The one thing that's always a problem with styrofoam (in any form) is that it is extremely staticky. If we depend on static to help the powder adhere, then styrofoam would be ideal for adding static...
Type: Posts; User: OTShooter
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
The one thing that's always a problem with styrofoam (in any form) is that it is extremely staticky. If we depend on static to help the powder adhere, then styrofoam would be ideal for adding static...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
My powder is (now) a couple of years old. It’s been stored indoors, in a sealed plastic container except when I actually used it. My home relative humidity is pretty constant at 50% +/-, so I don’t...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
I specifically used a measuring spoon to put the recommended amount of BBs, powder, etc. But I do know that I didn’t pay attention to excess powder - I was more focused on obvious bare spots.
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
My bullets were absolutely clean, and my powder was never exposed to the elements - I opened and stored it indoors exclusively.
My #5 containers are nothing special, but the powder sure stuck to...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
I’m using Smoke’s powder, and my containers are all “#5” (polypropylene) plastic. I specifically bought a pack of black BBs to help with my powder coating. The only black BBs I could find were...
Forum: Cast Boolits
Thanks, gents!
In messing with these bullets this time, I noticed a mold line ON the flat point, which told me that the point can’t have been “deformed” to be that way.
So now that I know what...
Forum: Cast Boolits
I agree. The lube groove on my bullet is larger than the one on the Lee bullet.
Forum: Cast Boolits
Yes, I had to seat them quite a bit deeper. The TCP needed these to be seated to an OAL of no more than 0.904".
Here's a picture of the actual bullet I'm talking about:
301232
Hopefully that...
Forum: Cast Boolits
I'm looking for a specific bullet mould for 100 grain, 0.356" bullets. The profile is like Lee's 356-102-1R bullet, except it has a flat point.
301231
It's not so much that I want to buy this...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
Those “stuffing beads” are styrofoam, and they probably should be the illustration in every dictionary for “static cling”. I’ll look at trying them with shake-and-bake.
Greg, since I was very new...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
I have searched and researched - here and elsewhere - without finding enough information that was clear enough for me to be able to work from, so here's a brand new topic!
In my first foray into...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
I see your point. Once I have some more bullets to mess with, a thermocouple may be helpful.
My in-laws used to live in Grand Lakes until they moved to Richmond. Now they’re in Florida, and I...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
I let it preheat for “around 15 minutes”, but I have an oven thermometer in it while it’s preheating, so when I check it “around 15 minutes” later I know it’s up to temperature.
Right now I’m...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
I see what you’re saying. I’m just not anywhere near needing to know how quickly the inside of a bullet gets to what temperature. I want to keep this - for the moment, anyway - as a “set and...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
As I said, my bullets baked fine. If I was “pushing the envelope,” I might need the extra precision of a thermocouple cast into a bullet. But if that was the case, I’d probably also opt for a PID...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
I have a dependably accurate oven thermometer. I made sure the oven was at really darn close to 400F before I started my first batch, and both batches baked quite well. I do NOT trust a cheap...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
That may have had something to do with it. Smoke also tells me that heavier bullets can take longer shaking before they coat properly. I’m working on setting up for my next batch, and I’ll watch...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
I think the thin spots in my second batch may have been due to not having enough powder in the container. I'm going to add powder and try the same number of bullets to see if that helps.
I...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
I went for it this afternoon and, following Smoke's instructions, I coated and baked about 60 bullets.
The first 10 were a test of all the different steps, and I separated the bullets from the BBs...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
I’m about to do my first powder coating. I have an 1100W toaster oven, and I’m going to be coating 230 grain .452” bullets with Smoke’s powder.
Assuming I don’t have to worry about spacing,...
Forum: Cast Boolits
On examining the sprue plate on the double cavity mold I have most recently used, the openings are anything but round. That looks like an area to address, at least to start.
I got a hot plate...
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
Got it. I live in San Antonio Texas; humidity is a thing here, but it’s quite manageable most of the time. Pre-warming the bullets makes sense.
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
Is this because of the entire technique, some part of that technique, or something else?
Forum: Coatings and Alternatives
The next time I have a free weekend day, I'm going to be doing my first powdercoat run. And I AM going to use the black BBs, Smoke's powder, and shake the bullets in a #5 container. Mostly because...
Forum: Cast Boolits
I'm still working on managing the mold. I've tried dipping the mold into the melt, but between dodging the hardware on top of my casting pot (a Lee 4-20 with both the standard pour valve hardware...
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |