. I had to buy her a new fancy vacuum, I bought me a tank type. That was a couple of lives ago...wised up...rid of wife, the vacuum and carpet where reload.

Been using a Broom and Dustpan for a bit now...so far so good...but give me time...

 

[caseydog]

I keep a generic spray bottle of water handy and use a little Hoover handheld wet dry vac (dustbuster type) , seems to work well ,$34.95 at WalWart or the like. Case

 

[caz223]

Another vote, if vacuuming the reloading area OR any area where live primers or powder could get loose, it's a good idea to pre-clean with broom and dustpan, and to NOT SMOKE while vacuuming.
This seems like common sense to me, but I have heard horror stories to the contrary.

 

[Tony Z]

I have been using a wet/dry canister vacuum for years to clean my reloading room and never had a primmer go off. I would not hesitate for a second to grab the wet/dry Vac, but then I pickup most all primers dropped and sweep up large amounts of spilled powder.

Tony Z

 

[Gary H]

ditto shop vac.. I keep the entrance to my room REALLY messy, so my wife gets repelled naturally. It works like insect repellant. So, I never have to worry about her using another type of vac.

 

[LeonCarr]

Bissell makes a product called a Zoom Broom, which is a manually operated push-type broom thingy. Non-electric, cheap (I bought mine at a garage sale for a buck), and won't pop primers.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[oscar]

One of my favorite stories from rec.guns was about a guy who spilled a LOT of powder and sucked it up with the wife's sweeper. Says he remembers a noise and the entire room seeming to be on fire. He lost his eyebrows and had to buy his wife a new sweeper with his gun money. That said I vacuum my gun room and have never had a problem. If I spill a lot of powder, I use the shopvac.

 

[kentucky bucky]

I knew a guy that sucked a live .357 round into his wife's hoover. It went off and blew the side out of the beater bar part!!!!

 

[WESHOOT2]

OR

Take a handkerchief (youngsters can look this word up) and place over your vac nozzle, then push into the orifice one entire finger deep. Then rubber-band to tube, then vacuum, then slide the hanky (short for 'handkerchief') off, capturing the sucked-up debris.

Safe.

 

[P95Carry]

WESHOOT2 .......

then slide the hanky (short for 'handkerchief')

Hahaha!! My - you have to be probably as old as me, or near it!!! Mind you .... thinkin back to using those things .... man, were they ever unhygenic!? Tend to prefer the Kleenex or kitchen paper now!

Great idea you mentioned .... I guess if no ''hanky'' then a piece of scrap pillow-case or similar will work ... even perhaps some old panty hose! I must try that, thx.

 

[Clark]

When I vacume up spilled powder and live primers from the rug, with the vacume brush turning, in my loading room, I wear safety googles.

 

[WESHOOT2]

INVERSE

My (master) bench is carpeted, my shop floor is smoooooth.

 

[444]

I have used a shop vac and an Oreck XL. I never had a problem. If the sweeper blew up I wouldn't miss it for another six months or so when I decided to vacume again.