simple Hi-Tek coating

[kevin c]

For those in the US, TAP plastics has HDPE bottles in various sizes that work well as HiTek storage containers. Just be sure to buy the right caps that don't have a glued in paper liner. They also sell tubing that can go on the end of syringes, making it easier to suck the mix out of the bottle.

I use hospital grade syringes. They hold up well.

[Burnt Fingers]

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use these bottles to store my mixed Hi-Tek.

They work like a champ.

[Rgmcfarland]

I use small and large mason/ball containers. Glass lasts forever and the seal lids are cheap when the seal starts to come apart. $5 isn’t bad for the nalgene above but as long as the wife doesn’t open my coating cabinet I’m running on her subsidizing my habit

[RedlegEd]

Hi all,
Before this cootie madness, I'd just buy a small 70% rubbing alcohol bottles at Walmart for $0.98, then use the bottle (which is HDPE.) It has a flip top with squirt hole and works perfectly. Unfortunately, now that everyone is in a freak-out hoarder mode, you can't get the alcohol bottles anymore. The problem with glass jars is having mixing balls/bullets in there. I'd be a little leery of mixing too vigorously for fear of breaking the jar.
Ed

[Papercidal]

I use the cheap 6ml oral syringes from the feed store and they will outlast a can of the powdered coating, the bonus of using the 6ml size is you don’t need to read the graduations you just suck up a full syringe and it is the perfect amount for a 5# batch (I use 120-150ml acetone depending on color so a little extra liquid spreads things out a bit more for the same amount of coating).

I use pint size mason jars to mix and store coatings they are cheap and the seals can be replaced even cheaper.

[HI-TEK]

I received this link to a video from South African manufacturer. I hope it can be viewed by members.
It shows the TRUBLU coated casts. They look simply great.
https://www.facebook.com/riazj/video...712472252/?t=1

[RedlegEd]

Hi. Sorry, the link doesn't work for me.
Ed

[HI-TEK]

I tried another link hope this works
https://www.facebook.com/39684810777...2723409746430/

Looks like link works but I cant get rid off other videos that should not be on there

[Burnt Fingers]

I use small and large mason/ball containers. Glass lasts forever and the seal lids are cheap when the seal starts to come apart. $5 isn’t bad for the nalgene above but as long as the wife doesn’t open my coating cabinet I’m running on her subsidizing my habit

Glass containers and my casting/reloading area don't mix. As the arthritis in my hands gets worse I'm dropping more and more stuff.

[ioon44]

I have always used dish soap bottles for mixing and storing coating, they have snap on caps and are air tight which even after several month the coating is still good to go. I have always used measuring spoons, a 1 1/2 tea spoon measure will hold 7 ml of coating which I add to 5 lb to 5 1/2 lbs of bullets.
I guess I should get motivated and post some pics of some of my coated bullets.

[Mozz]

OK what am I doing wrong,

2kg of bullets, 10grams (CAR) mixed with 100 mils of Acetone.

Baked at 200 for 13 minutes. Oven has a PID and Fan and both seem to work well. Covering looks good.

Bullets fail the wipe test (within 10 seconds), seem to pass the smash test with no flaking.

The only thing I can think of is the temp drops by about 15C

Regards

Mozz



Just did another batch this time starting the clock when the oven returned to temp, still failing the rub test... Does Hi-Tek go off, i've had this for 5 years?

[HI-TEK]

OK what am I doing wrong,

2kg of bullets, 10grams (CAR) mixed with 100 mils of Acetone.

Baked at 200 for 13 minutes. Oven has a PID and Fan and both seem to work well. Covering looks good.

Bullets fail the wipe test (within 10 seconds), seem to pass the smash test with no flaking.

The only thing I can think of is the temp drops by about 15C

Regards

Mozz



Just did another batch this time starting the clock when the oven returned to temp, still failing the rub test... Does Hi-Tek go off, i've had this for 5 years?

Mozz do you have liquid or powder HI-TEK?
If it is liquid, it may have gone off after 5 years. Powders are reasonably stable.
As rule of thumb, solvent wipe off can be caused by not enough baking at correct temperatures.
After thorough drying, coated cast, must get to 180C and stay there or above for 2 more minutes afterwards.
That should cure coating so solvent will not remove it.
If you have a liquid version, I suspect it has gone off. May be you need to get a fresh lot.

[wlkjr]

I must be doing something wrong. I mix my powder and acetone in a cheap plastic condiment bottle from WalMart and use a shot glass with a scribe line to measure the solution. I also use a Black and Decker toaster oven. I don't have any of the issues or concerns that some of you are having. What am I doing wrong? Underthinging maybe? My process is working fine. Should I try to fix it?

[Mozz]

Mozz do you have liquid or powder HI-TEK?
If it is liquid, it may have gone off after 5 years. Powders are reasonably stable.
As rule of thumb, solvent wipe off can be caused by not enough baking at correct temperatures.
After thorough drying, coated cast, must get to 180C and stay there or above for 2 more minutes afterwards.
That should cure coating so solvent will not remove it.
If you have a liquid version, I suspect it has gone off. May be you need to get a fresh lot.

Thanks for your reply. Its powder Hi-Tek, it must not have dried properly, because its defiantly getting more than 2 minutes at 180C. I coated some more this time with Red Copper which did pass both tests so happier now. Will try the remaining CAR another time.

Red Copper, two coats pic below; I may add another coat to make the colour more solid.

[HI-TEK]

Thanks for your reply. Its powder Hi-Tek, it must not have dried properly, because its defiantly getting more than 2 minutes at 180C. I coated some more this time with Red Copper which did pass both tests so happier now. Will try the remaining CAR another time.

Red Copper, two coats pic below; I may add another coat to make the colour more solid.

Mozz,
I have already made many communications with you, stressing about importance of proper drying.
It is not clear, are you quoting 180C oven temperature or product temperatures?
Again I repeat, the coated cast has to get to 180C. After coated cast gets to 180C it needs to stay in oven about 2 minutes longer.
You have to monitor coated cast temperatures inside oven, and not oven temperatures.
Colours not being solid enough, with using Red Copper, the pre-mix mixture must be well mixed before using it to coat.
Based on your comments, it seems that you are not getting a well mixed mixture to coat. It is possible, that after mixing, you allow too much time to take out coating mixture, and the "solids" settle in the diluted mixture. This may be why you are not getting good coverage.
Two coats should be adequate.

[Ausglock]

I must be doing something wrong. I mix my powder and acetone in a cheap plastic condiment bottle from WalMart and use a shot glass with a scribe line to measure the solution. I also use a Black and Decker toaster oven. I don't have any of the issues or concerns that some of you are having. What am I doing wrong? Underthinging maybe? My process is working fine. Should I try to fix it?

Nooooo.... don't "Fix" it.

[Ausglock]

Mozz.
Why mix 10gms to 100mls???

This will explain why you " Add another coat to make the colour more solid."
20gms to 100mls give perfect coverage with 2 coats.

[Mozz]

Mozz,
I have already made many communications with you, stressing about importance of proper drying.
It is not clear, are you quoting 180C oven temperature or product temperatures?
Again I repeat, the coated cast has to get to 180C. After coated cast gets to 180C it needs to stay in oven about 2 minutes longer.
You have to monitor coated cast temperatures inside oven, and not oven temperatures.
Colours not being solid enough, with using Red Copper, the pre-mix mixture must be well mixed before using it to coat.
Based on your comments, it seems that you are not getting a well mixed mixture to coat. It is possible, that after mixing, you allow too much time to take out coating mixture, and the "solids" settle in the diluted mixture. This may be why you are not getting good coverage.
Two coats should be adequate.

So just to be clear I am sure that the coated cast bullets are reaching temperature, the oven is controlled by a PID and the thermal couple has a bullet screwed on the end of it. Once the oven has returned to temperature I start the clock.

As for the Red Copper mixing, I will check to make sure that what am doing insures a good mix.

[Mozz]

Mozz.
Why mix 10gms to 100mls???

This will explain why you " Add another coat to make the colour more solid."
20gms to 100mls give perfect coverage with 2 coats.

My mistake i've coated with a 10gms to 100mils mix, as I have only been coating 2kg of bullets at a time.

[HI-TEK]

[QUOTE=Mozz;4912093]So just to be clear I am sure that the coated cast bullets are reaching temperature, the oven is controlled by a PID and the thermal couple has a bullet screwed on the end of it. Once the oven has returned to temperature I start the clock.

Mozz
Can you please understand, it is not your oven temperature that is important.
Having PID controlling heat to warm air inside your oven, cannot guarantee that the load you placed into the oven is at same temperature as your PID setting.
The time of load inside oven, for a particular load when your oven is at the set temperature, is directly governed by rise of temperature of the coated cast load inside oven.

The fact that you start the clock when oven recovers to PID set heat temperature,
you are then assuming, that your load automatically is up to temperature, IT IS NOT.

I have posted a graph of oven temperature and load temperature on this blog previously. It clearly shows, that even when oven set temperature is reached, the load can be up to 20-25C below the actual oven temperature.
With time, the load temperature slowly climbs to correct cure temperature (180C) in about 8-10 minutes. (those times will depend and can vary with load and ovens capability)

You have not supplied any product temperature, for example, at 5 minutes in oven, 7 minutes in oven, and at 10 minutes in oven.
You keep on quoting oven temperature, without apparently knowing what is happening with your load in oven.
That is why, the solvent wipe test failed. You simply did not cure product enough as product did not get to correct curing conditions at when you decided to take the load out of the oven.