Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Anyone ever build a powder box?

Anyone ever made a purpose-built box for powder?

I just thinking about a small box that could hold six 8# kegs.

also trying to think of how many different shapes there are. round, rectangular, square? (of 8 pounders, not boxes)

Sycamore

One of the present 8-pound jugs from Alliant will screw things up considerably, since they're twice the size of a Hodgdon or Ramshot jug. In fact, they'd probably hold 20 pounds of most powders.

I use plastic coolers. The common Coleman 48-quart cooler, available in lot of places for 30-some bucks, will hold six Hodgdon or Ramshot 8-pounders neatly, and you don't have to build it.

elegant solution...thanks

Sycamore

That particular Coleman is common enough that they show up at yard/garage sales for maybe a tenth the price. That's where at least a couple of mine came from.

I've got one I couldn't take to a garage sale with a straight face! It ought to be perfect.

Sycamore

I've been thinking about this exact thing. I wonder what kind of temperatures the inside of a cooler would see on a 110-115 degree day in a non-cooled garage. I may have to run some experiments next time it gets hot.

I've checked them in our garage on 95+ days here, and the warmest temps inside the coolers were in the low 70's. But it tends to cool off considerably at night here; it's very rare not to drop to the low 60's, even during the peak of summer heat.

A small dorm room type refrigerator is what I used when I kept powder in the garage. A small fridge lightbulb kept moisture at bay. At the moment I keep it all in the house on reloading table.

I once lived in a climate like that. There are times here during a hot Summer where it is at or near 100 at midnight. That may make a difference. I need to do some testing next August.

I'd be very interested in your results.

I use an old chest freezer in my basement to store my powder and primers. I keep an open can of desiccant inside it and recharge it in the oven every few months. Humidity is what concerns me most in my climate, this keeps it relatively low and minimizes temperature swings. I've got about 50 lbs. of powder in there and it would hold at least 4X that amount.

I keep my powder in my living room, along with all my other guns and handloading stuff. Optimal climate control. (Can you tell I'm a bachelor? ) I do keep it in a foot locker-sized wooden chest I built for the purpose, mahogany with hand cut dovetails - I'm not a complete heathen!

Another thing to consider, or not, is what the local fire ordinances have to say about suitable powder storage facilities. A chat with your insurance man would be prudent too, if he can be trusted. I knew a guy who flaunted the powder storage fire regs, had a catastrophic house fire, and was denied significant money (due to "contributory negligence") when the insurance folks determined he did that - even though the powder didn't contribute to the conflagration significantly.

I checked out cheap cooler with the local FD, and as long as the covers are relatively loose friction-fit (not latched) they said coolers should work fine. The biggie is not to put powder inside a container that won't fly open easily if a fire starts. Otherwise the container contains the burning powder long enough to produce more of an explosive effect, rather than a burn.

That's good to know.

Fine idea to use a cooler.

I keep my powder in a spare room that is always temperature controlled year around. Good for the powder. Unrestricted by any additional container. All on open shelving. Primers too but spread out.

Years ago I read the directions that came with the products along with the loading manuals by the powder producers. Go figure.


BUT.

Had a fire chief tell me that they are more concerned about a large quantity of spray cans like paints and cleaners more the powder. Except Black.

Makes sense about the spray cans.

Heck, anything in a metal can.

Got burned and sprayed with metal fragments from a gallon can of Van Camps Pork and Beans at a house fire once.

I always thought a flammable liquids cabinet would be good for powder.

Many years ago I worked the oil rigs in what is now known as "The Bakken," but during an earlier and smaller boom. One of the common practices was to bring some kind of canned food in your lunch box--beans, soup, whatever--then cut a hole in the top of the can and place it on one of the big generator diesels to heat up. Then we'd pour it into a plastic cup and have hot food with our sandwiches.

The driller had just hired a really young guy, maybe just out of high school. We were sitting around, eating the evening meal, when the kid noticed some of us eating hot food. He asked how we heated it, and one guy said we put the cans on a generator engine. The disappeared for a minute, then came back--and after another minute or two we heard BOOM!!!

Yep, he hadn't opened the can.

Ha! Leave it to the new guy.

When those pork and beans blew it scared the crap out of us.

I got burned because I was stupid and did not have my face shield down when we were overhauling.

Leave it to the new guy.

I had my cousin build for me a powder cabinet from 1 1/8" plywood. Was going to use 1" but got a deal on the 1 1/8" at the lumberyard. Shallow top shelf for primers, tall bottom shelf for 8 pounders, and two in-between shelves for 1 pounders. I keep it in the basement, in the room next to the loading room. Only one kind of powder ever goes into the loading room at a time, and I can put a lock on the cabinet if any kids come to visit.

that sounds very slick. approx dimensions or a picture if you have them?

thanks

Sycamore