Powder coating, here I come! SUCCESS!!!!!!
- Thread starter kjohn
- Start date
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
I'm a cheap bastard as well (all the powder i have now was free from local commercial coaters that had a color over-run from what they needed) but Im sure you have spent $40 on something much more frivolous that a good powder....just consider that that pound of powder will do many thousands of bullets before it is used up so cost per slug is many 0's into a percentage point.
I don’t claim to be a cheapskate. As I posted, I made an error when figuring the cost of a pound shipped. While shipping is still high, I was wrong to say shipping would be $40. I would be $28ish.
Tool Blue is the gold standard when it comes to getting near 100% powder coverage. I have also had excellent results with Emerald Gloss Black and Clear (95%+). I pre-heat my bullets till they are just about too hot to handle, then do the shake & bake.
As an FYI I agree with wesson357 that some powders inherently just don't want to stick. I tried a green (can't remember which one) that I got from Columbia Coatings in the U.S. No matter what I did I couldn't get better than 50% coverage. I tried shake & bake, airsoft BB's, plastic bag in the bullet tumbler, just about every technique known to man and still got lousy coverage. It would probably work with a powder coating gun but other than that, good luck.
My guess is that some colour pigments are just not very compatible with a static type coating procedure like shake & bake. On the other hand I bought a type of blue from Columbia (very close to Tool Blue in colour) and it worked like a a champ. Yellows don't seem to work well either.
He's not wrong!
Success!! After a couple of mostly failed attempts, I got a nice batch. I used Eastwood Silver Vein. I copied Reloadman's method. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5x4oj6YYwM
I warmed the bullets a wee bit, dumped them in a plastic jar, put in approx. 10cc of powder and 3 or 4 drops of acetone, shook them up good and proper, poured them out on a screen to make sure the acetone was all gone. Warmed the toaster oven to about 380 F, put the bullets in for about 25 minutes. Took the batch out, made sure they bullets were all separated, dumped them in a small bucket, drained the water off, spread them out on the screen to dry. The powder is nearly clear, giving the bullets a bit darker greyish colour with some dark flecks.
I know that some do and some don't use a wee, wee bit of acetone, some don't dump them in water, but this worked really nice for me. The batch of approx. 150 had some 155 gr LEE .312 and some 93 gr LEE .311. They all came out nice. Note that I only used a wee bit of acetone (eye dropper) and approx. 10 or 11 cc of powder.
I warmed the bullets a wee bit, dumped them in a plastic jar, put in approx. 10cc of powder and 3 or 4 drops of acetone, shook them up good and proper, poured them out on a screen to make sure the acetone was all gone. Warmed the toaster oven to about 380 F, put the bullets in for about 25 minutes. Took the batch out, made sure they bullets were all separated, dumped them in a small bucket, drained the water off, spread them out on the screen to dry. The powder is nearly clear, giving the bullets a bit darker greyish colour with some dark flecks.
I know that some do and some don't use a wee, wee bit of acetone, some don't dump them in water, but this worked really nice for me. The batch of approx. 150 had some 155 gr LEE .312 and some 93 gr LEE .311. They all came out nice. Note that I only used a wee bit of acetone (eye dropper) and approx. 10 or 11 cc of powder.
My little opinion here might help. I coated tens of thousands of bullets with both powder coating powder and Hi-Tek. They both work. Because I bought many years ago a lot of Ford blue from Emerald that's what I always use. But I experimented with other powders too. As a truck driver I travel a lot to US and I bought other powders from here and there. The worst is Harbor Freight. Cheap for sure but not so good. They are coating so and so and going through the barrel they don't lead the barrel horrible but compared with Ford blue is inferior as performance shooting wise. Now people always want the bullets to "look good". Is not about how they look, is about how they perform. Are the "ugly" looking bullets lead the barrel or not? That's the real question not how they look.
You have 3 powders then try them all. Shoot through the same gun 25 rounds with one powder then get the barrel out of your pistol and with your bore scope inspect the inside. Pay attention to the forcing cone and the muzzle. Mostly the throat of the barrel will tell you the truth. Then clean the barrel spotless and shoot another 25 bullets coated with a different powder. Repeat the process.
Now let's make sure we don't get smitten by the colors and the looks of the bullets and not forget about the most important aspect of bullet casting: the sizing. Without a proper sizing not even the best powder will stop leading the barrel.
Cast the bullets, coat them with whatever you want then size them and then load them and shoot them. I won't go into the details of sizing because the thread is about powder coating. I had to order another sizing die because I had two barrels who were not the same even where the same caliber.
Is all about trying and testing in this hobby. Reloading is a learning process and we all learn new thigs every day.
Even though I'm a member of Cast Boolits forum I have learned lots of things on this place. Here is where I first learned about the Star lubesizer. Boy what an amazing tool.
If was me I would take the "ugly" ones properly sized, load them and shoot them. Then take my time and inspect the barrel and see the real truth.
Ugly might not be that ugly in the end.
You have 3 powders then try them all. Shoot through the same gun 25 rounds with one powder then get the barrel out of your pistol and with your bore scope inspect the inside. Pay attention to the forcing cone and the muzzle. Mostly the throat of the barrel will tell you the truth. Then clean the barrel spotless and shoot another 25 bullets coated with a different powder. Repeat the process.
Now let's make sure we don't get smitten by the colors and the looks of the bullets and not forget about the most important aspect of bullet casting: the sizing. Without a proper sizing not even the best powder will stop leading the barrel.
Cast the bullets, coat them with whatever you want then size them and then load them and shoot them. I won't go into the details of sizing because the thread is about powder coating. I had to order another sizing die because I had two barrels who were not the same even where the same caliber.
Is all about trying and testing in this hobby. Reloading is a learning process and we all learn new thigs every day.
Even though I'm a member of Cast Boolits forum I have learned lots of things on this place. Here is where I first learned about the Star lubesizer. Boy what an amazing tool.
If was me I would take the "ugly" ones properly sized, load them and shoot them. Then take my time and inspect the barrel and see the real truth.
Ugly might not be that ugly in the end.
I never doubted that you did it. But I really am interested to see your production. I like it when the powder coating process works out. It was a great step forward for the home bullet producer because it suddenly allowed much higher velocities to be used without having to resort to near-witchcraft during the melting process. This is and was especially important in areas of the World where "importing" factory made bullets is just too damned risky. Powder, easily done. Primers, yes a bit more difficult (especially when they are hard to buy in the first place) but again, easily enough done. But bullets are very heavy in any quantity and most smuggled supply shipments were discovered by the S.S. because of the bullets. Much better when you can just make them yourself in larger quantities for both rifle and pistol shooting up to factory power.
During my time running Combat Mexico, I never permitted bullet smuggling inside any of our "supply shipments". This made me a few enemies -- people who were of the opinion that I could do it if "I wanted to" and was refusing because of some personal prejudice against them. The fact is, good smugglers are to be treasured and not needlessly risked for the benefit of lazy people. So I have enemies. So I hurt some fools' feelings. Like that actually keeps me awake nights.
These are my latest results. Not perfect, but will go down the barrel. Powder coating is just another part of my lifelong hobby of collecting, shooting, reloading, casting, re-using berdan casings, and now powder coating.
I also keep and constantly add to a rather large data file of interesting stuff related to firearms. I am constantly adding to it. It is simply not possible to remember all the little details found over the last 60 years. In this day and age, computers and the internet have made this relatively simple.
I have said this before, when I was a lot younger, less available money for this hobby, I could afford either guns or books, but not both, so I bought guns. I appreciate the effort people make to share what they've learned from their libraries of gun books. THANK YOU!
I also keep and constantly add to a rather large data file of interesting stuff related to firearms. I am constantly adding to it. It is simply not possible to remember all the little details found over the last 60 years. In this day and age, computers and the internet have made this relatively simple.
I have said this before, when I was a lot younger, less available money for this hobby, I could afford either guns or books, but not both, so I bought guns. I appreciate the effort people make to share what they've learned from their libraries of gun books. THANK YOU!
Attachments
- Location
- Nova Scotia
Maybe this week, I'll grab a container and some plastic BB and test the powder I got.
I went with black for the classic black talon look.
I went with black for the classic black talon look.
This afternoon I took some light loads (11gr. 700X, 155gr. LEE sized .309) and some heavier loads (40gr. H335 equiv, 155 LEE sized .309) and fired five of each off in a nice FN Israeli 7.62. Just shooting at a big rock, so no accuracy test. I cleaned the barrel on the FN before going out. I bore scoped the barrel after shooting the 10 rounds, light loads first. The bullets were from my second batch (pics above) so not very smooth. The bullets were not gas checked. Not a trace of Eastwood Blue or lead in the barrel. 
So, it is true that the powder doesn't come off in the barrel, IF it is applied properly. I ordered some satin clear and some orange. I can still see some daylight from down the rabbit hole.
So, it is true that the powder doesn't come off in the barrel, IF it is applied properly. I ordered some satin clear and some orange. I can still see some daylight from down the rabbit hole.
- Location
- Nova Scotia
Finally got around to trying to PC. My biggest issue was getting the bullet out of the container that I shaked onto the tray without losing powder.
