simple Hi-Tek coating

[glockfan]

very,very nice boolits MR CATTIVO. nice groupings too. i love the old gold color.

[HI-TEK]

Thank you!

BTW, although I wrote otherwise, there is still one (minor) question left that I have:

I like to put a very small amount of very light case lube on the coated bullets (2 coatings) before sizing. It's much more comfortable this way and also feels somewhat better when it comes to stress on the bullet surface (don't know how to express correctly, but I think you know what I mean).

Sure, no more coating is done after this sizing.

I use a mixture of 1 part lanolin with 15 parts isopropanol.

I know what was previously said about that it is impossible to test and forsee all the possible reactions between HITEK and the lubes people may use. I just wonder if anyone has positive or negative experiences with using diluted case lube on HITEK bullets for sizing.
I just can say that I have not recognized any negative effects yet, but my experience is only a few hundred shots old...

Thank you for your advise!

E.C.

Thanks for your excellent post and pictures. You have done very well in a short time.
With sizing lubes, (oily/greasy types) there is a real danger of cross contamination and it will and can cause you no end of problems with coating adhesion.
SNS casting (thank you for your comments), is referring to a water based lubricant called Aqualube 5000.
This is a very concentrated lube that requires huge dilutions, and very small amounts will form a dry non contaminating surface lube on the coatings that significantly reduces sizing loads, even with harder alloys.
Typical dilution is about 3-5 mls of the Aqualube 5000, is added to one litre of Denatured Alcohol. This well mixed mixture is then sprayed onto finally coated cast, with a trigger plastic spray bottle, either onto collator or separately in a bucket. One small squirt, just barely to wet is plenty. This stuff is extremely slippery and about 1 gram can lubricate about 40-60 square metres surface area if adequately diluted.
Doing rough calculations, if you use about 5mls of Aqualube 5000 concentrate into 1 litre denatured alcohol, then using 1 ml spray onto 250 bullets, this dilute one litre mix, should be able to lubricate about 250,000 projectiles. So a 200gram bottle of concentrate Aqualube 5000 should lube about 12 million projectiles, plus or minus a few.

Once dry, it cannot be removed with any solvents or cleaners, so don't spill it onto the floor, or where you don't want it.
Just a word of warning, this stuff is expensive, but in use, it is extremely cost efficient, and probably cheaper and cleaner that any other lube, and it is a dry lubricating film residue that will lubricate any two surfaces and wont attract dust.
USE VERY SPARINGLY.
Keep up the good work
Hi-Tek.

[Avenger442]

ElCavitto

You got there quicker than I did. My bullets didn't look that good after casting for six months. Good looking lot. And good looking coating job. Looks like you have the precision for good match ammo.

Love to see targets. They are showing not just the end product but the ability to produce accuracy with it. And they speak much louder that anything else.

I'll add my "welcome to the party" to the others.

[dikman]

Well done mate, very impressive effort. Your tray mesh looks like the same stuff I use - half a world away!

[ElCattivo]

Thank you all for the welcoming replies!

this stuff is expensive, but in use, it is extremely cost efficient, and probably cheaper and cleaner that any

Thank you HI-TEK for the deeper explanation about the background of Aqualube. I've seen it in the US webshop and read about it in this forum but now I'm finally convinced.

My only "problem" is not the price of the Aqualube (totally ok, IMHO) but that my 3 buckets of HI-TEK (15oz each) will probably last for the next 857,3 years and to have only one bottle of Aqualube sent over the ocean alone, no matter which ocean and which direction..., will add three or four times the cost for delivery, customs, etc.. I will instead wait for the next trip of a friend or myself to AU or US and then grab one from there. Anyway, I'm quite curious already now to try this stuff out.

Have a nice weekend you all!

E.C.

[shootinxd]

I was able to get my first batch coated, baked, and pushed thru my sizing die. Passed the wipe and smash test. I'm wondering if a second coat is actually needed. They look pretty good as is.
I'll give them a second coat tonight and load some over the weekend.

[ioon44]

I have shot 200 gr SWC out of a 1911 with one coat of Hi-Tek with out any problems but out of a different gun it might not work out.

You could shoot a few and add a second coat later if needed.

[dikman]

Initially I sized after the first coat, but then decided to leave it until after the second (I only do two coats). If you get any contaminants in the sizing die it could affect applying another coat. At least, that's my reasoning (also saves a bit more work ).

[skeetdude]

Hi all, new to the forum. I just coated some 9mm and 45's with hi-tek, acetone test and smash test came out great, but still had a little leading in the 9mm. But not so much in the 45 cal. I thought the hi-tek coating would stop the leading with cast boolits. Have I done something wrong? I used lead wheel weights and put on three coats. Any advice would be great.

[Ausglock]

Leading is still possible, even with Hitek coated pills.

Bullet to bore fit is still king. Slug the barrel and size to be 1 to 1 1/2 thou over bore dia.

Barrel throating is also important.

Make sure with the 9mm, that you are not using a Lee carbide factory crimp die. These dies actually crush cast boolits as the loaded round passes through the die to be crimped.

The are fine with jacketed, but a huge no no for cast bullets.

[skeetdude]

Leading is still possible, even with Hitek coated pills.

Bullet to bore fit is still king. Slug the barrel and size to be 1 to 1 1/2 thou over bore dia.

Barrel throating is also important.

Make sure with the 9mm, that you are not using a Lee carbide factory crimp die. These dies actually crush cast boolits as the loaded round passes through the die to be crimped.

The are fine with jacketed, but a huge no no for cast bullets.

ok thanks for the info I did use a Lee carbide factory crimp die , so I will try it without factory crimp die , and see how they do, I did run them through a Lee bullet sizing die 9mm .356 and 45.452 after they where coated

[Ausglock]

Depending on the gun, I run all my 9mm for Kimber, Springfield 1911's and Glock 17 and 34 at .357" Dia

My Para 45 likes .452.

[HI-TEK]

Hi all, new to the forum. I just coated some 9mm and 45's with hi-tek, acetone test and smash test came out great, but still had a little leading in the 9mm. But not so much in the 45 cal. I thought the hi-tek coating would stop the leading with cast boolits. Have I done something wrong? I used lead wheel weights and put on three coats. Any advice would be great.

Just curious, what is hardness of your cast alloy. I am aware, that 9mm's are more suspect with Leading problems with a softer alloy combined with incorrect sizing. Ausglock uses 92-6-2 alloy about 14-16 hardness, (may be more).

[Gremlin460]

Straight up Clip-on wheel weights leaded in my 9mm, 2 years ago I went to the 92-6-2 mix and had no leading ever since.
I use a FCD and it also gives me no issues either.

Mike.

[HI-TEK]

Straight up Clip-on wheel weights leaded in my 9mm, 2 years ago I went to the 92-6-2 mix and had no leading ever since.
I use a FCD and it also gives me no issues either.

Mike.

Thanks Mike,
The problem seems to me, that many users had collected for years scrap Lead from any source so they can produce their own cast at low costs.
Unfortunately, due to the many variable quality/composition/hardness, and other engineering problems, it is almost impossible to advise or resolve, why some fail with using the Hi-Tek coating, and others find success with similar scenario.

[glockfan]

Depending on the gun, I run all my 9mm for Kimber, Springfield 1911's and Glock 17 and 34 at .357" Dia

My Para 45 likes .452.

this is the key; whatever we're using cast COWW , coated or not, we must resize at least 0.001 larger than barrel diameter to avoid leading,sometimes more. with jacketed,it is less of a factor because the jacket hardness is greater than the lead core .

[Gremlin460]

Thanks Mike,
The problem seems to me, that many users had collected for years scrap Lead from any source so they can produce their own cast at low costs.
Unfortunately, due to the many variable quality/composition/hardness, and other engineering problems, it is almost impossible to advise or resolve, why some fail with using the Hi-Tek coating, and others find success with similar scenario.

I think if everyone had access to a hardness tester, most casters would be surprised at the "real" bhn they using ,as opposed to the actuall bhn they are ending up with.
I know i was when I made my own hardness tester. Hence the transit to 92-6-2.

[Ausglock]

Long time no see, Grem.
Where ya been hiding???

[Gremlin460]

Long time no see, Grem.
Where ya been hiding???

Hi Trev!! Life went to hell in a basket, real bad, but I am back on my knee's and soon hope to be on my feet.

At least i am still breathing, the doc's said even that was touch and go... but hey yah play the hand you are dealt.

I see you still teaching newbies how to coat. Easier than falling of a chair... but some make it hard for themselves

[Ausglock]

Jesus!!!!
Any day above ground is a good day.

See. That is what happens when you don't have daylight saving.