PC came in today!

[ddstuder]

This is my first attempt at powder coating boolits.

I did not have any fresh cast, and it is too hot to stand over the 700 degree pour pot, so I just heated up some previously cast boolits to melt the grease out of the lube rings.

After melting the wax with a heat gun, I soaked them in gasoline to remove the grease. I have not doubts that fresh cast boolits will turn out better.

I am using the Dry Tumble method of PC using airsoft BB's as a medium to create static and distribute the powder.

I tumbled them for about 3 minutes and then baked them in my $10 goodwill toaster oven for 15 minutes.

Seeing the results and how easy it was, I believe the quality will only improve from here on out. I purposely rushed this test batch to see what kind of results I would end up with. So far I'd have to say, I have a new way to lube my boolits.

[ddstuder]

I will post more pics after I do some higher quality sessions this weekend!

[ddstuder]

I don't have much experience yet! I did this test batch around midnight last night!

I hope to play with it more this weekend, if the rain clears up. I understand humidity can affect quality using the tumble method that I am doing.

I see no reason why you could not run as many toaster ovens as you have room for. I picked up an oven at a Goodwill store for $10, and a couple baking trays for another $2.

I think you could easily make enough boolits using only one oven. The tray I am using should easily hold 100+ for one baking session. I am baking them for only 15 minutes.

I plan on getting a tray in the oven while working on the next batch on another tray. By the time you get another tray ready, the batch in the oven should be ready to take out. At this leisurely pace, it would be easy to crank out 400-500 per hour.

This is a lot easier than I had envisioned. It is also much cheaper than lubing with wax/grease. I have less than $50 in the whole setup (oven, powder, Airsoft BB's, and plastic bowl with lid). Much less than I have invested in my lubri-sizer with sizing dies and top punches for every caliber and bullet design.

And there is no mess from the grease!

[ghostrider]

thanks for the info; I've just starting looking at this since polymer/powder-coated/epoxy-coated bullets are so much nicer to reload than wax or alox lubed bullets.


What brand of PC are you using?

[ddstuder]

I purchased my PC from SMOKE on the castboolits forum. He sells powder and the airsoft BB's. I got two pounds of powder and 2000 ASBB for $35.

Many people have luck with the powder from Harbor Freight, but the powder from SMOKE is much finer. The HF powder tends to be clumpy where the powder I got is fine like talcum powder.

I think I used too much powder on my test batch. It came out pretty thick. It is better to use less to achieve a thinner coat.

I just ran this test batch through a LEE push through sizer and they went through easier than bare lead. Very slick!

[Charles L. Cotton]

I purchased my PC from SMOKE on the castboolits forum. He sells powder and the airsoft BB's. I got two pounds of powder and 2000 ASBB for $35.

Many people have luck with the powder from Harbor Freight, but the powder from SMOKE is much finer. The HF powder tends to be clumpy where the powder I got is fine like talcum powder.

I think I used too much powder on my test batch. It came out pretty thick. It is better to use less to achieve a thinner coat.

I just ran this test batch through a LEE push through sizer and they went through easier than bare lead. Very slick!

Many people have used Smoke's powder and really get good results. The only HF powder that works with the dry tumble method is reported to be red. I've seen photos of Sherwin Williams "Mirror Black" (I think that's the name) that look great.

I'm going to try PC with Smoke's powder and the new Dry Tek from Hi Tek to see which results in the highest production rate. With PC, it's a one-coat, one-bake operation whereas Dry Tek is a coat twice, bake twice procedure. At first blush, one would think the PC method would be faster, but removing the bullets from the PC and putting them on a tray base down could be slower than the Hi Tek method of simply pouring bullets out on wire mesh. I'll post my production results when I finally get some time to experiment.

Chas.

[mojo84]

Since PC bullets is completely new to me, I did a search to learn more about it. Ran across this and thought you guys may find it off interest. This guy uses a screen rather than standing each one up.


http://10mm-firearms.com/reloading-10mm ... e-leading/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ddstuder]

Just ran a batch of 90 pills for my 45.

This batch was applied with less powder in the bowl and with fairly high humidity.

This batch looks better than my test batch last night. This is only the second tray I have ever done! I think it will only get better with more practice.


Chas, I bought some of the gloss black from Smoke also. I am getting ready to test it out next. First impressions, I notice that it does not coat as evenly as the red powder.

After testing the black, I am going to coat some tall rifle boolits, and bake them laying on their side, as I have not made a jig to stand them up reliably. I hope to see if the powder clumps where it is laying.

Everyone comments they look like lipstick.

[ddstuder]

Since PC bullets is completely new to me, I did a search to learn more about it. Ran across this and thought you guys may find it off interest. This guy uses a screen rather than standing each one up.


http://10mm-firearms.com/reloading-10mm ... e-leading/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mojo,

I have read much on the subject and the general idea of standing them up is to keep PC on the driving bands to prevent leading. The folks who have baked them on wire mesh report they have spots of lead that are not covered by PC.

I am baking mine on Non-Stick Aluminum foil. I plan on baking some rifle boolits that are laying on the foil this afternoon.

[ghostrider]

I'm going to try PC with Smoke's powder and the new Dry Tek from Hi Tek to see which results in the highest production rate. With PC, it's a one-coat, one-bake operation whereas Dry Tek is a coat twice, bake twice procedure. At first blush, one would think the PC method would be faster, but removing the bullets from the PC and putting them on a tray base down could be slower than the Hi Tek method of simply pouring bullets out on wire mesh. I'll post my production results when I finally get some time to experiment.

I'm very interested in the results since the Hi-Tek coating was the one I was looking at.

http://gatewaybullets.com/shop/6-bullet-coating" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mojo84]

Thanks for the feedback. This is all new to me since I do not reload. For some reason it's peaking my interest some. Guess my subconscious thinks I need a hobby.

[ddstuder]

Everyone seems to complain about having to put the boolits on the tray. I do not find it cumbersome at all.

I am coating them in batches of 50, and it does not take long. I can easily have the next tray tumbled and stood up, and enjoy a beer before the baking is done on the first batch. I tried a batch of 100, but my baking tray is a little too flimsy for that much weight.

If I was using my lubrisizer, I would still have to grab each bullet one at a time, orient it the correct way, pull the handle, and then remove it from the sizer.

So for me setting them up on a tray is a non-issue.

This method may or may not be as good as the Hi-Tech coating, but I am not interested in coating/baking twice.

[gigag04]

Beer, bait, and ammo...?