Reloading Kaboom Yesterday - Please Learn From This

[G-forceJunkie]

What kind of volume are you doing? If the extra work is worth it or you safety, You could decap then prime by hand then just run the primed cases through the Dillion.

[Framer]

I work for a electronics manufacturer. Everyone on our manufacturing line has to wear heal straps like these: http://ultrastatinc.com/ESD_Heel_Str...c_Control.html and smocks like these: http://www.coleparmer.com/buy/produc...arge-42-l.html

If you think SE is the cause, I would consider these items.

I'm not sure if the rubber shoes really protect anything. I was wearing Crocks the other day at the gas station of all places. I was shocked three separate times when I touched the fuel handle while pumping gas.

[SCZ]

Ouch!

Glad you're still in relatively good shape.

[17+1]

Lovin' my Lee safety prime right now...I could pop one and not light the whole tray off. I wear safety glasses, no ear protection.

Sucks that you got hurt.

[bzzz]

glad you are safe, i have a feeling static charges will be more of an issue now with winter near. i notice more static charges on colder days around the house.

[chaoticmind]

I work for a electronics manufacturer. Everyone on our manufacturing line has to wear heal straps like these: http://ultrastatinc.com/ESD_Heel_Str...c_Control.html and smocks like these: http://www.coleparmer.com/buy/produc...arge-42-l.html

If you think SE is the cause, I would consider these items.

The heel straps only work on specially grounded conductive floors. They are a no go on the OP's tile floors.

I'm not sure if the rubber shoes really protect anything. I was wearing Crocks the other day at the gas station of all places. I was shocked three separate times when I touched the fuel handle while pumping gas.

As has already been pointed out, the rubber soled shoes isolate you from ground and increase the amount of charge that will build up on you.

[chaoticmind]

Glad you're ok! It could have been a lot worst. I saw that you have tile flooring, I assume static electricity will be more present if you had carpeting? The only thing I can think of how to get rid of static is by touching a metal item before touching your press.... like what you do when you open your computer.....
Stay safe!

As soon as you stop touching the grounded surface, static charge begins to build up again. This method will help but you are better off with an ESD safe wrist strap.

[chaoticmind]

OP glad you're ok.

Would'nt an ordinary latex/surgical gloves prevent static electricity?

They would isolate you from the primer tube but the gloves themselves could still buildup a charge.

[chaoticmind]

I'm trying to figure out how a static electric charge could get from outside an aluminum tube to a primer located in the middle.

I'm stumped. The tube is your path to ground and aluminum is a good conductor.

Static discharges can be thousands of volts. With voltage that high, it will seek all paths to ground including jumping to the metal primer cups inside the tube.

[chaoticmind]

Presumably with metal screws coming into contact with the press and metal frame? However my press is isolated from the ground and with rubber soled shoes so am I. What say you electrical guru's?

Neither the press nor you need be grounded to have a static discharge. The press a big hunk of metal. Any conductor that is electrically isolated will behave like a capacitor. If you have a higher charge than the press does, when you touch it electrons will jump from you to the press until the charges are equal.

[chaoticmind]

MDF is pretty benign electrically being just wood and glue, is there some sort of plastic coating on it perhaps?

Any material can develop static charge. Some are worse than others.

Static frequently requires some sort of friction...anything on the bench rubbing/moving at the time such as perhaps a tumbler?

Do you have anything electric on the bench where perhaps there's a grounding issue?

Unless you remain perfectly motionless, you cause static charge to buildup on your body.

[dholla]

I'm pretty serious about adding a steel tubing shield around the aluminum tube and/or a pair of tongs with tips welded on that would grasp the aluminum tube securely while keeping my hand way the hell away.

The tube from the Dillon RF 100 is exactly what you are describing. It is a primer tube encased in larger steel outer tube. My buddy and I both have an RF 100 and have had zero problems with 25k + primers run through them.

[TygerAR]

I think I may have figured out what happened. It was not you with the charge, it was the primers. You used a primer flipping tray. You slid the primers back and forth against a rough man made plastic (which happens to be what carpet is) The primers built a charge. You could not have a static charge, because you would have discharged as soon as you picked up the aluminum tube. But, as soon as you touched the steel clip, it was enough to complete the ground. The aluminum tube could not complete the ground because aluminum is a poor conductor but the steel is good enough. Or it was the short slide down the tube that built the friction to set off the charge. Either way it was the plastic that built the charge. Just like how rayon and polyester clothes get a static charge in the dryer but the cotton is fine. You can feel the clothes discharge as you pull them out of the dryer. Happens to me all the time, and I'm always wearing sandals or shoes. And whather the ground is tile or concert. They need to make the trays out of wood.... Unless you didn't use the tray, then this post was a waste of time. But if you did, then we need to set a safe minimal humility to reload.

[deac777]

Glad you escaped with minimal injuries. For years, filling those primer tubes made me so nervous, as I was so concerned about a mass detonation of the primers. A couple of months ago I decided to abandon a perfectly good progressive press and purchase a RCBS Pro 2000. The Pro 2000 does not use primer tubes, but uses APS strips so the primers are not stacked on top of each other.

One question, did the primers detonate just as you were inserting the tube into the magazine? Or did it detonate after it was in the magazine for a breif moment?

[chaoticmind]

You could not have a static charge, because you would have discharged as soon as you picked up the aluminum tube. But, as soon as you touched the steel clip, it was enough to complete the ground. The aluminum tube could not complete the ground because aluminum is a poor conductor but the steel is good enough.

Wrong. That tiny aluminum tube is not nearly big enough to completely discharge a human body. Also, aluminum is an excellent conductor, most power lines are aluminum.