simple Hi-Tek coating

[TES]

Today:

Started with pure lead and added tin for the desired BHN.

Cast about 200 and have started coating. I am using a convection oven for those that don't know....A floor model not a toaster oven.
I have placed an internal Therm so I can get the temp to 375 with bullets in the oven.
Then I set the timer for 10min.
I am testing between coats 5-1-7 with acetone to ensure I'm not layering over uncured coats.
(think this may have been my problem)

Will update.

[Love Life]

9 minutes for 9mm and 38 special bullets.
12 minutes for 45 acp and 40 cal bullets.

[kbstenberg]

I am getting my oven (breville 800 super dupper) in a couple of days from Ebay. So I haven't coated anything yet.
Hi-tec in post 2076 you stressed useing 3 lite coats. If I am tying that rout rather than 2 coats. Should I use a higher percentage of acetone? Say a 5-1-8 or 5-1-9 %.
Everyone stresses shaking the containers a lot to keep everything mixed good. Has anyone put a tray in there vibrating case cleaner to hold the bottle and keep the contents mixed. The vibrator has to be on
When applying the HT to the bullets do most people tumble the bullets by hand in a bowl. Or do they use some kind of tumbler?
Kevin

[Moonman]

kbstenburg,

I use 5 GOLD METALLIC Color, 1 Catalyst, 7 ACETONE

Add Acetone to a 20 ounce "COKE BOTTLE", as they don't melt,

Add Catalyst and SHAKE.

Add Color and SHAKE-SHAKE-SHAKE.

I do 5 pounds of projectiles at a time, I let DRY OVERNIGHT.

I Mix by SWIRLING in a plastic bowl, you will really hear the

sound change and the mixture becomes sluggish as the Acetone evaporates.

REMEMBER, YOU ARE "STAINING THEM" rather than coating them.

The first coat you should BARELY SEE ANY COLOR ON THEM.

You DO NOT NEED COATING IN THE LUBE GROOVES.

IF you see ANY PUDDLING IN THE BOWL, you have used WAY TOO MUCH COATING.

Do the ACETONE "Wipe Test" and the "Smash Test" on a bullet with each coat.

IF, the FAIL ANY TEST AT ANY COATING, you might be done with those (REMELT/RECAST).

[TES]

So...I just smashed some commercially made bullets and it flaked off like glitter in my fingers.....

[kbstenberg]

I got another question. I'm not kidding. Its been below zero for 3 weeks. I will be coating and baking in my unheated well shed. Should I run an electric heater in the shed for an hour till the acetone evaporates. Will the HT cure when it is exposed to very cold temperatures? Or if I take the bullets into the house to cure will they still let of gasses that could smell or cause a health hazard. Kevin

[Love Life]

The HT cures fine in cold temps. Ensure it is dry. Put your coated boolits to be baked on the baking tray. Stick the baking tray on top of the oven while it pre-heats. Easy peasy.

Best to do your coating in the shed. 2 coats work just fine for all the pistol stuff I have done so far, up to full snort 10mm.

No need to put the mixture in a tumbler. For the red I mix 5-1-9. Shake the bejesus out of your mixture, uncap and pour on boolits immediately, dump bullets, rinse and repeat.

My $30 wally world special (with warranty) is still rocking and rolling after several thousand boolits coated and baked.

It's a truly simple process. Don't overthink it. If you screw up the 1st batch, no big deal. I think we have all screwed up the 1st batch. Oh, and use a digital timer. Makes life much easier.

[Liberty'sSon]

Tes, I tried coating some commercially cast, unlubed bullets. Apparently they had been sized because when I coated them the Hi Tek flakes on smashing. Apparently sizing before coating smothes the surface of the alloy which doesn't allow the coating to stick. Not saying that is what caused the problem with the commercially cast you used, just that it is a possibility.

[TES]

Tes, I tried coating some commercially cast, unlubed bullets. Apparently they had been sized because when I coated them the Hi Tek flakes on smashing. Apparently sizing before coating smothes the surface of the alloy which doesn't allow the coating to stick. Not saying that is what caused the problem with the commercially cast you used, just that it is a possibility.

No......these were commercially cast hi tek bullets. As in somebody we all know here saying these are a great product....it isn't. I have PC bullets made at the same time I received these Hi tek bullets and they dont flake or scratch off..
It does not matter if I bake them for five minutes or twenty.
It does not matter what alloy I use.
It does not matter what temp I use or time.

They might pass the acetone test and or smash test but they all scrape off with a finger nail....even the commercially cast bullets.

If you think your bullets past the standard for a bullet manufacturer then please send me a sample of your work so I can test it.

Because if the one man selling it to you can't make it work then you can't either.

Here's my address...
MFANDM
p.o. box #965
Manhattan, MT 59741

Feel free to send 25 ish bullets so I can find someone that knows what they are doing.

If you don't want to mail them then stuff your opinions.

I am throwing down the challenge...prove me wrong.

[Ausglock]

Some commercial casters/coaters try and get by with one heavy coat to save time.
It doesn't work eh?

Below Zero type weather is not very common in OZ.

The moisture that gets trapped under the first coat needs to evaporate prior to baking. A hair dryer that warms the coated bullets to just above body temp (feel the temp with your hand) is all that is needed before baking.

Just came down from the shed for lunch. I have 3000 230gr RN 45's and 2000 200gr RN 44's cast this morning.

Going to change molds and do a few 1000 230gr FP 45's this arvo.

[TES]

Hey Donnie; Ausglock is saying you only coat once and to get all projectiles to near nipple temperatures and to feel them "by hand" for super shoot ability. (sex sells) Now I'm sold! Hey aus send me some of yours....

[Ausglock]

Hey aus send me some of yours....

Buggeroff. It's too expensive.
I said Some commercial casters.. Here in OZ.
The USA? No idea.

I really really think your alloy is too soft. My 9mm etc are 15BHN. my 45 are 10 to 12 BHN.
Soft lead and a bit of tin will only be around the 6 to 8BHN. IMHO... far too soft for 9mm, 40 etc etc.

[TES]

OK... I'll bite ....I currently have 22 bhn coated and its leading.... care to take another guess?

"I said Some commercial casters.. Here in OZ.
The USA? No idea." No you didn't! You said....

"Some commercial casters/coaters try and get by with one heavy coat to save time.
It doesn't work eh?"

I'll pay shipping on a smfrb. Cumon man send us some of your samples. Man up!

[Ausglock]

********. you send me some of yours.
22 BHN is a tad too hard eh?

[TES]

I've tried a lot of things...lead was one of them.....cummon pappagallo.....send me some bullets..I'm buying....whats to loose? Except your reputation...right!

[Love Life]

WTH is going on here? The boolits I got from bayou passed the smash and acetone test, and the coating could not be scraped off. The bullets I have twice coated and baked in my $30 oven pass the smash and swipe test. You have to have a hard fingernail to scratch the coating off of mine. I know I can't scratch it off. I use a random hodgepodge of alloy that scratches easily with a fingernail (naked alloy, not coated). I get no leading and have no issues.

If you get flaking on the smash test, and you can scratch it off, then the coater/boolit caster messed up somewhere.

I'll send you some of my bullets if you'll send me some of the bullets you received from a manufacturer. I'll need to know who the manufacturer is so that I can cross check with him/her to ensure that they really are their product, and that they have not be altered in any way.

Additionally I will take pictures of bullets I will be sending. The pictures will show the coated bullets, a bullet getting acetone poured on it, and a bullet I have smashed. I will send a sample to another member I know so they can also test them and weigh in. I know my bullets pass all tests and work. I have nothing to fear. If your tests show otherwise, then we will know you test is a sham.

[Ausglock]

TES.

I was just talking to HI-TEK Joe.
He is of the same opinion as I.

Your process is not correct somewhere.
Go back to the basics and check your steps.
Who did you buy the coating from?
Why not ask them rather than spitting the dummy on here and ****caning the coating?
There are 100 of users currently coating their bullets with no issues. Why are you having problems?

Make a video of your process and post it. do one of your bullets flaking.
I have nothing to hide with my casting/coating. But I do not see the point of sending my bullets 1/2 way around the world to prove the point.

So far I have heard of coating failures in the US due to:
trying to bake too many at one time.
baking too soon after coating.
coating too thick.
Not mixing the 3 components correctly.
Use of incorrect "Acetone" substitute.
wrong oven temp.
not baking long enough or baking too long.
Ambient temp too low.
Humidity too high.

I had failures to start with. I learnt from me errors and now have it down pat.
I am now mixing different coloured coatings to get Custom colours ( Red with gold solids give Orange. Blue/green with Gold solids gives a light green).

So, go back to the basics and try it again with a known alloy that works with conventional lube and use this alloy to coat. follow the steps.. step by step. no shortcuts.
Merry Christmas.

P.S. I love Monty Python.

[HI-TEK]

TES.

I was just talking to HI-TEK Joe.
He is of the same opinion as I.

Your process is not correct somewhere.
Go back to the basics and check your steps.
Who did you buy the coating from?
Why not ask them rather than spitting the dummy on here and ****caning the coating?
There are 100 of users currently coating their bullets with no issues. Why are you having problems?

Make a video of your process and post it. do one of your bullets flaking.
I have nothing to hide with my casting/coating. But I do not see the point of sending my bullets 1/2 way around the world to prove the point.

So far I have heard of coating failures in the US due to:
trying to bake too many at one time.
baking too soon after coating.
coating too thick.
Not mixing the 3 components correctly.
Use of incorrect "Acetone" substitute.
wrong oven temp.
not baking long enough or baking too long.
Ambient temp too low.
Humidity too high.

I had failures to start with. I learnt from me errors and now have it down pat.
I am now mixing different coloured coatings to get Custom colours ( Red with gold solids give Orange. Blue/green with Gold solids gives a light green).

So, go back to the basics and try it again with a known alloy that works with conventional lube and use this alloy to coat. follow the steps.. step by step. no shortcuts.
Merry Christmas.

P.S. I love Monty Python.

Ausglock,
Thanks for your posting.
Just a quick comment, you indicated 100 people using the coating without problems.
Figures are nearer to many tens of thousands using the coatings successfully.
I am aware, that in specific areas in the US, the weather has been awful, and sub zero for days and weeks on end.
We had never experienced such conditions here is Aus.
It is difficult to imagine how people cope with such weather, and also, we never envisaged use of coatings in such conditions.
It is most difficult with coming up with the right answers with such conditions, when we had never experienced nor have had users previously trying to coat in such conditions.
I am not surprised, about people using powder coating and having some success.
The difference is having to evaporate solvent from the HI-TEK coatings, versus no solvents in powder coatings.
Solvents, especially similar to Acetone, do not dry well in cold conditions and absorb a lot of water, and chill projectiles further.
The absorbed water then can freeze, and coatings can seem dry, but in fact has much trapped solvents/moisture below a hard surface.
The instant it is placed inside an oven, this trapped vapour, becomes super heated steam, which prevents proper bonding of coatings.
I have been contacted by others in similar situations, and had hopefully solved some of the problems.
However, I cant advise about the weather and other problems resulting.
I am glad that we live in a more warmer climate and do not have to put up with such situations.

[Moonman]

Gentlemen,

I believe we possibly have here a WANNABE AMMUNITION MANUFACTURER.

He possibly has been out in the cold in THE BIG SKY COUNTRY too long.

Some people (TES) you JUST CANNOT HELP, be done with him.:takinWiz:

Let him try to sell his Powder Coated Ammunition, OR ANY ammunition.

I really don't think the Hi-Tec process is suited to his demeanor.

He wants to be CONFRONTATIONAL continuously, and doesn't take direction well at all.

That expression of attitude here in the US on FORUMS by individuals is looked upon

as a POSSIBLE TROLL, wanting to continue to be at the center of controversy and contention.

IF he ever has a business, his LONG TERM success would be DOUBTFUL.

The EFFORTS required to be successful do not fit his INSTANT GRATIFICATION DEMANDS.

My personal use of HI-TEK "GOLD" has WORKED FOR ME, on 45ACP and 38 Special

with lighter TARGET LOADS and softer lead, all indoors (my needs) currently.

NO LEADING, Low SMOKE even with BULLSEYE powder.

WORKS FOR ME MATES!

[Hi-Performance Bullet Coatings]

TES,
Sorry to hear you are having problems.
Pm me your phone number here, it seems I am having e-mail provider issues. I will call the day after Christmas or whatever day is best for you and we'll see if we can get this sorted out.
Then after further testing we can report it back here. Is it possible you got some bad product from me? Sure I am only human and I make mistakes, but I stand behind what I sell 100% and will refund/replace at your option if we can't get this to work.
Donnie