The present invention features a method and apparatus with a rotatable central reservoir and radially extending support arms for packing chromatographic columns at a consistent gradient of particle impact by using centripetal forces to independently accelerate particles comprising a bed material through a filling opening at one end of the column and continuously as they move axially along the length of the column to their packed destination. The method and apparatus are particularly suitable for use in packing capillary columns having an interior diameter of about 500 microns or less.