Reloading area consideration

[Lochinver]

I've looked in several areas and there doesn't seem to be anything that answers this question directly. Sorry if it may be redundant and a newb question, but I would rather ask it before setting up. It will set my wife's mind at ease.

I want to set up a reloading room in a room of our unfinished basement. I've got the ok to do so if the following is safe.

Gas water heater and furnace approx 10-11 feet away? (other side of the room) no doors, walls etc. unfinished basement.

As far as I know. gunpowder is not really a powder but more like a sand? In other words, doesn't go airborne easily?

thanks

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Cupcake]

I go as far as to say that it probably won't be an issue. Is probably good enough for you and your family? A partition, I think, would be a wise investment, even if it's only sheet plastic and duct tape.

[Ram Rod]

Gun powder is solid--not much airborne dust at all. As previously suggested, a three sided shield of plexiglass might not be a bad idea. If you have a metal bench in mind, I'd ground it well, with a wooden bench there would be little to worry about.

[Kerbouchard]

Gunpowder is not an explosive. It's not going to go airborne and its very stable.

Yes, it is flammable, but you're not going to have problems from your water heater; unless your water heater explodes from a gas leak or something, in which case the gunpowder burning will be the least of your problems.

Fun thing to do: Pour a small pile of gunpowder on the driveway or garage floor. Light on fire. Looks kind of like a sparkler. Do not do this too often as it is a waste of perfectly good gunpowder but it would probably set your mind at ease about the pilot light on your water heater.

For Ram-Rod...I might have to try to set up my own mythbuster kind of thing...I think it would be pretty difficult to light gunpowder on fire via static discharge; at least without a Van DeGraff Generator.

[Ram Rod]

I wasn't actually thinking about static discharge for the gunpowder---I think the forum has been down that road before. Just thinking a metal reloading bench in close proximity to appliances connected to the water supply. Any building electrical service ground should be connected to the cold water supply among other requirements. Never hurts to bond any metal objects in close proximity to each other. If one will have an electric tumbler, a GFCI would be a good choice in receptacle outlets also. Some places already require this in basements or garages. I really didn't want to get too technical about it, the grounding of the metal bench was just a suggestion.

[dukalmighty]

I use to reload shotgun shells in my basement about 5 feet from a gas water heater

[cvhoss]

I'm not recommending you do it, but my reloading set-up was in my unfinished basement less than 8 feet from the gas hot water heater for over 20 years and the only problem I ever had was when the line coming out of the water heater sprung a leak once while we were on vacation and sprayed down my equipment for 3 days.
Now that my kids are out of the house, it's all been moved upstairs.

Hoss

[Lochinver]

Thanks everyone. That makes thing much clearer. Hopefully, I'll be getting the bench started this weekend

[coffeecup]

Here's another guy that reloaded in the basement for over 20 years. My bench was less than 5 feet from my gas furnace--no problems.

I did get into a little bit of hot water when the "war dept" decided to sweep up the loading area and had a nice little pile of spilt power on the concrete floor and then chose to sweep a smouldering cigarette into the pile. The resulting fire and smoke almost cost me my place at the dinner table. THIS WAS NOT A HAPPY WOMAN!!!!

[johnnyrigger]

its a good idea to get a A,B,C fire extinguisher. I have a 5 LB'er at the bottom of my basement steps and a 2.5 lb attached to my reloading bench, it is also a A,B,C.

[fatboy97]

I haven't been doing it for long, but if you keep your area clean you'll be ok... if you have bare floors, I would not sweep away from the furnace and hot water heater.

[houdini]

my table is less than 5 feet it is gas I have no problem with it I keep a fire extingusher abc type attach to the table.

[4my son]

Fun thing to do: Pour a small pile of gunpowder on the driveway or garage floor. Light on fire. Looks kind of like a sparkler.

Not trying to stray too far off topic, we used to take .22 rimfire and pry the bullet out, then tap the casing on the sidewalk to make a little trail of powder, light it and listen for the primer in the casing to go pop. It would launch the shell casing into the yard. We always stood behind the open end of the casing and back a ways.

No, we didnt' use plyers on the shell casing, just on the bullet, that way we didn't put any pressure on the casing and primer.

[Lochinver]

just as an update, my dillion 550b is on it's way. got .223 and .45 with it. I'll be setting up this weekend. If the tracking is to be believed anyway. :)

[Lochinver]

Well, it's arrived. went out today and oh the money I've spent. bought a tumber, digital powder scale, measuring calipers, realoading books, 500 45 acp bullets, 1000 large pistol primers and powder of course. luckily, i've been saving my brass lately from the range time. lol