simple Hi-Tek coating

[Grmps]

That would be Austrailian and sadly enough it's not funny. To many people read the directions on how to do HiTek coating, think some part of the directions can't be right, do it the way they think it should be done and wonder why it doesn't work... Over and over and over and over ......

[Ausglock]

Yep. Australian and bloody proud of it!
In my day job, I oversee all the quality control for a hardwood flooring manufacturing plant.

Quality control and repeatability is the key to product success.
If you can't follow instructions, to the letter, you no longer work for me.

I use this same principle for coating bullets.
Instructions are there due to numerous trial and error testing results.

I have remelted probably 1 ton of bullets over the last 5 years of coating testing due to process trials.
This testing has lead to the instructions available for the HITEK coating.
If you think you can short cut the process and have it work, Think again. I have probably already done that and had the failure before you.
Yes. There are variables due to oven design and alloy used. But the basic process remains the same.
In the last 5 days, I have coated and baked over 65,000 bullets with 2 coats. Zero failures. Why? Because I follow my own instructions.... to the letter. no shortcuts.

[Avenger442]

Gosh, our mistake guys. I thought it was still a colony. Got to go back and study it again.

Ausglock and the others are right. When you start especially, follow the instructions. Then after you have had much success following the instructions you can mess around with it a bit if you want. Just remember some experiments fail. Thick coat will fail eventually on smash test I know I've done it. It's not a jacket but a lube. Failure is flakes not a dusting. Think cracked off in big flakes and down to the lead or last coat. Incorrect cook temps and/or time will fail on wipe test. Fail on wipe is whole coat comes off down to lead or last coat with about 30 seconds of rubbing with solvent. If you get a little bit of color it's never proven to be a big thing with mine. Some bullets that have failed you can sometimes shoot. Just remember that, if you do, you take the chance of having something in your barrel that you don't want there.

If you get failures following the instruction then this forum is here to help. Most of the people on here have an amazing amount of patients with someone trying to learn. Just remember that there are a lot of things involving the lead that is being coated both alloy and/or surface and contamination and your particular gun that can cause leading. If you have been shooting conventional lubes with that lead in that gun and it was not leading. If this lead has not been sized before coating but just cast. If you have followed the instructions and know your mix time and temp are right. If there is no failure in a wipe or smash test. Then I can see no reason Hi Tek should fail to work. Lot of ifs that apply to other lubes.

Works for me above 2700 fps 13 +/- BHN lead (Lee tester) in my 308, right at 3000 fps 20 BHN lead in the 223 and my 45-70 loves the stuff with loads and leads appropriate to situation. We have had some guys give positive feedback on 375 H&H and other magnums. In pistol I would think even the .500 with pressures in the rifle range should easily handle Hi Tek.

[Avenger442]

This thread definitely got me back to casting. I'm reading page five now,already ordered an oven (25€) and Hi-Tek materials.

I used to shoot more cast but eg. a 9mm permanently suppressed carbine, cast boolit and boolit lube just don't mix well. I used to do that,not anymore.

Reports to follow,can't wait to enter this new world. Thanks everyone for contributing.

Welcome to the baking class.

[dikman]

Page 5???? I think you've got a few to go

[brewer12345]

I am tempted to try my hand at coating some boolits. How good a convection over do I need? Can I get away with the $40 black and decker convection toaster oven I see for sale on Walmart's website?

For the beginner, what color would you suggest? Thinking about 45 ACP and rifle (35 Rem and/or 30-06).

[slide]

The black and decker will probably work. Check the temp and don't just go by the dial. They can be way off. Any of the colors will work for 45 acp. Pick the one you like. I have no advice on the rifle rounds. Avenger442 and some of the other guys have coated rifle bullets. They will see this post and offer some advice. You will need to read the instructions and follow them. So many guys never double check the temp in the ovens or they think they can substitute this for that. Some guys nail it the first time at bat,most don't. It took me several trys before I got it down. It is a great product.

[brewer12345]

Thanks. I are good at following directions, so no worries on that one. I am the kind of person that reads the manual for every appliance purchase before even plugging it in.

[Grmps]

I like Black cherry. any of the metallic's would be good for riffle

[slide]

One more thing I should mention. Weigh out your bullets and hi-tek powder. Measure your acetone. That way you have the same weight of bullets,the same amount of coating. Same results! I assume you will order from Donnie. He is a great guy and is always willing to help. Hi-tek Joe developed the coating and is always ready to help. Ausglock has coated more bullets than all of us put together. He can be very direct,doesn't mean anything by it, just tell him to go jump in a bloody roo's pouch!

[slide]

You can't go wrong with NOE molds. Top notch and great customer service to boot.

[glockfan]

I am tempted to try my hand at coating some boolits. How good a convection over do I need? Can I get away with the $40 black and decker convection toaster oven I see for sale on Walmart's website?

For the beginner, what color would you suggest? Thinking about 45 ACP and rifle (35 Rem and/or 30-06).

got exactly that one.

added a clay -brick i've placed on oven's bottom to help recovery time a little ; perfect for hi tek....so much that i bought a second one ; with 2 i'm able to cook over a mille in an hour or so.i use stacked trays in each unit.

i'm quenching before hi tek. water here comes from an artesian well (we're mountain top) , cristallin fresh water , so i experienced 0 adherence problems , but i know some walked through troubles where WQ was the culprit.

[glockfan]

I like Black cherry. any of the metallic's would be good for riffle

Grmps....is ''texas tea''' considered a ''metallic''' color?

which color enters into this class?

are they displaying different properties than the ''non metallic''' color ?

i'm greedy of questions because over here,the product is scarce and only 2 colors can be found lol ;
while i see that in fact many other colors exists ; in thruth it appears that hi tek has a complete array of colors.

to me hi tek gets me the best coating possible : doesn't add to the diameter(ok..maybe 0.001-2), the best lube as it is dry so no dealing with sticky and smoky lube) ,barrel fooling is minimal cuze hi tek seals the boolit even with only one coat, won't smoke the whole line of fire like some lube does) , resizing is a breeze with hi tek and it is easily felt trough out the handle....


frankly ,once you master the process and respect the ''recipe''' it,s impossible to fail at it and this product rules out most of the bothering factors related to boolit lubes..

[dikman]

glockfan, I'm not sure I see the point of quenching before coating, as the heat from baking will probably undo any additional hardness you may have got from the quenching, whereas quenching after the final coat may have some benefit.

[brewer12345]

Metallics include kryptonite green?

[ioon44]

Yes, kryptonite green is a metallic and one of my favorite colors.

[glockfan]

glockfan, I'm not sure I see the point of quenching before coating, as the heat from baking will probably undo any additional hardness you may have got from the quenching, whereas quenching after the final coat may have some benefit.

i'm going to try the other way around dikman!

reflecting on this question a little more, in theory, quenching has a hardening effect because of the contrast hot-cold......following this trail, yes ,quenching ONLY ONCE , after the LAST heat cycle of the boolit make a lot of sens ; i've read somewhere that consecutive heat cycles defeats the hardening effect instilled by quenching.

[Grmps]

one (1) short heat cycle of Baking PC or HT coating will defeat the hardening effect instilled by quenching.
AND
Quenching is a good way to contaminate your boolits before coating.

[Avenger442]

Petander
My first experience with Hi Tek, about 4 years ago now, was with the metallic 1035 Gold in the older liquid version. It is now an easier to mix powder. But I have shot rifle with some non-metallic and metallic powder versions with success. Low pressure in the 45-70 (max loads around 45,000 psi and big bullet) make it a good candidate for lower BHN lead and any Hi Tek coating. If I shot 9 mil. like a lot of other guys on here I would like the extra insurance of a metallic for that smaller bullet at 35,000 psi. Even though it is a lower pressure it is a smaller bullet and needs to repel more heat per surface area. I think that is the idea of having the metallic (Joe correct me if I'm wrong). And, of course, it can add a sparkle for those that just have to have purdy. I'm one of those guys that tends to sometimes over do things. So three coats of a metallic is what I use in .308 and .223.

But my experience is that if your not just trying to "ring the snot out of it" with the highest load pressure, lowest possible BHN, no gas check and your just looking for the most accurate load your not going to get leading with any of the coatings properly applied. Especially in handguns. But my most accurate loads in rifle have been shot with the metallic 1035 Gold. Those are near the starting load to middle load in the pressure range. My best shots in .308 have been on the lower end but still high enough pressure for good accuracy and terminal ballistics out to 200 yards on deer. Haven't tried 300 yet. Would probably never get or take that shot anyway.

As to the oven, I started with a $15 second hand convection oven that only had a place for one tray. While it never failed to cook usable bullets, color was not consistent through the tray because the air movement was not so great and the heating elements were close to the bullets. Door finally fell apart on it. I'm now baking with a Hamilton Beach model 3119R with the heating elements controlled by a PID. It will handle two trays ten pounds of lead total. That is probably it's max. The guys on the forum have brought me a long way from when I started. The Black and Decker should be fine. If you want to go uptown and spend about $300 you can go with Breinville. I understand that Ausglock has had good success with that brand. Seems their temperature dials might be closer to accurate. I'm too thrifty to go with that. Got a coupon that would have got me one for around $200 and still could not make myself do it. Bought the HB for under a hundred after shopping around. The biggest difference between the two is air circulation and the heat control dial are better on the Breinville. The Hamilton Beach dial was off by 50 degrees at 400 F but it's air circulation is adequate. PID fixed the dial situation and parts for it from China were about $20 off of Ebay as I remember. The Black and Decker will probably have the same problem with the dial. You can go cheap and by a thermometer to go inside the oven with the bullets. A good one is about $3. And temp setting on it can be verified with boiling water. Something that I suggest you do since these can be off but not as bad as the dial on the oven. The dial one that I have is actually adjustable. I use both PID and thermometer in the oven. That over doing thing again.

[HI-TEK]

[QUOTE=Avenger442;4329370]Petander
If I shot 9 mil. like a lot of other guys on here I would like the extra insurance of a metallic for that smaller bullet at 35,000 psi. Even though it is a lower pressure it is a smaller bullet and needs to repel more heat per surface area. I think that is the idea of having the metallic (Joe correct me if I'm wrong). And, of course, it can add a sparkle for those that just have to have purdy. I'm one of those guys that tends to sometimes over do things. So three coats of a metallic is what I use in .308 and .223.


Avenger,
all the coatings all are very good at heat reflectance. They all work.
Have a look at U-Tube https://youtu.be/9ru_NYp7Y6c

The modified "metallic" types, contribute to final colour, and do provide an increase in heat reflecting property, and also adds to load bearing strength of the coatings.
The materials used "metallics", simply act like a range of very thin irregular shaped platelet particles, that overlap each other and are locked inside coatings. These reinforce and help repel heat as well.
These materials have compressing absorption capacity, and can be regarded as very thin sponge like flat platelet particles, and this renders film as being a little more flexible, take higher loads, and help with reflecting heat especially with high energy applications.
As you said, they also add to the "purdy" requirements.

In a very rough comparison, if you look at Fiberglass, the resin by itself is very brittle and fragile. Using fibres like Carbon filaments/strands and mesh, Glass strands, or Glass mesh is used to strengthen the resin used, and offers better impact resistance.

Hi-Tek coatings do not contain Fiberglass or Carbon Fibres to achieve the film properties.

I believe that there are videos produced by Gateway Bullet co, where this heat resistance was demonstrated. I also am aware of various people placing side by side, coated and non coated cast onto hotplate, and tried to melt the Hi-Tek coated projectiles alongside Wax lubed cast with gas burners.
The Wax lubed alloy melted, and the Hi-Tek coated alloy did not melt and sat in molten Lead from waxed alloy. This showed how effective the Hi-Tek coating was to prevent/repel heat transfer into the alloy.
I hope I have answered your question.