Powder coating

[donovansn585]

I would really like to get into powder coating cast boolits. So can someone please tell me what equipment is required, where I can find a good step by step tutorial on the process. I am going to do this on a very small scale so could you please tell me about the very basic equipment needed to start. Thanks Sean

[popper]

For pistol, try the dry powder approach. Just a jar & convection oven.

[bangerjim]

There are several large threads on here that cover the complete processes used in GREAT detail ....electrostatic gun, liquid dissolve, and dry tumble.

Sorry, but you will have to read a bunch! Lots of info here, just pull up a chair and dig into the stickies.

There are a lot of tricks of the trade too numerous for anyone to put in a simple answer.

Good luck and welcome to the fun!

bangerjim

[firefly1957]

I have had good luck taking the Harbor freight powder and adding just enough acetone to wet it add bullets that have been rinsed in acetone and dropping them in and shaking and rolling the jar once the acetone starts to dry off it sticks to the bullets i then stand them on wax paper on a metal tray and cook them under 400 degree for a half hour or more . Alcohol works also but does not evaporate off as well as acetone. I size them after baking with normally no lube added but has sprayed with Lanolin solution also just to see if it reduced effort. I have a sprayer now but have yet to use it.

[el34]

i then stand them on wax paper on a metal tray and cook them

What happens to the wax?

[prickett]

I would really like to get into powder coating cast boolits. So can someone please tell me what equipment is required, where I can find a good step by step tutorial on the process. I am going to do this on a very small scale so could you please tell me about the very basic equipment needed to start. Thanks Sean

The cheapest/easiest method to play around with is dry tumble, like Popper said. Other methods of application (ES or wet) require additional equipment and/or materials.

Get a tupperware container and some Harbor Freight RED powder paint (get RED paint). Add boolits into the container, then sprinkle in some paint. Tumble until boolits are covered. Dump onto a tray (hardware mesh with 1/2" high sides works really well) and stick into a convection oven. Bake 20 minutes at 400F. Get an oven thermometer to confirm what the oven says is 400F is really 400F.

Remove from oven and let cool. Size with a Lee pass through sizer.

Load them and shoot them.

[Boogieman]

The cheapest/easiest method to play around with is dry tumble, like Popper said. Other methods of application (ES or wet) require additional equipment and/or materials.

Get a tupperware container and some Harbor Freight RED powder paint (get RED paint). Add boolits into the container, then sprinkle in some paint. Tumble until boolits are covered. Dump onto a tray (hardware mesh with 1/2" high sides works really well) and stick into a convection oven. Bake 20 minutes at 400F. Get an oven thermometer to confirm what the oven says is 400F is really 400F.

Remove from oven and let cool. Size with a Lee pass through sizer.

Load them and shoot them.

Follow pricket's advice. I use his method and He knows where of He speaks. Made usable bullits from the first batch. Fast ,cheap, & easy

[donovansn585]

Thank you very much that's exactly what I was looking for a simple cheap method to try thank you very much Sean

[bangerjim]

What happens to the wax?

Good question, el34!!

As far as I have seen, ANYTHING under the boolit (wax, Pam, oil, etc) will melt and wick up on the sides of the boolits and keep the powder from sticking! (I have tried just about everything conceivable in the quest for the perfect system to coat & bake)

ONLY use non-stick aluminum foil.

Also you should NOT need or use any lube thru the sizing die. We do not know what lubes will do to the integrity of the PC after time loaded in the case. I would avoid that lube you are using all together. None of my coated boolits push thru hard. Even if one does occasionally put up a fight, it comes thru just fine with ZERO PC removed. You just cannot scrape that stuff off!

banger

[xyankeeworkshop]

For me, fatter PC'd boolits push through a Lee sizer noticeably easier than their skinnier 45/45/10 predecessors.

[Cane_man]

dry tumble, aka 'shake-n-bake', is so easy and cost effective to get started with to coat bullets that will work... then if you decide you want really pretty looking bullets you can get into the more complicated methods...

[Boogieman]

[QUOTE=Cane_man;2569212]dry tumble, aka 'shake-n-bake', is so easy and cost effective to get started with to coat bullets that will work... then if you decide you want really pretty looking bullets you can get into the more complicated methodsUOTE] Nothing I've shot has ever complained about my ugly bullits

[m&p40]

So what type of loading data do you start with? Do you start with cast or do you start with jacket boolits loads.

[popper]

I just use jacketed data. Baker's parchment paper works good also.

[el34]

ANYTHING under the boolit (wax, Pam, oil, etc) will melt and wick up on the sides of the boolits and keep the powder from sticking!banger

Baker's parchment paper works good also.

Banger's probably right about anything that can flow.
I've wondered about parchment paper, does powder stick to it?

[Beagle333]

As far as I have seen, ANYTHING under the boolit (wax, Pam, oil, etc) will melt and wick up on the sides of the boolits)
banger

Even my melted candy coating wicks over to the boolits before it cures.

[bangerjim]

Early on, I thought I had discovered the greatest thing since sliced sex......PAM on the boolit bottom!

Normally, the 1st coat does not stick, but anything beyond that the powder tends to stick and create flash around the bases and pull foil off.

Soooooooooooooo.....dab the boolit on a rag wetted with a light spray of PAM and all is well.

Right???????

WRONG....the PAM wicked up on the sides and ruined the whole batch of 56 38's. Thank God for do-overs.

No more PAM or wax or grease......nothing under the boolit base!!!!!!!

banger

[el34]

Early on, I thought I had discovered the greatest thing since sliced sex.
banger

Dude, no one will ever find anything better than sliced sex.

[deadarrow]

They don't stick to parchment paper at all. I still want to try the wire mesh tray method tho. Tumble, dump, excess powder falls through to be reclaimed. Bake and dump'em on a cookie sheet to cool. Picking them up with a pliers and setting them on parchment paper is tedious.

[firefly1957]

el34 As long as the the temperature stays below 400 the wax stays on the paper above that is causes problems sticking to the bullet but they still shoot well . Since the bullets are dry of near dry when set on the wax paper it does not effect the coating . I do have some nonstick aluminum foil now but have now used it yet.