First PC bullets

Ordered some powder from smoke and PC'd my first bullets. Two different styles of 230 grain 45 acp. Did the blue ones first, shook with black bb's and baked at 400 for 30 mins. Tried the red next. Didn't have more bb's so shook these without. I think they came out ok but coating looks thick and not as smooth. Shook most of the blue powder off the bb's and put them in with the next batch of red. Was enough blue powder left they turned purple. Look much more smooth and even. Very excited these turned out so well. Attachment 310305Attachment 310306Attachment 310307

looking good.

After ya coat them, "sift" off excess powder in a basket. You wont remove too much and the finish is better thinner and smoother.

Here is my process. It might help ya with yours.

https://youtu.be/vzSMkpf5SCY

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Originally Posted by cwlongshot

After ya coat them, "sift" off excess powder in a basket. You wont remove too much and the finish is better thinner and smoother.

Here is my process. It might help ya with yours.

https://youtu.be/vzSMkpf5SCY

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Good video and I picked up some things to try. What are the plates you are standing the bullets up on to put them in the oven?

Boogan1: Those bullets look great. I've found that Smoke's signal blue is one on the easiest powders to use. It gives really good coverage and just welds right to the bullet. I've also mixed signal blue and flame red together (on purpose) to make purple bullets, and they also work great. Both of these colors leave a coat that's so durable that when you run the bullets through a Lee push through sizer they run right through smoothly and come out looking as perfect as could possibly be made.

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Originally Posted by Boogan1

Good video and I picked up some things to try. What are the plates you are standing the bullets up on to put them in the oven?

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CW is 'RIGHT ON' ... Here's another video I did some years back, maybe you'll see something that'll help with what CW's showing you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi2gDLxNlxQ

I've PC'ed a few for the first time this week.
Smoke's Signal Blue and Jet Black.
Ziplock Triangle 5 Tub, Black .25 gram BB's, picked them right out of the tub.
The Blue did VERY well (my opinion, for a first run). The black had some missed "specks" here and there (it was a bit warmer when I did the Black, so likely more humid).
I found I messed the coat up less just picking them out wearing nitrile gloves as opposed to using pliers or tweezers. I do need to try the strainer trick.

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Originally Posted by Boogan1

Good video and I picked up some things to try. What are the plates you are standing the bullets up on to put them in the oven?

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Just scrap 1/4" aluminum. Many "steel" places have a store ta sell cast offs pieces @ reduced cost. They can usually cut too.

Amazon has the copper oven liner. Far better then parchment too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cwlongshot

Just scrap 1/4" aluminum. Many "steel" places have a store ta sell cast offs pieces @ reduced cost. They can usually cut too.

Amazon has the copper oven liner. Far better then parchment too.

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I use non-stick aluminum foil; I crinkle it up into a ball first then carefully smooth it out.
Doing it this way, it produces a thicker coat on the base to lessen the chance of lead being vaporized.
Must not hurt as I didn't find any lead in my suppressor after well over 100 shots of 9mm.
When I shot exactly 100 rounds of tumble lubed bullets thru it, I spent over half a day getting it all cleaned out.
Made a believer out of me about powdercoat.

A lot of people swear about how well BBs work. I tried them, but didn’t see much difference. I PC well without them. Maybe humidity has something to do with why it makes a difference for some.

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Originally Posted by GregLaROCHE

A lot of people swear about how well BBs work. I tried them, but didn’t see much difference. I PC well without them. Maybe humidity has something to do with why it makes a difference for some.

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Same here.

Zero harm!! I just dont find advantage. They simply increase surface area allowing faster and possibly more static in the bowl.

Also dont fret about triangle 5 plastic. All I have tried work. I use mostly #4's.

Non stick Foil is expensive. I find it sticks after a few uses.

Parchment is cheap, but gets crispy and useless after a few bakes.

But, I have baked hundreds of times on these oven liners.

CW

I bake mine on a silicone pad. After a while it will start to buckle a bit. It’s fine for my 45/70 boolits, but makes it more difficult for 30cal and 6.5mm.

I get 3 or 4 bakes on a sheet of parchment paper, then just throw it away and put in a new piece. A roll of parchment paper lasts me years. The sheet metal tray that came with my (free) toaster oven was way too flimsy to support a batch of bullets so I replaced it with a piece of 1/8" thick aluminum plate. I'm actually going to go out and bake a batch of bullets just as soon as I finish my coffee.

My wife bought 2 small thick heavy nonstick 6×8(I think?) sheet pans. She decided she didn't want them right around the time I started PCing boolits. I figured if non stick foil works, maybe these would work too? I stand up my 9mm bullets on the sheets to bake on. The very first time I used them the bullets came right off the pans. After a few bakes, they started sticking a little, but they are easily popped off the pans once the bullets cool. The PC stays on the bullets instead of sticking to the pan, so I'm going to continue using these pans. After a few bakes a little PC does start to build up on the pan, so I use the edge of a piece of 2x4 to scrape the PC off the pans. So far its working well enough and I don't have to dispose of foil or paper or anything like that.

Here is what I have found best for me.

Tekno- 2 Pack Copper Oven Liners https://a.co/d/fUphuTa

Tens of thousands of bullets. Leaves a nice pattern on bases.

CW