HFPC Boolits..Piglet Method

[TES]

Joe that was the answer I was looking for. Thanks. To those that give this guy grief try thanking the guy for a little inspiration on getting us all on to something other than copper and lead.

Thanks for that Joe!

[prickett]

A couple observations I've arrived at for using Piglet Coat:

1) My mix is about a 5 to 1 (versus most people's 3 to 1). This allows the HF paint to better dissolve/declump.
2) I tumble until the acetone has fully evaporated. This has the advantage of smoothing out the coating.

[abqcaster]

A couple observations I've arrived at for using Piglet Coat:

1) My mix is about a 5 to 1 (versus most people's 3 to 1). This allows the HF paint to better dissolve/declump.
2) I tumble until the acetone has fully evaporated. This has the advantage of smoothing out the coating.

Do you have any experience with using an actual powder-coating setup? I ask because I'm interested to see a comparison between actual powder coating and the piglet method, in order to see if, after all the tumbler rigging, jig making and such, there is any difference in invested time.

[bstone5]

I have also found using a mixture greater than 3:1 about 5:1 now and applying very thin coats, with the acetone completely evaporated before pouring bullets on screen wire gives a smoother finish on the cast bullets using the PIGLET method.

I have been mixing the powder coat and the acetone and let the mixture set for a few days to give time for the power to dissolve .

Enough coating is usually established with just two coats, the coating is thin and but the two thin coats using the PIGLET method seems to work fine with out any lead in the barrel.

The direct powder coating with the air powder coat gun will result in a thicker coating on the bullets but it is difficult to completely coat the bullets, the PIGLET method coats the complete bullet surface.

[prickett]

No. I read the powder coating thread with interest until seeing the lengths people were going through to setup coating jigs for full coverage (and/or manually arranging the boolits to sit on their base and/or the jig). That to me spelled a decent time commitment. The tumble method is very fast for me. I simply have to mix the paint (less than a minute), tumble (less than two minutes), then bake. The bake piece takes time, but not labor (i.e. as it bakes you can do other things), so I don't consider that in my over all labor "cost".

I had such good coverage after two coats, last night, that I'm next going to experiment with using two rather than three coats.

If you do proceed with your comparison, please report back so I can either confirm or correct my suspicions.

[prickett]

I have been mixing the powder coat and the acetone and let the mixture set for a few days to give time for the power to dissolve .

What do you store the mixture in that prevents the acetone from evaporating? I mix mine in a jelly jar, but the rubber seal on the lid doesn't stand up well to the acetone fumes.

[abqcaster]

No. I read the powder coating thread with interest until seeing the lengths people were going through to setup coating jigs for full coverage (and/or manually arranging the boolits to sit on their base and/or the jig). That to me spelled a decent time commitment. The tumble method is very fast for me. I simply have to mix the paint (less than a minute), tumble (less than two minutes), then bake. The bake piece takes time, but not labor (i.e. as it bakes you can do other things), so I don't consider that in my over all labor "cost".

I had such good coverage after two coats, last night, that I'm next going to experiment with using two rather than three coats.

If you do proceed with your comparison, please report back so I can either confirm or correct my suspicions.

I might get a PC rig for other applications and compare, but until then I'll stick with "pigletting." If I do, I will definitely let you guys know. I'm in this, at all, to save time, and would not build any kind of jig outside of putting foil on a cookie sheet. Righ now my efforts will be going into setting up a simple tumbling method as I too would like the most even coating I can achieve. Thanks, prickett!

[bstone5]

I got a plastic bottle that is used to squirt mustard that has a seal top that you push in and out, the seal holds and the acetone does not evaporate.

I got the bottle at the Dollar Store, I have two of the bottles one with plain acetone for clean up with and one with the mixture,

I have let it set for two weeks in the Houston Texas heat without any evaporation.

[bstone5]

Pricket

The pink plastic bottle is what I keep the acetone in for clean up, I have a green bottle just like the pink bottle to store the Piglet mixture. I also use Hi-Tech for some bullets.

This is the only picture I have on my phone that shows the bottle.

[popper]

squirt mustard - standard grocery type or something different? Does it squirt out to dispense or you remove the top? My acetone came in a plastic pint bottle, hasn't evaporated in 2 yrs in texas heat. I used 5:1 with the red HF, just playing with it, but didn't let it sit long. I might try to figure out a cheap hand powered tumbler rig to try with the black. I use the ES gun and it adds ~ .001-.0015" consistently. On my PB rifle I shoot down across the bases to make it thicker. You use that square jug for tumbling? Got some pretzel jugs like that I was thinking of using.

[bstone5]

popper

The square jug did not work too well, I now use a small plastic butter container that is round and smaller in size and is not as tall. The butter container also has a small round grove at the bottom that the bullets and piglet mixture liquid get into as it is shaken.
The grove will collect the liquid and results in a better coating as the bullets are moved in and out of the grove as the bullets are shaken as the acetone is allowed to dry.

The clear square container also came from the Dollar Store but the plastic will get soft and partially dissolve with a lot of acetone.

[docmagnum357]

I am pretty happy with the piglet method myself. TH more I use it, the thinner I mix, and I use a mixer and tumble 'til they are dry. I have gound two coats works great, too.

[Skip62]

I am pretty happy with the piglet method myself. TH more I use it, the thinner I mix, and I use a mixer and tumble 'til they are dry. I have gound two coats works great, too.

So what does making it thinner do for you?

[passgas55]

What do you store the mixture in that prevents the acetone from evaporating? I mix mine in a jelly jar, but the rubber seal on the lid doesn't stand up well to the acetone fumes.

You can wrap teflon tape on the edge of the lid covering the rubber. 2 wraps sould be plenty enough. The rubber may still break down but the teflon should still seal. You can try to remove the rubber seal then wrap teflon tape on outer edge. I see you are using jelly jars and i take it it is not like a two part lid used for canning. This works on canning jars.

[bigfelipe]

I've been trying this and have gotten fairly good single coats on .30 bullets. They size easily and smash clean, but every time I try to second coat the acetone takes off the 1st coat. I tried cooking longer and letting them cure for a full day between, nothing...

I'm using HF flat black PC. I have yellow too, but haven't tried it yet.

How are you guys getting 3 coats?

[prickett]

Once baked, I don't believe the acetone should have any effect on previous coats.

[bmiller]

I am pretty happy with the piglet method myself. TH more I use it, the thinner I mix, and I use a mixer and tumble 'til they are dry. I have gound two coats works great, too.

Pics?

[prickett]

So what does making it thinner do for you?

My $.02 - It reduces clumping. I think there are two variables to the mixture, but that we mainly are focusing on just one. Variable one is the ratio of paint to acetone. The other variable, though, is how much solution is applied to the boolits. I try to dribble about as much as I would use when applying conventional tumble lube (LLA/JPW/MS).

I also think that due to reusing my tumbling jar, paint from previous coatings gets redissolved and added into the mix (which would increase the paint part of the ratio some).

I just bought some measuring spoons so I can begin to quantify what works best for me. My latest batch (which unfortunately I didn't journal) had something like 3 tablespoons of acetone to 1/2 teaspoon of paint. That was sufficient for 50 9mm and 50 .45 boolits (3 coats). I could have stopped after 2 coats most likely.

[prickett]

You can wrap teflon tape on the edge of the lid covering the rubber. 2 wraps sould be plenty enough. The rubber may still break down but the teflon should still seal. You can try to remove the rubber seal then wrap teflon tape on outer edge. I see you are using jelly jars and i take it it is not like a two part lid used for canning. This works on canning jars.

Good idea. I'll give teflon a try.

I'm not understanding how folks are able to use water bottles and condiment dispensers without the acetone eating through them. My first attempt used a plastic nut container whose bottom dropped out after the third use. Typically, acetone safe containers are use a different type of plastic than most consumer containers are made of.

[rhadamanthos12]

I might get a PC rig for other applications and compare, but until then I'll stick with "pigletting." If I do, I will definitely let you guys know. I'm in this, at all, to save time, and would not build any kind of jig outside of putting foil on a cookie sheet. Righ now my efforts will be going into setting up a simple tumbling method as I too would like the most even coating I can achieve. Thanks, prickett!

I tried the piglet method just the other day and again this morning before I left for work. Before that I was making jigs and using a HF powdercoating system. I find that I can do more bullets at a time with the piglet method with less prep, the overall time invested is much lower than the powdercoating with the gun. I would say I can have a complete batch done in about 30mins with the pigletting method where I would spend 45mins to a hour with the traditional method. The reason for that is that getting the air compressor filled, setting the bullets in the jig, hooking up the system up to the jig to make sure it is grounded, cooking to cure and trying to make sure the bullets didn't stick to the jig.

The piglet method doesn't produce as pretty as bullets, but I think they still look fantastic.