Tell me about powder coating boolits....

[bangerjim]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the whole idea of PC'ing the boolit is to get ALL the lead covered. If you use wires in the lube grooves, there is some shiny lead showing and that will possibly lead your gun barrel. Unless you are grease lubing the PC's boolit too. I use several methods (not recommending any specific method.....use your own choice) that insures the ENTIRE boolit is coated - including ALL the grease grooves, with the exception of the bottom.

bangerjim

[fcvan]

I've read and contributed to the powder coating thread. I will cut to the chase. I bought a Harbor Freight PC gun and flat black powder. My intent was to PC 225-415 boolits for use in a Mini14 and an AR platform rifle. Tiny boolits tip over, aluminum foil sticks, I decided to go a different route.

I make gas checks out of aluminum flashing and so I have lots on hand. I made a tray for the 22 boolits and drilled holes. The gas check shank of the boolit sets in the hole and the boolits are evenly coated. Gas checks are applied during sizing and they shoot great.

I wanted to PC some 30 caliber boolits. I cut a tray from flashing and glued some 30 cal checks to the tray. The boolits stay upright and the gas checks stay on the tray when the coated boolits cool from the oven. Gas checks are applied when sizing and they shoot great.

Coating pistol boolits is similar but somewhat faster. I put the boolits in a plastic cartridge tray (think ammo box) skipping every other hole to give equal spacing between boolits. The boolits are placed on a piece of flashing, coated, and baked. Build up at the base for the boolit does not seem to be a problem. Once baked and cooled the boolits snap off the flashing leaving the excess on the flashing. Sized with or without plain based gas checks, they shoot fine.

Clean boolits coat evenly. I cast boolits and drop onto a towel. Those boolits are transferred to a metal bin for collection using a metal spoon. When handling the boolits for PC application I wear a latex glove. Clean boolits are essential to good even coating that sticks and stays put.

I PC outdoors using a cardboard box as a spray booth. Excess powder is collected and returned to the container so as to avoid contamination of the powder. A cheap paint brush works well for this task. Although a breeze doesn't seem to effect the powder coating process it does tend to allow some of the 'overspray' to float around.

My toaster oven is a small Black and Decker model that had two oven trays. I used some 3" long 1/4" bolts and nuts to stack both trays on the single oven rack. It takes a few minutes for the oven to warm up so I turn on to 400 degrees and set a timer to 25 minutes. The oven is turned off and I let them cool. I've made multiple trays from flashing to place on the oven trays so I can coat more boolits while the oven is cooling off.

I've really enjoyed reading all of the posts, searching for YouTube videos of people powder coating, and then finally trying my hand. I'm very happy with the results.

[bangerjim]

HUMIDITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Being here in the great SW USA where the dewpoint can be in the negative (!) temp range, I have had great success with PC. Within the last week, we are now entering our "monsoon" season where the DP goes up into the mid 60's.......very muggy when you consider the temp is 110.

Yesterday I tried the yellow HF for the 1st time and it was a disaster. Did not stick at first at all. Most of the powder ended up on the pan. I got enough to stick after 3-4 times the application time to bake. Coating was pretty thin.

What do you guys that live in always-humid climates do? I call it "Houston-esk" humidity! Is it the humidity or just the yellow powder? It seems grainy as opposed to the black and red, both of which have always worked very well. Have not felt like cleaning out the yellow from the gun to try the others in the humid temps yet.

The black has always worked 120%!

What are your thoughs!

Bangerjim sweatin with the oldies

[Russel Nash]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the whole idea of PC'ing the boolit is to get ALL the lead covered. If you use wires in the lube grooves, there is some shiny lead showing and that will possibly lead your gun barrel. Unless you are grease lubing the PC's boolit too. I use several methods (not recommending any specific method.....use your own choice) that insures the ENTIRE boolit is coated - including ALL the grease grooves, with the exception of the bottom.

bangerjim

Since they are just for pistol boolits, I am not too worried about two spots in the lube grooves NOT being covered.

I am more worried about the bottom of the boolit being covered.

Later today, I am headed over to my friend's place that has the powder coating business. So I will get to see his oven first hand, I hope.

[prs]

I didna mean t' rankle Yer hackles. The response you quoted infers that I did indeed read the whole PC thread. I have kept up with it too. Same regarding the Aussie material. But a great deal of the posts are inmaterial to the subject. It happens, I am guilty on occasion myself. I was not complaining, just stating the obvious. Maybe the new procedures will be covered in the next revision of the CAST BULLET HANDBOOK and my grand kids may benefit.

prs