I do believe you stumbled onto something here. I had been thinking of small job powder coating for my streetrod but did not have a spare oven. That toaster oven looks to fill the bill quite nicely! Thanks Steve!
+LMO MechTech -- Sorry to have missed this one, Larry - Google has been leaving comments from my inbox and we'll miss 'em every time. Sounds like you've got some mighty fine wheels, friend Larry..!! Best to ya, FC Steve
JunkfoodZombie I remembered your grandfather's rifle when I picked up my 8mm Yugo Mauser at Big 5...Enjoy the memories in that gun whenever you get the chance to shoot it... Best to ya!!
Anticipating, your next video in this series. Tried the wet method of power-coating but the powder coat was a little to thick and sizing was problematic and hard. Will have to try the Dry method if your results are good. Also played around with of the idea of using the wet method, and just dipping the base of the bullet in the powder coat like a gas check.
45 Alfa Charlie Papa Problem when sizing is too hard is that 1) we will need to do a two step sizing 2) the sizing operation may wind up shearing off the PC. Ideally, the bullets we would PC should drop out of our molds .0025" smaller to allow for the powder coat - and if sizing was needed, it would be easily done. Have a great day
You can easily expand a lee push through sizer by wrapping a wood dowel with fine grain wet / dry sand paper and inserting it into the die and rolling the die back and forth on your leg while you hold both ends of the dowel. 1000 or 1200 grit paper works fine. I used that method to make a 359 die. Should work just fine for you to make a 325 die.
Prepare2Survive Thanks for the tip - the Lee sizer die is available in .323 as I recall - may have to go that way if somebody beats me to a Lyman .325 die...Have a great day
1717jbs Powder coating the bullets was not difficult to do - I've been looking at the powder coating that others have been doing and distilling it down to the least messy, most efficient way of doing it...results look good so far...the sizing and gas checking next up (have to order the sizing die and gas checks now that I know what diameter die to get) Best Regards
+Louis Leoncini -- Problem with sizing before coating is any lubes that remain will have to be totally removed = more work. But if your bullets are extremely large for your use, you will need to size them, then PC them, and then perhaps size them again. Sizing after PC is the best way to go otherwise. Have a great day, FC
Morning. Long time no see. In your research with shotgun slugs, have you found that with lower recoil slugs, ie. 1300 vs 1600, shooters experience better accuracy, or is this a result of anticipated recoil? Thanks!
I do the same as Tonsofgunsoffuun also purchase from PBTP.... I have been using it on 223s for about a year now.. no issues even up to and exceeding 2800 fps. No gas checks, no leading, no key holes....
I use the same process pretty much. I however I do use the airsoft BB's. It appears to give a more even coating helps create static and protects the bullets from slamming together I believe. Be sure and use the non-stick tin foil. Haven't tried the water drop cooling, just set the pan on the concrete floor while I' tumbling the next batch. Another thing I do is rinse my bullets in acetone to remove any oils from my hands or other contaminations. Another great vid Cookie
mklean1 Sure are a lot of PC fans out there...we should start a club... and glad I joined. Who knows? Never say never...I might just go ahead and PC some pistol bullets...might be fun, but then I would have to size them when I don't have to size a fair number of bullet designs I'm currently using. Have a great day
FortuneCookie45LC Great video, and certainly interesting. Have you splittet a bullet to check how uniform the coating is? If the layer(jacket) is uniformly and equally thick all the way around?
I will be interested to see if when sizing the bullets if sizing takes the powder coating off of the lands surrounding the grease grooves. If it does my guess is that you will have to size to .324 and then powder coat.
Great video as usual. I'm new to powder coating and I cannot get the black paint from HF to stay on the bullet during the "shaking" process. The red sticks "O.K." but not great. Any suggestions?
+Ron Schanz -- Sorry to not reply till now, Google doesn't post every comment in my inbox - how are we supposed to get them, but reviewing every video we do for comments? There is a video up on the final no hassle way to get powder to stick - uses the vibratory tumbler straight up... works every time all the time... Best Regards, FC
I had no idea powder coat paint was this resilient ? Did you just pick them out of the container with the forceps and stand them up on the tray? Man what a great skill to learn, looking for the results of how it works. Do the bullets need cleaned at all before powder coating or just thrown in? This exciting for me to learn cause I have always wanted to shoot cast bullets in my rifles, but never liked the idea of 9 grains of unique in a case for a very anemic load.
dowdawg That's the intriguing thing about PC bullets - they behave as FMJs bullets in rifles. But let's see how these shoot - I've still got to get a sizing die, now that I've slugged the barrel...Have a great day
JRhoney Low smoke and less lead exposure for the users...Not a problem on outdoor ranges where the wind blows toward the targets...but if everyone shot PC or non lead bullets + non lead primers + well ventilated indoor ranges, then OK there also...I don't mind the bit of smoke from my loads as I watch the wind disperse the smoke toward the targets -- the 45/45/10 lube system with no size needed still is the easiest and fastest lube system for cast bullets. But I don't find fault with doing the PC. There's a certain esthetic to them. Thanks for the great question.
+qchemp420 -- Best way would be to seat the GCs and then PC the whole bullet, but that raises the possibility of getting lube on the bullets during the gas check sizing...Most seat the GC after the PC and no need to PC the GC. Best Regards, FC
Ok so you may have already awnsered this if so I didn't see it. Where I work we powder coat rims for Semi-trucks tires, I have hit them with hammers before and it didn't even make a dent. So I guess my question is how hard is the powder coat? If it's hard like the truck rims then barrel wear could be a big issue couldn't it? I'm sure if that's the case then it's harder then a copper jacket right? Just my thoughts here. Have a good night!
+MIshooter -- PC is very interesting stuff - it is amazingly tough as you can hammer a cast bullet flat and the powder coat is still bonded to the metal. However, if you melt a PC cast bullet, the lead melts out and the PC jacket remains - it is limp and you can skim it off the molten lead like skin. It is not a shell shaped like the bullet that remains like a copper jacket. The reason you can hammer your tire rim and the coating is not damaged is because of the PC being bonded onto the steel underneath. The steel backing provides the strength, the PC the tough coating. The PC coatings have not harmed barrels - if so, no one would be doing PC bullet coatings. There is nothing about the hardness or the abrasiveness of PC to warrant us from using it. In addition, there is nothing gained from thick PC coatings for bullets - thin is better than thick... Best to ya, FC
Tom Bunda - Our gas checks can prevent leading, but if our bullets fit our guns properly, leading is not an issue anyway - whatever light leading just cleans out with regular cleaning procedures. Tests have shown that paper card wads placed under the base of the bullet are recovered intact without scorching or damage. Makes you wonder about all the "base melting" we hear about. What gas checks really do is make our bullet bases uniform with possible improvements to accuracy. Elmer Keith never used gas checks and all he did was shoot magnums and accurately. (if we have square bases, why put on gas checks?) GCs add 5 cents to every bullet. The only time I put gas checks on is to improve accuracy and that isn't always borne out on paper. Best to ya, FC Steve
+pjgarcia100 -- Yes, shot them too - the Mauser rifle shoots the PC bullets 18" high at 100 yards - totally unacceptable and makes evaluation difficult. I need to solve the POI problem...Best to ya, FC
Some PC tips for you FortuneCookie! If you decide to use aluminum foil, make sure you use the non-stick type or the PC will stick to regular foil. Also the only HF powdercoat worth using is the RED, the other colors don't have near the success rate of sticking & coating and theres even some controversy about the black being abrasive but the red is good to go, in fact give the bullets a "smash test" with a hammer or vice, the coating should stay adhered, the HF Red does fine for me in that test. That said, if you wish to try other colors, there are some good companies out there to deal with, Prismatic Powders is a great one. You can even get coatings the same hue as a cast lead bullet so it looks almost undetectable. If you are a member on the Cast Boolits forum, member, Smoke sells some great powder to shooters. Glad to see you try it! I told ya it was fast & easy with the shake n' bake method! I don't even bother to stand them up, dump & bake and it works just fine. I also don't use any BB's in my method, I don't have any coverage issues and get great results in 1 coat. The only thing I do otherwise is a quick preheat on the bare bullets to drive off any surface moisture and it also helps form an even coat with them only warm. Some other benefits to PC bullets besides the rifle velocity barrier... No exposed lead = less toxic metal exposure, no lead corrosion, any color you want, just as easy and overall faster than 45/45/10, insured no leading, high BHN of coating, no lubes to mess with but you can if you like, can shoot softer/cheaper alloys, increase bullet diameter if needed, bullets are more slippery through your dies & barrel. You also have an oven to do cast bullet heat treating with along with other shooting hobby stuff, cerekote, kydex, etc.
mytmousemalibu Glad to use the red HF and the other colors are not necessary to explore. I don't check out the Cast Boolits forum very often as they get very technical with their stuff...kind of fun though just to read what's happening...I just do what works and keep doing that - probably why I didn't get onto PC bullets until now...just resisted doing them. Now I'm glad I did especially if they shoot well in my 8mm. Best Regards and thanks for the red HP tip...
great results! the HF red powder coats very well, you can lap your sizer a bit and get it closer to .325" i have made some of my Lee sizers a bit bigger that way i have seen many folks put thier gas checks on before coating and after coating as well as skipping the check all together ohh dont bother with that non stick foil just use regular parchment paper like is used in baking breads and cookies it will last well more than 10 bullet baking cycles and its easier to work with than the foil
That's how I do it except no rack. I just stand them up but the bullets you were doing are pretty tall so I see why you did it. I let them cool on the tray and they stick but they will pop right off. FYI if you do foil underneath my guess is the foil will stay on the bullet.
Shawn Tannehill Interesting, I sure would not want foil stuck on the bottom of the bullet - and popping them off the tray was no problem...Sounds like the foil is a no-no. Thanks for saving me the trouble of discovery... Best to ya!!
Troy Ortega - No. This is powder coating cast bullets via the dry tumble in a tub technique. I have many more videos up on powder coating procedures in the powder coating playlist. Good reloadin’ To ya, FC Steve
Actually, when they are spraying the powder on large objects, the spray gun has one charge and the object being sprayed has the opposite charge. That way, the powder is attracted to the object, just like dust would be attracted to the CRT of an older type TV set. The Airsoft BBs along with the proper plastic container was to build up a charge so that the powder could more readily stick to the bullets. The electrostatic gun method produces the best looking bullets, but you can get bullets that shot just as well with just the tumble powder coating with the Airsoft BBs. Some powders cover better than others though. The Harbor Freight red works pretty good, but the Harbor Freight flat black pretty much needs two coats for complete pigment coverage.
+Grumpy OldMan - Thanks for your usual great input. I've had great success doing about 1500 very nice looking red HF PC bullets. But my last two batches, the powder would not stick to the bullets on tumbling. May have to do the electrostatic after all - seems the tumble system either works well or doesn't work at all. Used the airsoft BBs in all the tumbling... Have a great day
+FortuneCookie45LC Not all the Airsoft BBs are the same from a static standpoint. The heavier black ones seem to be recommended by those who are doing the ASBB tumble method of powder coating. Also, you need a compatible container that allows it to generate static better. They suggest the Cool Whip containers. I think they have a #5 recycle code on the bottom.
+FortuneCookie45LC Another method that might show some promise is the fluid bed powder coating method. With it, you run air into an open top container of powder and the powder kind of bubbles up. If you warm the item before hand, the powder will stick to it, so you just dip the item into the fluid bed of powder and then place it on a sheet / rack for baking to cure the powder as you normally would do. The people who do it for fishing jigs use an aquarium pump for the air supply. I've tried that, but the aquarium pump that I bought just didn't seem to have the necessary air volume. Although I like the look and cleanliness of powdercoated bullets, none of the experiments that I've tried equal the speed and easiness of just tumble lubing with a mixture of Lee Alox and Johnson's Paste Wax and then dusting with talc after it has dried to remove any stickiness.
+Grumpy OldMan The black BBs and the Cool Whip containers = OK to go. And I've also concluded that the 45/45/10 system does beat the PC systems in ease of procedure and goodness of results... Best Regards FC
Instead of cooking off the solvents like the 45/45/10 recipe calls for, I just heat up the JPW until it goes liquid and then add the bottle of LLA to that and don't add mineral spirits afterwards.
I have been interested in trying this but have researched and read that the Harbour freight powdercoating is abrasive and can harm your barrel. Does anyone have any information or opinions about this?
+John Henry -- Some say that the black has that, but the red and yellow do not...the HF has been used extensively by many now, and haven't seen many reports of problems as of yet...Best to ya, FC
Thanks for the reply, I have since jumped into powder coating and look forward to testing my work now that the weather is warming here in Minnesota and I can get up to my range.
+John Henry -- Congrats on going into PC - it is a very valid way of shooting handgun bullets, many of which you can shoot without sizing, but if you have to size, PC sizes very nicely as you see in some of my videos....with rifle - you will need to do size .001 bigger than your groove diameter and gas check as necessary. With PC, thin coatings are better than thick. If you have lumps on your PC obliterating the detail of your cast bullets, those are rejects for remelting. Please come back as you desire with comments or questions...Good shootin' to ya, FC
Thanks, One question I have for you if you have time. I have about 80 lbs lead that was given to me by a widow who husband was a bullet caster. Its in lymen ingots but based on weight variations and that some bullets melted in my toaster oven while powder coating, i think they are mixed with a high amount of tin. Is this stuff useless or is there a way to easily seperate it? I have done some research but didnt really find any good answers. I would hate to have to waste it.Thank you for your time and the service you provide
+John Henry -- Tin is in our alloy to improve the flow (reduce surface tension) and fill out molds better...it only provides a small amount of hardening. No need to try to remove the tin...if you need less tin, add lead or range scrap, say 3 pure lead or RS to 1 of your high tin mix. Tin is expensive - you are right in not wasting it. Your bullets should weigh close to the rated weights. Almost all my molds drop bullets heavier than rated, but that is preferred. Good castin' to ya. FC
OT but .... I just discovered a way to prevent spent primers from failing to eject in the decapping stage. I ground the tip of the decapping pin to a truncated cone. It turns out that the pin was going into the anvil springing it open, then when the primer was out of the pocket, it would spring closed on the tip of the pin pulling it back into the pocket. By gently turning the pin to a point (not sharp, it still has a flat end, but smaller), it makes it thinner than the anvil so they fall out every time. This solves one of the issues I have been having for nearly 50 years of loading. Why did it take so long to figure this out? It is NOT the extension of the pin, it's the shape of the point. Maybe we do get wiser as we age, just imagine how smart we will be the day we die!
+RapidRrobert -- Unless there is a problem with dementia or Alzheimer's, we will have great wisdom at the end...but that's a great observation that may be helpful to many... Thanks for posting, FC
I've found that I don't need to stand them up. I dump them in a tray with non-stick tin foil and let'r rip. Works awesome. Let me know how that cheap harbor freight powder works. I order mine from powder by the pound. I've powder coated and shot several thousand rounds with pistol and rifle. Works like a champ
Tonsofgunsoffun Always good to hear from well experienced users...Doing what works well is one of the precepts of the Hot Lead Zone...Thank you for adding your valuable comments to the mix... Best to ya!!
dude im not too sure about that 2000 fps speed limit. i shoot gas checked wheel weights 2300+ both tumble lubed 45/45/10 and carnauba red with no problems, MOA in my 8x57 at 100m
+superswaglord1945 - You should maintain your current procedures. Why fix something that requires no fixing. MOA with a milsurp is mighty fine. Good shootin' to ya, FC
I was hoping to see the coating process. I know how powder coating works; I have seen it done professionally. But it would have been nice to see how you did it and not just talked about it as you are so methodical about all you do. I suspect I know for what BBs are used but I will go off to look. A bit like having a video on puff pastry making and saying here are the ingredients and here we are pulling the pastries out of the oven! :) ;)
+clangerbasher -- I'm trying not to repeat stuff in other PC videos, but apparently, these things need to stand on their own...I've learned that since this video was done so there's a lot of repetition of reloading steps in some of my recent videos. Best to ya, FC
+RogerRevo -- I'm going to try shooting the .326" PC bullets first without sizing. If the performance is not good, then that sizing die is the one... Thanks for the tip... Best Regards to ya!!
Ive searched high and low on youtube and cant find the next in series, sizing and loading! thx Jim
Looks pretty simple, I've been wanting to try this.
Look forward to seeing the results.
I do believe you stumbled onto something here. I had been thinking of small job powder coating for my streetrod but did not have a spare oven. That toaster oven looks to fill the bill quite nicely! Thanks Steve!
+LMO MechTech -- Sorry to have missed this one, Larry - Google has been leaving comments from my inbox and we'll miss 'em every time. Sounds like you've got some mighty fine wheels, friend Larry..!! Best to ya, FC Steve
Looking forward to seeing more of this series, my friend. Be safe, and good shooting!
JunkfoodZombie I remembered your grandfather's rifle when I picked up my 8mm Yugo Mauser at Big 5...Enjoy the memories in that gun whenever you get the chance to shoot it... Best to ya!!
FortuneCookie45LC Hopefully soon. Life has been super busy lately. You'll know it when I do!
Very nice shiny work :-)
Anticipating, your next video in this series. Tried the wet method of power-coating but the powder coat was a little to thick and sizing was problematic and hard. Will have to try the Dry method if your results are good. Also played around with of the idea of using the wet method, and just dipping the base of the bullet in the powder coat like a gas check.
45 Alfa Charlie Papa Problem when sizing is too hard is that 1) we will need to do a two step sizing 2) the sizing operation may wind up shearing off the PC. Ideally, the bullets we would PC should drop out of our molds .0025" smaller to allow for the powder coat - and if sizing was needed, it would be easily done. Have a great day
looks good man
Nicholas Arredondo And I can tell the coating is very tough also. Should shoot well - we shall see... Best to ya!!
You can easily expand a lee push through sizer by wrapping a wood dowel with fine grain wet / dry sand paper and inserting it into the die and rolling the die back and forth on your leg while you hold both ends of the dowel. 1000 or 1200 grit paper works fine. I used that method to make a 359 die. Should work just fine for you to make a 325 die.
Prepare2Survive Thanks for the tip - the Lee sizer die is available in .323 as I recall - may have to go that way if somebody beats me to a Lyman .325 die...Have a great day
looking forward to this. thanks.
1717jbs Powder coating the bullets was not difficult to do - I've been looking at the powder coating that others have been doing and distilling it down to the least messy, most efficient way of doing it...results look good so far...the sizing and gas checking next up (have to order the sizing die and gas checks now that I know what diameter die to get) Best Regards
Forturne, Question can you size before coating. As always GREAT VID.
+Louis Leoncini -- Problem with sizing before coating is any lubes that remain will have to be totally removed = more work. But if your bullets are extremely large for your use, you will need to size them, then PC them, and then perhaps size them again. Sizing after PC is the best way to go otherwise. Have a great day, FC
Fortunecookie45lc could you please tell me were you picked up the black mesh screen that you used for PC the bullets ?
Morning. Long time no see.
In your research with shotgun slugs, have you found that with lower recoil slugs, ie. 1300 vs 1600, shooters experience better accuracy, or is this a result of anticipated recoil? Thanks!
I do the same as Tonsofgunsoffuun also purchase from PBTP.... I have been using it on 223s for about a year now.. no issues even up to and exceeding 2800 fps. No gas checks, no leading, no key holes....
I use the same process pretty much. I however I do use the airsoft BB's. It appears to give a more even coating helps create static and protects the bullets from slamming together I believe. Be sure and use the non-stick tin foil. Haven't tried the water drop cooling, just set the pan on the concrete floor while I' tumbling the next batch. Another thing I do is rinse my bullets in acetone to remove any oils from my hands or other contaminations. Another great vid Cookie
mklean1 Sure are a lot of PC fans out there...we should start a club... and glad I joined. Who knows? Never say never...I might just go ahead and PC some pistol bullets...might be fun, but then I would have to size them when I don't have to size a fair number of bullet designs I'm currently using. Have a great day
FortuneCookie45LC Great video, and certainly interesting. Have you splittet a bullet to check how uniform the coating is? If the layer(jacket) is uniformly and equally thick all the way around?
+A VR -- No haven't done the bullet splitting. But the coatings mike at .001" a side. Have a great day, FC
I will be interested to see if when sizing the bullets if sizing takes the powder coating off of the lands surrounding the grease grooves. If it does my guess is that you will have to size to .324 and then powder coat.
+David Jernigan -- Sizing does not strip the PC off the bullets. Amazingly, we size and the PC looks good. Best Regards, FC
Hello, if you powder coat bullets, do you still have to put gas checks on?
Great video as usual. I'm new to powder coating and I cannot get the black paint from HF to stay on the bullet during the "shaking" process. The red sticks "O.K." but not great. Any suggestions?
+Ron Schanz -- Sorry to not reply till now, Google doesn't post every comment in my inbox - how are we supposed to get them, but reviewing every video we do for comments? There is a video up on the final no hassle way to get powder to stick - uses the vibratory tumbler straight up... works every time all the time... Best Regards, FC
Thanks
I had no idea powder coat paint was this resilient ? Did you just pick them out of the container with the forceps and stand them up on the tray? Man what a great skill to learn, looking for the results of how it works. Do the bullets need cleaned at all before powder coating or just thrown in? This exciting for me to learn cause I have always wanted to shoot cast bullets in my rifles, but never liked the idea of 9 grains of unique in a case for a very anemic load.
dowdawg That's the intriguing thing about PC bullets - they behave as FMJs bullets in rifles. But let's see how these shoot - I've still got to get a sizing die, now that I've slugged the barrel...Have a great day
What advantage does this have over regular lube-sizing if you keep the velocity below 2000 FPS?
JRhoney Low smoke and less lead exposure for the users...Not a problem on outdoor ranges where the wind blows toward the targets...but if everyone shot PC or non lead bullets + non lead primers + well ventilated indoor ranges, then OK there also...I don't mind the bit of smoke from my loads as I watch the wind disperse the smoke toward the targets -- the 45/45/10 lube system with no size needed still is the easiest and fastest lube system for cast bullets. But I don't find fault with doing the PC. There's a certain esthetic to them. Thanks for the great question.
Any trouble with coating the gas check shank and then seating the gas checks?
+qchemp420 -- Best way would be to seat the GCs and then PC the whole bullet, but that raises the possibility of getting lube on the bullets during the gas check sizing...Most seat the GC after the PC and no need to PC the GC. Best Regards, FC
Ok so you may have already awnsered this if so I didn't see it. Where I work we powder coat rims for Semi-trucks tires, I have hit them with hammers before and it didn't even make a dent. So I guess my question is how hard is the powder coat? If it's hard like the truck rims then barrel wear could be a big issue couldn't it? I'm sure if that's the case then it's harder then a copper jacket right? Just my thoughts here. Have a good night!
+MIshooter -- PC is very interesting stuff - it is amazingly tough as you can hammer a cast bullet flat and the powder coat is still bonded to the metal. However, if you melt a PC cast bullet, the lead melts out and the PC jacket remains - it is limp and you can skim it off the molten lead like skin. It is not a shell shaped like the bullet that remains like a copper jacket. The reason you can hammer your tire rim and the coating is not damaged is because of the PC being bonded onto the steel underneath. The steel backing provides the strength, the PC the tough coating. The PC coatings have not harmed barrels - if so, no one would be doing PC bullet coatings. There is nothing about the hardness or the abrasiveness of PC to warrant us from using it. In addition, there is nothing gained from thick PC coatings for bullets - thin is better than thick... Best to ya, FC
Hi, my name is Tom Bunda, and I watched your video, and I want to ask if you put gas checks on the bullets, or you don't put any gas checks?Thank you
Tom Bunda - Our gas checks can prevent leading, but if our bullets fit our guns properly, leading is not an issue anyway - whatever light leading just cleans out with regular cleaning procedures. Tests have shown that paper card wads placed under the base of the bullet are recovered intact without scorching or damage. Makes you wonder about all the "base melting" we hear about. What gas checks really do is make our bullet bases uniform with possible improvements to accuracy. Elmer Keith never used gas checks and all he did was shoot magnums and accurately. (if we have square bases, why put on gas checks?) GCs add 5 cents to every bullet. The only time I put gas checks on is to improve accuracy and that isn't always borne out on paper. Best to ya, FC Steve
did you load the 8mm mauser powder coated cast bullets ... I can't find the resizing and loading videos
+pjgarcia100 -- Yes, shot them too - the Mauser rifle shoots the PC bullets 18" high at 100 yards - totally unacceptable and makes evaluation difficult. I need to solve the POI problem...Best to ya, FC
Some PC tips for you FortuneCookie! If you decide to use aluminum foil, make sure you use the non-stick type or the PC will stick to regular foil. Also the only HF powdercoat worth using is the RED, the other colors don't have near the success rate of sticking & coating and theres even some controversy about the black being abrasive but the red is good to go, in fact give the bullets a "smash test" with a hammer or vice, the coating should stay adhered, the HF Red does fine for me in that test. That said, if you wish to try other colors, there are some good companies out there to deal with, Prismatic Powders is a great one. You can even get coatings the same hue as a cast lead bullet so it looks almost undetectable. If you are a member on the Cast Boolits forum, member, Smoke sells some great powder to shooters. Glad to see you try it! I told ya it was fast & easy with the shake n' bake method! I don't even bother to stand them up, dump & bake and it works just fine. I also don't use any BB's in my method, I don't have any coverage issues and get great results in 1 coat. The only thing I do otherwise is a quick preheat on the bare bullets to drive off any surface moisture and it also helps form an even coat with them only warm. Some other benefits to PC bullets besides the rifle velocity barrier... No exposed lead = less toxic metal exposure, no lead corrosion, any color you want, just as easy and overall faster than 45/45/10, insured no leading, high BHN of coating, no lubes to mess with but you can if you like, can shoot softer/cheaper alloys, increase bullet diameter if needed, bullets are more slippery through your dies & barrel. You also have an oven to do cast bullet heat treating with along with other shooting hobby stuff, cerekote, kydex, etc.
mytmousemalibu Glad to use the red HF and the other colors are not necessary to explore. I don't check out the Cast Boolits forum very often as they get very technical with their stuff...kind of fun though just to read what's happening...I just do what works and keep doing that - probably why I didn't get onto PC bullets until now...just resisted doing them. Now I'm glad I did especially if they shoot well in my 8mm. Best Regards and thanks for the red HP tip...
No Problemo!
great results! the HF red powder coats very well,
you can lap your sizer a bit and get it closer to .325"
i have made some of my Lee sizers a bit bigger that way
i have seen many folks put thier gas checks on before coating
and after coating as well as skipping the check all together
ohh dont bother with that non stick foil
just use regular parchment paper like is used in baking breads and cookies
it will last well more than 10 bullet baking cycles and its easier to work with than the foil
+wayne johnson (Range Bum) -- We all want to do PC like wayne johnson..!! Best to ya, FC
That's how I do it except no rack. I just stand them up but the bullets you were doing are pretty tall so I see why you did it. I let them cool on the tray and they stick but they will pop right off. FYI if you do foil underneath my guess is the foil will stay on the bullet.
Shawn Tannehill Interesting, I sure would not want foil stuck on the bottom of the bullet - and popping them off the tray was no problem...Sounds like the foil is a no-no. Thanks for saving me the trouble of discovery... Best to ya!!
Buy the non stick foil and it won't
wo0dzm3n Non stick foil it is - on the shopping list for the next run to Safeways...Thanks!!
When using the non-stick aluminum foil, use the dull side against the bullet base. That is the non-stick side I hear.
Just so i have it clearly in my head- this is done wet? It looked like liquid in the yogurt tub. Then obviously you bake it dry. Just making sure
Troy Ortega - No. This is powder coating cast bullets via the dry tumble in a tub technique. I have many more videos up on powder coating procedures in the powder coating playlist. Good reloadin’ To ya, FC Steve
FortuneCookie45LC - ok, thanks for clarifying
Actually, when they are spraying the powder on large objects, the spray gun has one charge and the object being sprayed has the opposite charge. That way, the powder is attracted to the object, just like dust would be attracted to the CRT of an older type TV set. The Airsoft BBs along with the proper plastic container was to build up a charge so that the powder could more readily stick to the bullets. The electrostatic gun method produces the best looking bullets, but you can get bullets that shot just as well with just the tumble powder coating with the Airsoft BBs. Some powders cover better than others though. The Harbor Freight red works pretty good, but the Harbor Freight flat black pretty much needs two coats for complete pigment coverage.
+Grumpy OldMan - Thanks for your usual great input. I've had great success doing about 1500 very nice looking red HF PC bullets. But my last two batches, the powder would not stick to the bullets on tumbling. May have to do the electrostatic after all - seems the tumble system either works well or doesn't work at all. Used the airsoft BBs in all the tumbling... Have a great day
+FortuneCookie45LC Not all the Airsoft BBs are the same from a static standpoint. The heavier black ones seem to be recommended by those who are doing the ASBB tumble method of powder coating. Also, you need a compatible container that allows it to generate static better. They suggest the Cool Whip containers. I think they have a #5 recycle code on the bottom.
+FortuneCookie45LC Another method that might show some promise is the fluid bed powder coating method. With it, you run air into an open top container of powder and the powder kind of bubbles up. If you warm the item before hand, the powder will stick to it, so you just dip the item into the fluid bed of powder and then place it on a sheet / rack for baking to cure the powder as you normally would do. The people who do it for fishing jigs use an aquarium pump for the air supply. I've tried that, but the aquarium pump that I bought just didn't seem to have the necessary air volume. Although I like the look and cleanliness of powdercoated bullets, none of the experiments that I've tried equal the speed and easiness of just tumble lubing with a mixture of Lee Alox and Johnson's Paste Wax and then dusting with talc after it has dried to remove any stickiness.
+Grumpy OldMan The black BBs and the Cool Whip containers = OK to go. And I've also concluded that the 45/45/10 system does beat the PC systems in ease of procedure and goodness of results... Best Regards FC
Instead of cooking off the solvents like the 45/45/10 recipe calls for, I just heat up the JPW until it goes liquid and then add the bottle of LLA to that and don't add mineral spirits afterwards.
I have been interested in trying this but have researched and read that the Harbour freight powdercoating is abrasive and can harm your barrel. Does anyone have any information or opinions about this?
+John Henry -- Some say that the black has that, but the red and yellow do not...the HF has been used extensively by many now, and haven't seen many reports of problems as of yet...Best to ya, FC
Thanks for the reply, I have since jumped into powder coating and look forward to testing my work now that the weather is warming here in Minnesota and I can get up to my range.
+John Henry -- Congrats on going into PC - it is a very valid way of shooting handgun bullets, many of which you can shoot without sizing, but if you have to size, PC sizes very nicely as you see in some of my videos....with rifle - you will need to do size .001 bigger than your groove diameter and gas check as necessary. With PC, thin coatings are better than thick. If you have lumps on your PC obliterating the detail of your cast bullets, those are rejects for remelting. Please come back as you desire with comments or questions...Good shootin' to ya, FC
Thanks, One question I have for you if you have time. I have about 80 lbs lead that was given to me by a widow who husband was a bullet caster. Its in lymen ingots but based on weight variations and that some bullets melted in my toaster oven while powder coating, i think they are mixed with a high amount of tin. Is this stuff useless or is there a way to easily seperate it? I have done some research but didnt really find any good answers. I would hate to have to waste it.Thank you for your time and the service you provide
+John Henry -- Tin is in our alloy to improve the flow (reduce surface tension) and fill out molds better...it only provides a small amount of hardening. No need to try to remove the tin...if you need less tin, add lead or range scrap, say 3 pure lead or RS to 1 of your high tin mix. Tin is expensive - you are right in not wasting it. Your bullets should weigh close to the rated weights. Almost all my molds drop bullets heavier than rated, but that is preferred. Good castin' to ya. FC
OT but .... I just discovered a way to prevent spent primers from failing to eject in the decapping stage. I ground the tip of the decapping pin to a truncated cone. It turns out that the pin was going into the anvil springing it open, then when the primer was out of the pocket, it would spring closed on the tip of the pin pulling it back into the pocket. By gently turning the pin to a point (not sharp, it still has a flat end, but smaller), it makes it thinner than the anvil so they fall out every time. This solves one of the issues I have been having for nearly 50 years of loading. Why did it take so long to figure this out? It is NOT the extension of the pin, it's the shape of the point. Maybe we do get wiser as we age, just imagine how smart we will be the day we die!
+RapidRrobert -- Unless there is a problem with dementia or Alzheimer's, we will have great wisdom at the end...but that's a great observation that may be helpful to many... Thanks for posting, FC
I've found that I don't need to stand them up. I dump them in a tray with non-stick tin foil and let'r rip. Works awesome. Let me know how that cheap harbor freight powder works. I order mine from powder by the pound. I've powder coated and shot several thousand rounds with pistol and rifle. Works like a champ
Tonsofgunsoffun Always good to hear from well experienced users...Doing what works well is one of the precepts of the Hot Lead Zone...Thank you for adding your valuable comments to the mix... Best to ya!!
dude im not too sure about that 2000 fps speed limit. i shoot gas checked wheel weights 2300+ both tumble lubed 45/45/10 and carnauba red with no problems, MOA in my 8x57 at 100m
+superswaglord1945 - You should maintain your current procedures. Why fix something that requires no fixing. MOA with a milsurp is mighty fine. Good shootin' to ya, FC
I was hoping to see the coating process. I know how powder coating works; I have seen it done professionally. But it would have been nice to see how you did it and not just talked about it as you are so methodical about all you do. I suspect I know for what BBs are used but I will go off to look. A bit like having a video on puff pastry making and saying here are the ingredients and here we are pulling the pastries out of the oven! :) ;)
+clangerbasher -- I'm trying not to repeat stuff in other PC videos, but apparently, these things need to stand on their own...I've learned that since this video was done so there's a lot of repetition of reloading steps in some of my recent videos. Best to ya, FC
FortuneCookie45LC Hello. That was a very old comment; if not your first video on the topic. I think you have shown it since. :)
Lyman makes a 0.325" sizing die. part number 2766487
+RogerRevo -- I'm going to try shooting the .326" PC bullets first without sizing. If the performance is not good, then that sizing die is the one... Thanks for the tip... Best Regards to ya!!