simple Hi-Tek coating

[Stephen Cohen]

There are and always will be people that complain about hi-tek, they either don't follow the instructions or are just too set in their ways to change over their process to make it work. It's proven to work, and work well.

The way i figure, if i can make it work, anyone can!

Sooooo true. Regards Stephen

[dikman]

Tazza, you don't even need to follow the instructions completely once you understand how it works!
I recently did another batch (don't need them as I have several thousand done but just felt like doing some ).
Throw 200 (.38) into bucket, squirt in what looks right (none of this wussy measuring for me , dry, into (non-fanforced) oven, bake for 10 mins, cool, test, re-coat, dry, into oven, cool, test and all done.

I have a few trays and can get a system going pretty well. I only do one tray at a time in my little oven, however, as I've learnt that any more is asking for trouble.

[Tazza]

So true. You have to do something really wrong to mess it up.

I still do measure the coating for constancy, but when doing smaller batches, i do just guess and go by the colour, you get an idea of how dark they are to know how much coating is on them.

I don't dry projectiles in trays like others do though, i have a full sheet of laminated MDF that i dry them on. I coat and pour them out on the MDF till dry, then scoop them up and put in trays and cook. Every few batches, i clean the excess coating off the MDF with acetone or when i use a different colour.

[dikman]

I can see where that would work. The only reason I keep mine in the trays is that it means the quantity/weight remains consistent for each load, fairly important given that my oven is not fanforced.

[Tazza]

I get around that by using a plastic container to mrasure them out, so i know what gets coated snd cooked

[kevin c]

I weigh out 5 1/2# of raw casts into each of many containers. Each batch separately gets their (measured) initial coat and drying, and is also baked, recoated, dried and rebaked separately.

A little OC,maybe, but as mentioned above, it's consistent.

[dikman]

Not OC, kevin, it's just figuring out a system that works for you and gives consistent results.

[HI-TEK]

There are and always will be people that complain about hi-tek, they either don't follow the instructions or are just too set in their ways to change over their process to make it work. It's proven to work, and work well.

The way i figure, if i can make it work, anyone can!

Over the many years, the most common problem seems that people just wont take time with getting first coat right by checking dryness before baking. With all instructions in the world, cannot guarantee success. Simple details are,
FIRST COAT MUST BE BONDED AFTER BAKE
1.It is better to use a dilute thin coat as first coat, and don't use more mixture, than needed and barely coat the amount of projectiles. (Don't worry about lube grooves)
2.Don't worry how it looks, don't shake coat for extensive period.
Dry in suitable conditions (Not at 0-10 degrees Celsius like some try to do).
In cool/cold conditions, use warm air dry, by using a heater blower type fan, or put tray on top of oven with a separator to use warm air rising. DONT RUSH DRYING PROCESS.
3.To check dryness, bake only a few, cool, smash test. Only if this passes tests, then cook the bulk/rest.
4.If smash test fails on samples after bake, continue drying, even if you continue warm air dry with a fan blower. Length of drying will depend on load size, and ambient conditions and warm air source
5.After a period, (again DONT RUSH), re test bake a ONLY few more, and repeat No4 after baking.
6.Tell tale signs of coating not dry, is failed smash test, blistery Orange peel appearance, Blisters and obviously no adhesion.
7.DO NOT TRY TO FIX A FIRST BAD COAT BY RE-COATING or RE-BAKING. IT WONT WORK
8.Test bake samples may be darker than normal, that does not cause adhesion failures.

[Stephen Cohen]

If we could all listen to good advice and do as instructed, not only would we have perfect coating every time, we would also have no preventable health issues. Well at lest my cast coating is good. Regards Stephen

[Petander]

I also think that women understand ovens and baking better.

[Stephen Cohen]

I also think that women understand ovens and baking better.

Your a brave man Petander, I know you meant women are just better cooks than we men, however women do seem to be able to take everything the wrong way and would see your comment as a women's place is in the kitchen. Just pulling your chain mate.

[Tazza]

Your a brave man Petander, I know you meant women are just better cooks than we men, however women do seem to be able to take everything the wrong way and would see your comment as a women's place is in the kitchen. Just pulling your chain mate.

My wife looked daggers at me when i said i had just a few projectiles to cook in the inside oven.... Hey, it was already hot from cooking dinner, guess who wasn't allowed to use the oven for non food related items?.....

[slide]

Hey Joe, got a question for you. I have been trying to use up the last of some green liquid I have had for a while. I mixed it at the 5-1-7. I noticed that there was a tiny bit of catalyst left. I just dumped in my coating mix. I wish now I had measured it. It wasn't much. When I baked the bullets they came out with more shine to them. They passed the swipe and smash test. Am I imagining stuff or would a little extra catalyst do this?

[HI-TEK]

Hey Joe, got a question for you. I have been trying to use up the last of some green liquid I have had for a while. I mixed it at the 5-1-7. I noticed that there was a tiny bit of catalyst left. I just dumped in my coating mix. I wish now I had measured it. It wasn't much. When I baked the bullets they came out with more shine to them. They passed the swipe and smash test. Am I imagining stuff or would a little extra catalyst do this?

Slide,
using extra catalyst will not harm coating. Excess catalyst simply gasses off at cure conditions. It will be more smelly during baking.
Excess catalyst simply allows coating to cross link more, so the shine may be a result of that. Generally, the catalyst that is normally added is just slightly more than required for adequate cure at 180C plus. I have had some that used twice as much catalyst without any problems. You simply confirmed such results.

[slide]

Thanks Joe, I did notice a little smoke but didn't smell anything. Had a nice little crosswind going on. I was outside doing all this. 72 F! I couldn't stay inside!

[Avenger442]

Love this time of year. 70s-40sF temperatures 30%+ humidity, great casting and coating weather. I've got to get back to the scrap yard for some smelting material.

Gun season for deer opens next month and my freezer is empty. Have not used my cast to kill one. Not because I haven't tried. Beginning to think I have my dad's curse. He hunted deer most of his life but only killed two that I know of. Maybe this season. They are standing on the side of the road and grinning at me as I drive by. They know I can't shoot. But next month they will all disappear never to be seen until February.

[slide]

Ain't it the truth! Last year,I guess the rut was on, I had a huge buck come out of nowhere and ran into the side of my truck. It was about four in the morning and I figure he was chasing does. I though it killed him but he got up and staggered back into the brush. Here in Oklahoma we are overrun with the things.

[HI-TEK]

Ain't it the truth! Last year,I guess the rut was on, I had a huge buck come out of nowhere and ran into the side of my truck. It was about four in the morning and I figure he was chasing does. I though it killed him but he got up and staggered back into the brush. Here in Oklahoma we are overrun with the things.

We are in severe drought, here, no rain for many months, inland some have not seen rain in years. Wildlife is travelling to the coast to find food and Water. Some towns have run out of water, or are on restricted use.
We drive along a mile long road, and we see probably 50-60 Wallabies and Kangaroos with babies feeding on peoples lawns. It is quite dangerous to drive faster that about 10mph, as the animals get startled and run in front of car, into the sides causing a lot of damage. I have had to repair a car now 3 times in two years costing about $3500 each time, after hitting a Wallabi. My daughter had one go straight into the engine bay through the front grill. Repairs, thousands, as radiator, air conditioning, electricals and panels were all severely damaged.
We have had to adjust the way we now travel on these roads to avoid another collision.

[slide]

And I thought it was bad here!

[Froogal]

I recently watched a you-tube video on the Hi-Tek coating. Thought maybe it might be a good thing, but then he started talking about acetone. I can not tolerate acetone. I get dizzy and light-headed almost immediately when exposed to it, even when outdoors, so needless to say, I will not be experimenting with it.