simple Hi-Tek coating

[Teknikal]

So ive been following this thread for some time now and decided to give the Hi-tek a shot. After a tad of trial and error I found the sweet spot. Just a few observations I noted while working. First everyone says use thin coats which I chalked up to mean less volume in general. I found that by increasing the amount of acetone in my mixture the coating was much easier to apply evenly and its almost impossible to add too much acetone as it evaporates off. The next thing was I had noticed people varying there temperature times and cycles. I found that temperature really isn't as critical as I thought. Used an old GE toaster oven I found stashed in the shed that's atleast 30 years old. During my testing I found for me that a hotter shorter cycle seemed to cure much better than a cooler longer cycle (420ish for 15 minute with a shake midways turned out great). Finally the lubrication qualities of this coating are no joke! I have a .311 mold for sks that I really wanted to use for .308 but with a hard alloy I was having a crazy time sizing the boolits down that far. Coated them with 3 coats and added a drop of oil to the finished boolit just as a precaution and they slid through a Lee .309 push through die like butter and these boolits normally drop at .313ish. I was terrified at first but this stuff is crazy simple and turns out fantastic.

What color is that?

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[Avenger442]

Attachment up on my computer now. I think it might have been the way I was holding my mouth.

[Coopaloop86]

Bronze.

[HI-TEK]

"Coated them with 3 coats and added a drop of oil to the finished boolit just as a precaution and they slid through a Lee .309 push through die like butter and these boolits normally drop at .313ish. I was terrified at first but this stuff is crazy simple and turns out fantastic."

Coopaloop86,
You have really done well, They look magnificent.
I noticed that you used oil to size.
Oils is OK, but this will leave product oily. I am a little concerned about possibility of oil contamination with non coated alloy, (and on other surfaces) that can cause coating problems later on.
Donnie has a product called Aqualube 5000. This is a water based concentrate and needs dilution. The final baked alloy, can be rolled coated with a diluted mixture and dried. The residue left on baked surfaces, becomes a powerful dry, non contaminating lubricant, and allows great reduction of loads when sizing. This will also leave your coated cast clean and dry.
Reducing diameter by 0.022 is excellent result. There seems no damage at all to the finished coating after sizing.
Main thing is, how did they shoot?


[/QUOTE]

[Rich22]

So here is a production/storage question. So I have been using a less than ideal, but still serviceable method for storing mixed coating for short periods, I typically use up a batch in a week or so. I am looking for better options and taking advice here looked at the hair product bottle and it seems to work well from a storage/sealing and seems acetone resistant. My issue is that I use a syringe/medicine dispenser to measure out the coating to put onto the bullets. Using the bottles I cannot seem to figure out how to do that without dumping it out into a open top container and sucking it out of that and especially with Bronze that could be an issue from a metallic component seperation issue. Opening is too small to get anything in but maybe a needle. Anyone have any ideas?

[DerekP Houston]

So here is a production/storage question. So I have been using a less than ideal, but still serviceable method for storing mixed coating for short periods, I typically use up a batch in a week or so. I am looking for better options and taking advice here looked at the hair product bottle and it seems to work well from a storage/sealing and seems acetone resistant. My issue is that I use a syringe/medicine dispenser to measure out the coating to put onto the bullets. Using the bottles I cannot seem to figure out how to do that without dumping it out into a open top container and sucking it out of that and especially with Bronze that could be an issue from a metallic component seperation issue. Opening is too small to get anything in but maybe a needle. Anyone have any ideas?

I am not precise in my measurements...I found as soon as I shook it up and got the syringe ready the solution had settled back out. I shake my squirt bottle vigiously and then give a few shots to coat depending on how much I'm coating. If I can see the coating on them before I cook it, I put too much on. I've had much better results doing multiple very thing coats. No more flaking or rough finishes since I switched to that. My only problem is still burning the pigment.

[Rich22]

I am not precise in my measurements...I found as soon as I shook it up and got the syringe ready the solution had settled back out. I shake my squirt bottle vigiously and then give a few shots to coat depending on how much I'm coating. If I can see the coating on them before I cook it, I put too much on. I've had much better results doing multiple very thing coats. No more flaking or rough finishes since I switched to that. My only problem is still burning the pigment.

I am horrible with guessing how much to put on, I weigh every load and measure every coat, only way I can keep consistency. I have found, esp with bronze that I have about 8 seconds from done shaking container to get the mix in the syringe before the components start settling.

[gunoil]

never coat, just stain 2 or 3 times is what l do too.

[slide]

Why don't you convert mils to teaspoons. Lot easier to hold a spoon.

[ioon44]

I use teaspoons and tablespoons cut down to adjust for the amount of bullets I am coating.
The dish soap bottles I use have a narrow spout so it is easy to shake and pour out the coating with out any waste and come in a lot of different sizes for how ever much coating you want to mix up .

Never did the syringe thing.

I just tested some 158 gr SWC with 3 coats of Bronze 500 in my GP 100 and the chrono showed 1400 fps. After 50 rounds of this the barrel is clean except for a little un burnt powder.

[Ausglock]

Why don't you convert mils to teaspoons. Lot easier to hold a spoon.

You are joking....right???? Spoons????? hahahahahahahahahahaha

[DerekP Houston]

You are joking....right???? Spoons????? hahahahahahahahahahaha

Right?? I'm not sure how it would b a an easier than a squirt bottle or how you would keep it in suspension long enough to measure out little spoon full. Ad mentioned before I do batches of 10 lbs at a minimum and have great success. Smaller batches get let liquid on em, and the first coat is always the lightest just to help with the next coats bonding to it.

I misunderstood the post I referenced.

Apparently I had a beer too many as I can't decipher what I meant by "get let liquid on em"

[slide]

I measured out 6 mils. It will almost fill up a measuring tablespoon. This goes on 2 Kg of bullets. So you are telling me you can stick a syringe in a bottle hold the syringe and the bottle and pull 6 mils out faster than I can hold that tablespoon over the bullets and fill it and dump. That is using the beauty supply bottles which work great for this kind of situation. Ausglock,I got a lot of rescept for you but you don't know everything. Laugh at me! Houston,you didn't even know about the bottles till I told you. Try to help and this is the kind of attitude you get! I may get booted ,so be it!

[Avenger442]

Probably a good idea to measure when you first start doing Hi Tek. I rarely measure coating now to coat the bullets. I did on the Dark Blue with a syringe because I was wanting to get the color right. That mix was in a dish washing liquid bottle and it was a pain to get the syringe in the neck of the bottle and the coating up to the tip. Most of the time I just squirt some. Too much could lead to a smash failure I guess. But I've a pretty good eye for how much I'm squirting or I would have had more trouble than I've had.

Going back to the rifle bullets. Loading 80 rounds eight different loads two different weights of .308 in a spitzer bullet that I've been trying to find a load that will give me one inch to one and a half inch groups at 100 yards. I got it down to two inch when I was working with it last year. Different powder this time. These are coated with Gold 1035 and Gunmetal. Also have twelve pounds of the same style bullet in .308 to coat.

Also have some more black powder pistol cartridges loaded with more powder and a modified fouling preventer. Bullets are coated with Black 1035. Believe I can go to 25 yards this time. I think this is an option for lubricant for those that shoot black powder and aren't too concerned about doing it the old way.

[Rich22]

I did try spoons when I began but did find the syringes to be easier for me at least. I am awful and I mean horrible at guesstimation why I measure everything with all that I do. Will consider going back to the spoons, just will need a different mixing container than I currently use.

[DerekP Houston]

I measured out 6 mils. It will almost fill up a measuring tablespoon. This goes on 2 Kg of bullets. So you are telling me you can stick a syringe in a bottle hold the syringe and the bottle and pull 6 mils out faster than I can hold that tablespoon over the bullets and fill it and dump. That is using the beauty supply bottles which work great for this kind of situation. Ausglock,I got a lot of rescept for you but you don't know everything. Laugh at me! Houston,you didn't even know about the bottles till I told you. Try to help and this is the kind of attitude you get! I may get booted ,so be it!

Wasn't trying to denigrate or say anything bad, more I'm just lazy! I really appreciate the bottle idea, couldn't recall whom I stole it from so my bad. I just do what works for me, sorry if it was misinterpreted. I thought you meant trying to scoop it out of a jar with a spoon or something.

I never used the syringe method, just mixed it in a mason jar and poured a splash over a batch and shook away. 38 special are very forgiving to me, haven't had any issues.

The bottles were an excellent tip, so if I didn't say it before. Thanks!

[wlkjr]

I hate it when someone forgets their meds. I tried measuring out 6 mils one time and it was kinda messy so now I just shake and squirt out of a plastic bottle. From my experience you don't have to be right on the exact ML. This stuff is pretty forgiving if you don't put way too much on. Three light coats seems to be the sweet spot for my needs.

[HI-TEK]

From my experience you don't have to be right on the exact ML. This stuff is pretty forgiving if you don't put way too much on. Three light coats seems to be the sweet spot for my needs.[/QUOTE]

WLKJR
Right on with your thoughts and findings.
If the first coat is diluted more that 20g/100, by using a little, plus or minus, ether side of 6 mls per 250 bullets , is not a problem. All you are doing is using a little more Acetone and much less coating. (there I go again telling people to use less)
This helps with drying speed, produces more smooth and complete film, and using two or three very thin or diluted coats, will produce a multi layer well bonded coating, and will add very little in overall diameter.
It will work just fine.
One thing that will cause problems is trying to coat too much or too thick with first coat. This is simply very counter productive. Then, the thickly applied coats is difficult to dry, end up with many imperfections, and bonding to alloy will suffer as well.
Re-Heating or adding more coats will not repair first coat problems after its been baked, as after heat set/cure, using more coatings mix or re baking will not get first coat to bond, as it is set hard, and cannot be re-bonded to alloy with additional coats or with additional heating.
Simply, if first coat fails, don't do another coat, find out what went wrong with first coat.
Once you found the problem, and first coat is OK, only then do more coats. After first coat has been found as bonding to alloy, all subsequent coats will bond the previous coats, and will be held in place.

[Ausglock]

Ausglock,I got a lot of rescept for you but you don't know everything. Laugh at me! Houston,you didn't even know about the bottles till I told you. Try to help and this is the kind of attitude you get! I may get booted ,so be it!

It was a joke.....calm down.... how about a teaspoon of cement.......lol....see.....funny.....joke......ge t it?????

[Rompin Ruger]

Just to lighten the mood...cause this is such a great thread to learn from...

I heard tell if you find a guy shoveling cement with a pitch fork, then you should call him a mortar forker...