How To: Basic Grounding for your Reloading Press

[grant22]

Alright, here is how I grounded my press tonight. It is not THE way, but A way. My method consists of tieing in to a switchplate screw (make sure IT is grounded), with a lead all the way to my press, and tieing into a bolt on my press.

In my lead, each end is easily disconnectable for portability.

Also, to test that it's actually grounded, run an ext cord from the outlet you used (or an outlet off the same circuit), stick the red lead from a voltmeter into the outlet and stick the black lead from the voltmeter on the press somewhere.......that will show the press is completing the circuit and is therefore grounded.

Hopefully Highlander will chime in and double check my work.

Here's the wall socket I'm starting at. I crimped an appropriate size terminal end onto some wire and secured it using the outlet plate screw. In this pic, you can see that it's just a pigtail at this point.


Here is the pigtail now connected to the longer lead going to my press.


Here is the lead meeting up at my portable bench. You can see here is another 'disconnect.'


Here is the lead continued on and secured to one of the bolts that mounts the press to the bench. I ran it underneath to keep my work surface free and clear.


Now it's grounded in theory.....so you gotta test it. Bring your power source over (I chose one ofmy drop cord reels on the same circuit). Red lead fom the v-meter goes into the power source, black lead goes to the machine somewhere. I like to try the black lead in multiple spots on the press to ensure the whole thing is grounded. If you see roughly 120v on your meter, you're grounded.




Of course, I'm assuming you know how to use a voltmeter and how to strip wire and crimp terminals on. And lastly, when you are ready to load primers and you are holding the primer pickup tube, touch the 'grounded press' and you in theory have gotten rid of your static electricity.

[orangeusa]

Or you could set the voltmeter to ohms, plug one probe into the 3rd pin (earth ground) and touch the other probe to your press. This assumes the outlet has the copper (earth ground) connected to it...

.

[NoJoke]

I'm assuming the powder and primers should be removed from the press before touching 120 volts here and there?

[grant22]

I'm assuming the powder and primers should be removed from the press before touching 120 volts here and there?

That would probably be a good idea! I figured that was assumed.

My press is basically stripped of all bad stuff right now.

[NoJoke]

Or you could set the voltmeter to ohms, plug one probe into the 3rd pin (earth ground) and touch the other probe to your press. This assumes the outlet has the copper (earth ground) connected to it...

.

...and what would I be looking for?
0 or some number?

[grant22]

Or you could set the voltmeter to ohms, plug one probe into the 3rd pin (earth ground) and touch the other probe to your press. This assumes the outlet has the copper (earth ground) connected to it...

.

That is way over my head!!! My way is 'grant proof' but I'm definitely glad the advanced dudes are jumpin' in. THX

[orangeusa]

Anything less than an ohm. I'm not trying to make this complicated. Your system will work.

My house had a few power outlets where earth ground (the bare copper wire in the AC cable) was NOT connected to the box. (1964 house - dorked with by previous owners).

.

[sksman777]

This might be a stupid question, but why in earth would you ground a press???

[grant22]

To shield it from the zombies.


JK. Because of this: http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=495909

[EL_NinO619]

Yes on a multimeter it would be zero if it was grounded.

[bussda]

I just saw this thread. Aside from a possible safety hazard you created, all you need to do is touch the press with on hand before touching the primer tube to the press.

To eliminate the safety hazard, put a 1 megaohm resistor inline in the grounding wire to the outlet.

Now over to the other thread.

[AMProducts]

I read your other post on this, and think the problem here is actually your pickup tubes. Chances are your press has albeit a bad ground, but it still is a sort of ground, what happened was the static built up on the pickup tube, and the plastic nozzle on the tube prevented your tube from becoming electrically connected to the press when you put it on there, when you pulled the pin the primers slid down and completed the circuit.

Glad you were not more severely injured, as I've heard stories of people who have been injured in similar mishaps. Many lost fingers. For magazine tubes, I typically use stainless steel DOM hydraulic tube cut to length because I hate dillon's pickup tubes. however, I'm usually feeding from an ammoload tube filler (no picking up primers by hand).

In all the primer explosions I've investigated, the cause is nearly always related to either a mechanical defect which chops or destroys a primer that results in a chain detonation, or is related to the buildup of primer dust in feed tubes, or other equipment. The normal procedure we do for all of our machines is pull apart and clean the primer feed tubes (both the magazine refills, and the internal magazine on either the dillon 1050, ammoload, or camdex machines) religiously about every 5-10K rounds, and clean feed disks and plates (1050, camdex, ammoload) every few days. Cleaning procedure is done entirely with hot soapy water. Primer dust build up on the feed wheels and plates can very easily turn a chopped primer, or a ringer into a chain detonation as they will propagate the explosion beyond where the explosion is happening and into the magazine. Since we initiated this procedure, we have not had a chain detonation on either an ammoload or a camdex. However, the dillon machines because of the short distances will almost always chain detonate. The 650 is notorious for having chain detonations in the primer mechanisms, and the 1050 isn't much better.

[grant22]

I read your other post on this, and think the problem here is actually your pickup tubes. Chances are your press has albeit a bad ground, but it still is a sort of ground, what happened was the static built up on the pickup tube, and the plastic nozzle on the tube prevented your tube from becoming electrically connected to the press when you put it on there, when you pulled the pin the primers slid down and completed the circuit.

Glad you were not more severely injured, as I've heard stories of people who have been injured in similar mishaps. Many lost fingers. For magazine tubes, I typically use stainless steel DOM hydraulic tube cut to length because I hate dillon's pickup tubes. however, I'm usually feeding from an ammoload tube filler (no picking up primers by hand).

In all the primer explosions I've investigated, the cause is nearly always related to either a mechanical defect which chops or destroys a primer that results in a chain detonation, or is related to the buildup of primer dust in feed tubes, or other equipment. The normal procedure we do for all of our machines is pull apart and clean the primer feed tubes (both the magazine refills, and the internal magazine on either the dillon 1050, ammoload, or camdex machines) religiously about every 5-10K rounds, and clean feed disks and plates (1050, camdex, ammoload) every few days. Cleaning procedure is done entirely with hot soapy water. Primer dust build up on the feed wheels and plates can very easily turn a chopped primer, or a ringer into a chain detonation as they will propagate the explosion beyond where the explosion is happening and into the magazine. Since we initiated this procedure, we have not had a chain detonation on either an ammoload or a camdex. However, the dillon machines because of the short distances will almost always chain detonate. The 650 is notorious for having chain detonations in the primer mechanisms, and the 1050 isn't much better.

How do the 550's rate in there?

[Brian1979]

550 loads 1 primer at a time from the bar that slides back and forth. It separates the primer being seated from the others loaded in the magazine so no real risk. When you get into the progressive presses its an issue of chain reactions.

Of course the other thing to worry about are double charges on a 550 since you have to manually index the shell plate. Highlander made me paranoid about this and I ended up selling mine and moving up to 650. You get in auto pilot and forget if you advanced the shell plate and I was second guessing myself into a heart attack, lol.

PS Highlander walked me though the grounding process and its nearly the same as yours. I have external conduit running in my garage to a metal box which I used 1 screw from to do as you pictured. Assuming the house wiring is correct then it will work. I tried to test it but I am not understanding what to do on the phone so he is going to have to come over and help me.

1 tip would be to attach your ground wire to the press on top where it meets the strong mount. I used my dremel with a polish wheel to remove paint directly under the bolt to make a good connection. Which ever bolt you are using just be sure to remove some paint under it so the wire will make contact with the bolt and the bolt to bare metal on the press. If there is painted surfaces between there it could break that connection.

Cleaning the tubes and magazine on the press of primer dust is a good idea. I will be doing that this week now that it has been brought to my attention.

[grant22]

550 loads 1 primer at a time from the bar that slides back and forth. It separates the primer being seated from the others loaded in the magazine so no real risk. When you get into the progressive presses its an issue of chain reactions.

Of course the other thing to worry about are double charges on a 550 since you have to manually index the shell plate. Highlander made me paranoid about this and I ended up selling mine and moving up to 650. You get in auto pilot and forget if you advanced the shell plate and I was second guessing myself into a heart attack, lol.

PS Highlander walked me though the grounding process and its nearly the same as yours. I have external conduit running in my garage to a metal box which I used 1 screw from to do as you pictured. Assuming the house wiring is correct then it will work. I tried to test it but I am not understanding what to do on the phone so he is going to have to come over and help me.

1 tip would be to attach your ground wire to the press on top where it meets the strong mount. I used my dremel with a polish wheel to remove paint directly under the bolt to make a good connection. Which ever bolt you are using just be sure to remove some paint under it so the wire will make contact with the bolt and the bolt to bare metal on the press. If there is painted surfaces between there it could break that connection.

Cleaning the tubes and magazine on the press of primer dust is a good idea. I will be doing that this week now that it has been brought to my attention.

Yup, tube cleaning of the p/u tube AND magazine tube will become part of my routine now.

There's no need to mount my ground wire on top.......the bolt it's attached to is directly part of the rest of the press, you just can't tell from the pic. Mounting it where I did keeps it all clean......and as long as you test that the circuit is complete (grounded) it's good to go.