simple Hi-Tek coating

[ioon44]

I have shot a lot of coated bullets that did not pass the smash test with out any leading and my recovered bullets from a rubber mulch bullet trap looked like the ones in Ausglock's pictures.

Most of my smash test failures were due to trying to use 3 coats, I just stick with 2 coats and no problems.

[Avenger442]

After swaging them,I rumbled them to lose the flashing.It tidied them up but we decided it made the hitek stick less.

I thought that we decided the swaging might be the problem because sizing, which burnishes the lead and makes it slick, was one of the causes sited by Ausglock and Joe as a reason for the coating not sticking. I've never swaged bullets but have read the process and it seems that it might create the same problem.

The tumbling is not the problem. I tumble some of my pistol bullets in 44 mag; 45 auto to remove fins from casting and the coating bonds with the lead, all other things considered.

The tumbling might over come the problem of a slick surface??

[HI-TEK]

Most of my smash test failures were due to trying to use 3 coats, I just stick with 2 coats and no problems.

Hi ioon44,
What seems to be a stumbling block is, that the Hi-Tek coating should not require large volume build up on alloy, to perform and to separate bore from alloy..
If you chose 3 coats, it is OK, but then, I always suggest that to use much thinner/diluted coats each time, so you get beautiful finishes with three thin coats, that will also end up over all, a much thinner film than normal mix coats.
We have found over the years, that one blotchy uneven coat, well applied and baked, (which looks bad) will work in most applications.
The additional coats, simply adds to the the pleasing (cosmetic) effect of final finishes.
Using more diluted coats, will also reduce coating usage and coat more product. (did I just again advise using less coating??? LOL LOL)

Generally, "flaking", can be linked to inadequate first coat bonding, and, subsequent coats, will not repair, or fix, poorly bonded first coat, but extra coats simply highlight the adhesion problems with first coat..
First coat application and successful results, is key to best results thereafter.

[ioon44]

Hi Joe
Thanks for the info, the only time I do 3 coats now is with liquid Black mixed 10-1-5 and gives a good solid color.

I use the 100 ml/20 g mix with 2 coats and works great .

I may try doing 1 coat just to see how it will work in my guns, I guess 1 coat would be more sensitive to bore conditions.

I am doing Kryptonite green for the first time this week so far looks great and passes the test, hope to shoot some this weekend.

Getting the first completely dry is some thing I probably over do but I haven't had any bullets fail the test in a long time.

[AbitNutz]

I think Hi-Tek may be a bit more forgiving as to the mix and heat than I originally thought. I kinda went off script a bit and didn't seem to make a difference.

[PAT303]

I luv the stuff,shot 193 with 6 X bulls 100 prone with my swede mauser last week.The load was a CBE 150grn bore rider .267 as cast with two coats of Texas Tea,I then heat them again and water drop and leave for 2 weeks to harden and shoot over 23grns of 2206H in unsized cases.I've shot about 300 or more without cleaning,the bore is spotless and none of my dies are full of lube.All up couldn't be happier.

[HI-TEK]

[QUOTE=ioon44;3837592]Hi Joe
Thanks for the info, the only time I do 3 coats now is with liquid Black mixed 10-1-5 and gives a good solid color.

You would be very happy with the New Black K-15 powdered coating, under way to Donnie. Two coats are extremely good with coverage and performance.
It is soooo black, and slippery.
The new Black K-15 seems far better than liquid versions with Blackness colour.
It is intensely Black when compared to the liquid version.
Unfortunately I can't post pictures with coated alloy with K-15, as I dont know how, but Ausglock may be able to, as he has the pictures.

[Ausglock]

Black K-15 as requested

[HI-TEK]

Black K-15 as requested

THANK YOU. You are a wizard with posting photos.

[dansedgli]

Nice. Are all of these colors available to buy Joe or are some reserved for projectile companies?

[benellinut]

[QUOTE=HI-TEK;3838625]

Hi Joe
Thanks for the info, the only time I do 3 coats now is with liquid Black mixed 10-1-5 and gives a good solid color.

You would be very happy with the New Black K-15 powdered coating, under way to Donnie. Two coats are extremely good with coverage and performance.
It is soooo black, and slippery.
The new Black K-15 seems far better than liquid versions with Blackness colour.
It is intensely Black when compared to the liquid version.
Unfortunately I can't post pictures with coated alloy with K-15, as I dont know how, but Ausglock may be able to, as he has the pictures.

So if someone want's the best performance the K-15 is what you'd put at the top of the list? Thank you sir!

[Grmps]

Donnie, do you have “Black K-15” yet? If so, are you calling it K-15 or ?

[HI-TEK]

Nice. Are all of these colors available to buy Joe or are some reserved for projectile companies?

This Black K-15 colour is fairly New. It is being evaluated by some manufacturers, and others, are waiting for their delivery to try it out..
At this stage, it is available to all users.

[Hi-Performance Bullet Coatings]

Donnie, do you have “Black K-15” yet? If so, are you calling it K-15 or ?

It is not here yet. I will label it Black K15. As soon as it arrives I will post it here.

[AbitNutz]

You all know it's a little weird that a bunch of guys are getting all giddy over color choices....

[bfuller14]

Now that is funny AbitNuts............

[Avenger442]

You all know it's a little weird that a bunch of guys are getting all giddy over color choices....

Yea! Kinda like a bunch of women at the Vera Bradley purse store. Got to have the latest pattern and color. But as we sometimes say here "whatever floats your boat".

Pat 303
Why haven't I thought about that? Heat treat after the coating process. Great idea when you don't really care about the color change from over heating. I've got some 30 cal bullets that this could help with the accuracy. It has been lousy so far and I believe that it's because of the BHN.

This place has helped me in many ways. All those heads put together. Thanks guys.

[PAT303]

Avenger,the color of mine is Texas Tea but for some reason it dries milk chocolate color,heating it again to water drop changes it to dark chocolate,either way they work.The biggest issue I have is I bought 1 litre of it,thats good for 10's of thousands of boolits so if I want to change color it'll take a lot of shooting.Next time I'll order 500ml bottles,the kermit green and Black K15 look good to my eye.

[HI-TEK]

Avenger,the color of mine is Texas Tea but for some reason it dries milk chocolate color,heating it again to water drop changes it to dark chocolate,either way they work.
Next time I'll order 500ml bottles,the kermit green and Black K15 look good to my eye.

PAT 303,
The Texas Tea is a Black & Gold, so it should be a Chocolate type colour. Darkening with over cook is OK and does not detract from performance.
I have heard through the grapevine, that mixes of Texas Tea liquid, dosed/ blended with small additions of solvent mixtures made from K-15 powder, really blackens the Chocolate colour.
The final "blackness" ,will depend on amount of K-15 being added.
I have not seen any mixed colour results so I cannot comment.
What can become a problem with mixing colours, is trying to exactly reproduce each batch. Small changes really affect final colour.

[Avenger442]

The bullets I'm having a problem with are coated with a mixture of three colors that were left overs with a little acetone added. They have almost the green blue of the Dark Blue. It is really weird. When I coated some of the 44 hollow points with this mix the inside of the hollow point looks almost gold outside it's greenish blue. It worked OK as far as accuracy in the 44. May be wrong but I'm thinking the alloy I mixed for the 30 cal. bullets is too soft. Even though I used the same ratios, it measures about 1-2 BHN softer than what I have used. I will use your heat treat after coating idea and see if it helps. Otherwise I'll have to start load testing again or melt them down and use in the pistols. This bullet will shoot 1 1/2" groups in some of my other castings coated with Gold 1035.

I finally saved enough for the 45-70 Marlin I have been looking at. Going to start casting and coating for it as soon as I can get more money for molds and sizing. Shot twenty rounds of jacketed through it yesterday. Fifteen off of a lead sled and five off hand (didn't want to put a bruise on my shoulder). Was not impressive but with iron sights at 100 yards it shot groups good enough to hunt with. Maybe it will get better after break in.