simple Hi-Tek coating

[TonyN]

I cast now with Range lead and I seen to be getting some projectiles that will pass the wipe test and some that won't pass. I have my oven at 200C with a PID and I will verify with a oven thermometer and it's at 400 F like I want. The projectiles are all same colors so the oven doesn't have got spots. One projectile will pass the wipe test and another will fail. There will be spots that will have coating and spots with bare lead. So I'm done with this coating . I bake for 13 min. Thank God I have 2 large containers and 2 small containers full still. They will make a great decoration in my reloading bench. Back to wax lube for me.

[Avenger442]

I cast now with Range lead and I seen to be getting some projectiles that will pass the wipe test and some that won't pass. I have my oven at 200C with a PID and I will verify with a oven thermometer and it's at 400 F like I want. The projectiles are all same colors so the oven doesn't have got spots. One projectile will pass the wipe test and another will fail. There will be spots that will have coating and spots with bare lead. So I'm done with this coating . I bake for 13 min. Thank God I have 2 large containers and 2 small containers full still. They will make a great decoration in my reloading bench. Back to wax lube for me.

I can imagine your disappointment. Sorry to hear you have given up. You have given it a try for months now and it seemed like you were over the hump when you posted that you were completely happy with your results back in March. Maybe you can try powder coat since you already have the oven. After looking at your post over the last few months I'm just surprised that you have not been able to get Hi Tek to work consistently for you since it has worked consistently, in the way you are using it, for so many others myself included. It seems our help was to no avail.

Just out of curiosity, did you sell the buckets of wheel weights? What are you shooting the 10 BHN range lead out of?


Still trying to post photos for last post. Site is still giving an error message.

[eljefeoz]

I cast now with Range lead and I seen to be getting some projectiles that will pass the wipe test and some that won't pass. I have my oven at 200C with a PID and I will verify with a oven thermometer and it's at 400 F like I want. The projectiles are all same colors so the oven doesn't have got spots. One projectile will pass the wipe test and another will fail. There will be spots that will have coating and spots with bare lead. So I'm done with this coating . I bake for 13 min. Thank God I have 2 large containers and 2 small containers full still. They will make a great decoration in my reloading bench. Back to wax lube for me.

Mate, of all the variables in your process, look at the most basic one- the LEAD.
Then the polymer mix and temperatures.
I had some come out all spotty and leprous, BUT- they performed well.
And- I use a beat up, $ 10, toaster oven , with a separate thermometer..
Trev has put up the instructions very precisely.My first few batches DID NOT pass the wipe or smash test. I lubed em and let fly. By the 3rd batch I had done 200x .45/70 405 grain Lee for a mate-picture perfect. We checked out the barrel after 20 rounds- -just a faint grey residue which wiped off in a single pass.
I understand it can be frustrating, due to the expectations we have...Give er another go.

[TonyN]

The range lead is all pure. Everyone else that used range lead has zero problems. The oven thermometers that I placed in the oven both where at 400 F dead on. The lead is testing at 10 BHN with my lee tester. I would love to get great results with Hi-Tel coating and still support this product as the colors are great looking but all I get done Ida casting and resmelting. I have been shooting my glock 21 and 17 and my Sig MPX with horrable results. Even my MPX is leading. I'm sizing my glock 17 at .357 as the barrel was slugged at .356. The only time my 21 didn't lead was the kryptonite was more black and golden color. I had to cook them for like 18 min or so.

[Hi-Performance Bullet Coatings]

Tony,
Have you tried any alloy harder than the stuff you are currently using?

[Redwoode]

I use 14 BHN for 45 and 16 hardball for 9mm and 40 s&w. If I don't under-cure in the oven it's on to stay.

[TonyN]

Yes but it's WW that didn't work either. I'll try 15 minutes. Maybe burnt is the way to go lol.

[TonyN]

My friend that I bought the Range lead actually is on this board and he uses 9mm and 40 with Range lead with zero probs. I had this working before but now I'm having spots that whip off and spots that stick. I'll try higher temps and or longer time.

[Avenger442]

Tony
I would just use what worked for me. If I couldn't get the Hi Tek to work in my guns and the grease/wax lubes were working I would stick to it. If I could get the wax/grease lubes to work in my guns with 10 BHN lead and give me acceptable performance I would use it. Or I would try something else like powder coating to see if I could get it to work. I've never used them but I can imagine how messy the wax/grease lubes might be. I have several stored up in case I get into that situation where there is no electricity to bake the bullets. Probably would take me a year to use up the coated bullets I have.

I have read this entire forum on Hi Tek. Started back when the post were a much much lower number. There are some here that only use the Hi Tek in their handguns because they didn't get acceptable performance with their rifles when they tried Hi Tek. I have been getting acceptable performance in both. So I use it for both. It is typical for me to be able to work up loads coated with Hi Tek that will give me 1 1/2" groups at 100 yards in my rifles with no leading. And, on a really good day, 1" groups with, sometimes, a shinny barrel after one pass of cleaning. And I'm sure no professional at this. I think anyone can do it. There is no Ju Ju to it no magic. It's just for some reason some of us in our situation just can't seem to get it to work for us. I think it is what we can get to work for us in our guns that we use. You have been trying for six months to get Hi Tek to work for you. You tried it on wheel weights. It flaked off. Contamination maybe? You cleaned the lead. Had some success in March but still had problems. Switched to range lead which didn't completely solve all of your problems. I would be frustrated beyond the point....

Guys
I know we want everyone here to succeed with Hi Tek. But I looked back at what we have told Tony and what he has replied and I frankly don't see anything else we can tell him that would help.

[slide]

You gave it your best shot. Keep looking you will find something that will work for you. Good luck!

[Ausglock]

Yep. TonyN.. you have me beat, Mate.
I have no other suggestions.
IF you are doing everything as per the instructions and not cutting corners or assuming anything, then I have nothing.
Sorry.

[Grmps]

The hardness/ composition of range lead is a turkey shoot, literally.It all depends on who was shooting and what they were shooting.
You got Hi-Tek coating working, what changed; what are you doing differently now.
Are you fluxing your lead at least 3 times with sawdust and wax
are the cast bullets clean/smooth finish?
if your water quenching is the water and container clean and free of any grease/oil/etc
if your towel dropping is the towel clean and free of any grease/oil/etc
PID shows oven holding 400 degrees-
oven door closes tightly
the convection fan is running
hi-tek solution mixed properly and mixed again thuroughly just before applying
your using 1 mil mix to 1 lb of bullets
you agitate/swirl no more than 20 seconds
you make sure the bullets are completely dry then put on a grate on top of your oven and warm for 10 min before baking
you bake in a preheated oven @ 400F (200 C)
bullets are completely cool before re-coating

Something is wrong, something is being missed. Sometimes I need to walk away from a problem for a while the go back to the basics and start over again.

Good luck Tony, Let us know how it turns out.

[slide]

Hey Ausglock, have you ever mixed acetone and m.e.k.? A lady who I know gave me three gallons of acetone and three gallons of m.e.k. Her husband was a painter and passed away recently. Acetone alone dries pretty fast here in Oklahoma and I have mixed in some denatured alcohol. Will it work?

[TonyN]

Will I got it to work again. I turned my PID back up to 205 C and from 13 min up to 15 min and they are sticking with zero wipe off or flaking. The kryptonite green is green but I can tell it was starting to darken. I'll get pics up in a little while.

[Ausglock]

Hey Ausglock, have you ever mixed acetone and m.e.k.? A lady who I know gave me three gallons of acetone and three gallons of m.e.k. Her husband was a painter and passed away recently. Acetone alone dries pretty fast here in Oklahoma and I have mixed in some denatured alcohol. Will it work?

I have never mixed them together. But have used a mix with acetone and another mix with MEK.
When they both got low, I mixed the 2 mixes together to use it up. No issues with it..

[TonyN]

What's it cost to get new heat elements for small convection ovens? I wonder also if mine could be going out?? I have to bake for 15 min as of now. Most I see seem to bake for 12 to 13 min.

[TonyN]

My glock 17 9mm slugged at .356 so what's everyone sizing there projectiles at? Still 1mil over bore size or is 2 mil more opt.?

[Ausglock]

What's it cost to get new heat elements for small convection ovens? I wonder also if mine could be going out?? I have to bake for 15 min as of now. Most I see seem to bake for 12 to 13 min.

Where have you got the Temp probe located in the oven?
You might be getting incorrect temp readings.

Mine sits about 1 inch below the middle of the the oven tray in the centre of the oven compartment.

[TonyN]

Sorry.. Half inch above the tray as the tray is in the middle.

[TonyN]

Ausglock I relocated my probe half inch under the Rack in the middle.Is that what you mean that you did also? It's closer to the heat coils then it was before. I would think itb would be best to put it above the tray full of bullets. Am I not thinking correctly?