simple Hi-Tek coating

[Avenger442]

Your links didn't work for the rifle bullets

Looking forward to seeing how it goes with the dried out stuff.

The 308s, are they cast lead or copper?

Yeah, I've had issues lately with photos. Reloaded.

These are lead, no copper added, at about 13 BHN and gas checked after coat. This is the alloy and the load that have given me a typical 1 1/2" group at 100 yards in the past.

I'm also going to try some with bullet almost against the lands and slightly reduced load. Competition guys have informed me that with my bolt gun and loading one round at a time I might be able to improve groups with the bullet against the lands. Thing is they are using jacketed bullets and not coated lead. Since this may increase the stress on the lead, know it will increase the pressure, I may have to increase the BHN to be able to use cast this way. I think that means I'm going back to developing round again. In the past I have found that changing the BHN will change grouping. My 17 BHN doesn't group near as well as the 13 BHN with this load.

[Tazza]

Interesting, looking forward to seeing how they go with gas checks and one coat of Hi-Tek.

[Cue]

Like Christmas in May

Kryptonite Green and Brick Red.

[Ausglock]

Like Christmas in May

Kryptonite Green and Brick Red.

Nice.

My Christmas mix.
Kryptonite green and Candy Apple Red.

[dansedgli]

Mine. Lowly zombie green and black cherry.

[Ausglock]

nice.

[HI-TEK]

Joe
That lot of completely dried out coating went into to acetone today. Chunks were max 3/4" square. Some were about 3/8" thick. That's the big stuff. It ranged all the way down to dust.


Attachment 221230
Attachment 221231

It will be interesting how it turns out. If it mixes in, can you try and coat with it?
In theory, despite drying out, and no heat being applied, the stuff should work, but who knows. Interesting experiment.

[Avenger442]

Joe
It wouldn't mean much unless it could be made to perform. So that is the plan. I already know that adding acetone to colors that have sat for several months and using them works just fine, except for color. But those are not this completely dried out coating. This stuff was about like hard candy consistence when I broke it up and put it in the bottle. We used to caramelize molasses in an iron skillet to make brittle when I was a kid. When it cooled it was about the same brittleness as this dried out coating. To be honest, I'll be surprised if it redissolved much less able to be used for coating. We will see.

[HI-TEK]

Joe
It wouldn't mean much unless it could be made to perform. So that is the plan. I already know that adding acetone to colors that have sat for several months and using them works just fine, except for color. But those are not this completely dried out coating. This stuff was about like hard candy consistence when I broke it up and put it in the bottle. We used to caramelize molasses in an iron skillet to make brittle when I was a kid. When it cooled it was about the same brittleness as this dried out coating. To be honest, I'll be surprised if it redissolved much less able to be used for coating. We will see.

Avenger442,
This is strange stuff. I have had some that had dried previously, and it dissolves, but slower than if it powdered. It has to do with surface area. More surface are faster solubility. So finer the powder it will dissolve quicker compared to lumps.
As I have said, if it was not heated or exposed to higher ambient temperatures, it should dissolve. What it will look like ……..?????
What colour was it before it dried?

[Avenger442]

I believe it was the first blue I tried a little over a year ago. It was during the time you began trying to produce Orange and Blue colors. Can't remember the exact name. Failed to mark the original bottle. Back then only had a couple of colors. Will look at unmixed later to see if I can tell. What I might be able to do is find some of the bullets coated with the original mix and compare them to this redissolved mix after coating. Still tied up so time is limited.

[lazs]

I don't use Hi-Tek for the colors. I admit they can be fun but really I don't like the reds as they can have a lipstick look. In any case.. I have taken to cooking longer and water quenching so they all (all colors) are much darker than would be normal? I also don't mind mixing colors when a batch gets low.. I just add whatever color and more acetone. So long as they work I am good with it. I do like the krptonite green tho even when it comes out darker. That cobalt color looks pretty good to me also and would probly come out near black the way I cook.

lazs

[TonyN]

Well guys I'm back... This time I have bought a house convection oven and I have been having good success. I have shot some with this coating and it's working great. I'm doing 400F at 13 min. I'm going to try lower temps at like 385 like Iv seen and lowering the time to try and get the right color. Mine are a little darker as I'm sure I'm over baking some. But I just got this working properly. Ausiglock didn't you say you are baking for 7 min I'm your large oven? Do you guys with the large oven bake you coating on the bottom of middle of the oven? I'm liking the bronze 502 black cherry the best. I have 5 colors in all and will for sure enjoy them all. I'll more then likely slow down on PC as you all know I have been trying this for EVER...
Also I'm wondering at around 4 min of baking I have a good amount of smoke coming out of the oven when I open the door. I'm sure this is normal . is there usually a set time as to when that is done to know about how much longer you stop baking? I want the color to be exact as I want my Kryptonite green to be the bright green and not the darker green I'm getting. But again it's been in solution for a year or so

[Avenger442]

Welcome back TonyN.

I don't have any experience with the big ovens. So I can't help you with the questions on that.

However, if I read your last paragraph right, if the coating has been in solution for a year it's probably going to turn out dark because it is old. The solution to that is to mix a fresh batch. I have several batches mixed ranging from 4-6 months old. They all cook darker than original color. Good news is it doesn't hurt performance as far as I can tell.

Glad your having success with the important part, shooting with the coating.

[Ausglock]

I now do 2 trays of 2.5KG at once, using the bottom and centre shelves. Bake time is still 200Deg C but I now do 7 1/2 minutes.
This still gives great colour and Zero failures.

Yes. There is considerable Smoke at the 4 minute mark when I shake the trays and turn them 90Deg.

[Michael J. Spangler]

Ok pretty sure all of these were in the bottom of the oven when I left it on for 4-5 days straight a few weeks ago.

My guess is the 311365 has been in there close to a year.
The coating scrapes off rather easily but doesn’t flake too much. My guess is they would shoot just fine.
It won’t be much of a test because there is only one of each but I could load and fire them to see.

[TonyN]

Whats the softest BHN you believe will work with Hi-Tek? My Projectials are between 14.5 BHN to 17 BHN. What's the sofest BHN with no leading?

[Ausglock]

Whats the softest BHN you believe will work with Hi-Tek? My Projectials are between 14.5 BHN to 17 BHN. What's the sofest BHN with no leading?

Success with soft BHN depends on the rounds the bullet are to be loaded in.
I have had no issues with 2 coats on 10BHN for use in 45ACP at normal velocities around the 800 to 900 fps, and 38 Special (at low velocity) target loads.

But that was for my own personal use.

Everything I make for others is from 2,6,92 alloy.

[TonyN]

Sorry I meant to say 9mm.

[flybyjohn]

Maybe totally off topic here but it is a Hitek thread, right? I was wondering if hitek coating will stick to aluminum.

Here is the situation. I have a Subaru engine that had one of the pistons skirts slightly scuffed. All the other pistons look good with very little wear. The piston skirts came coated with some black stuff from the factory for better friction resistance. If Hitek sticks to aluminum then I might try to put a very light coat on my scuffed piston skirt to see if it works in the engine. It will be exposed to oil, but I thought that once it is baked it should be oil proof, and it also seems to exceed the temperature of melted lead. I am not sure how hot a piston skirt gets, but I don't think it would be above 600 deg F. What do the Hitek gurus think?

Oh and for you fellows down under, I am talking about Aluminium pistons.

[Tazza]

Interesting idea. Personally i'd just throw a new set of pistons at it I know when i re-built my subaru engine, i'm not wanting to do that again any time soon if it was to not work as you hoped it would.

Looking forward to seeing what Joe has to say about it sticking to aluminium.