Tazza,
That coating had contained slow drying solvents. When coatings were heated in the oven, those slow drying solvents that were trapped in the film were evaporated from the coatings, and, were contained/concentrated in the oven. I am not surprised about such explosions, especially when the ovens may also not had adequate exhaust system, and products were not dried adequately before baking them.
Any coatings that contain solvent based systems, can cause such a problem.
I have tried to constantly advise, that coatings applied from solvent systems, all should be thoroughly dried before placing the into an oven.
I believe that was the case too, i never had fires or explosions when i used it, but i may have just been lucky. After cooking, i opened the door and the stinky plume of smoke came out, i'd just need to move my head to not cop it.
I did ensure everything was dry before baking, and i still do with Hi-Tek, but i always got smoke from the old stuff, hi-tek does give a smell, but not a cloud of stinky smoke.
Keep an eye out for the New HITEK mold release.
tested it over the weekend on a Lee 6 Cavity 105gn SWC 9mm mold. This mold is a bugger to get the bullets to drop from. Little weight and lube grooves make it want to stay in the cavities. Had to rap the hinge bolt on the handles severely to free them up.
But..........Mixed the release agent with acetone and brushed it into the cavities and the mold faces, Under the spruplate as well.
Set the mold to pre-heat in the hotplate as the pots heated up.
First bullets from the mold fell out as I opened the handles!!!!!
After 3 hours of casting, they were still falling from the molds in perfect shape.
When the mold cooled down, I coud see where the release agent had bonded to the mold surface.
This stuff is amazing.
Going to apply it to all the molds for the Autocasters and smooth out production.
Hooroo.
Regards, Trevor.
Australia
Sounds interesting. Let's see the pc crowd come up with something like that.
I need some of that release agent! I have a couple of aluminum molds that I have to beat on way too hard to get the bullets to release. I've toyed with the idea of using HBN that I use on jacketed bullets but didn't want to screw up a good mold. Let us know when it goes on sale.
So far i have been lucky with having mine not stick after i carbon the mould cavities up with an acetylene flame, but interested in trying this stuff out. I get lead smears on my automated master caster, hopefully when i get one of my new to me machines up and running, i can give it a good test to see what it will do.
I'd buy it as soon as it shows up in the US.
NRA Benefactor.
To DDriller and Burnt Fingers I am pretty sure that the stuff (powdered non bonded version) is available in small quantities in the US at this stage.
I suppose, first in best dressed.
Tazza the stuff reported upon by Ausglock is a bonded version of the 500+ mold release. This stuff originally was used for release on molds making glass bottles and on Galvanizing frames that lowered items into molten Zinc to be Galvanized.
This version is not yet available in the US. This stuff is mixed into solvent and very sparingly brush applied to surfaces. Heat from pre-heating molds will bond release agent to the molds. Additional heat from alloys being poured into molds will further heat-set the release agent.
The bonded and non bonded are both powdered products, and both are applied by brush to all surfaces where you don't want alloy to stick.
The powdered bonded version is applied, (painted onto surfaces) after making it into a solvent mix first. The non bonded version powder is applied as is.
Both are applied with a small brush.
For fishermen and women, who make their sinkers, these products work great on Aluminium molds to stop Lead sticking.
500+ is the powdered version i got from you, add metho for sizing or as you instructed, brush on to mould cavities to help with release. I assume the bonded version is a different product? I can imagine it worked well for releasing bottles, it's slick as, even in small quantities.
Tazza,
You received two separate products
One was Aqualube that is used for sizing after mixing/diluting with denatured alcohol.
The other product you received was the 500+, brush on powder, used as is onto molds and surfaces, where you don't want alloy sticking.
You have not seen the 500+ bonded version. This is applied after making up a diluted solvent solution and painted onto surfaces to stop sticking of alloys, and this applied coating bonds to metal surfaces, where the powdered 500+ (you have) is a non bonded version applied by brush as a powder.
These can be used for sizing but both may prove more costly as compared to Aqualube system.
I cast another hour last night with the same mold that was treated on the weekend. Pre-heat as normal while the pot is melting.
First bullets out where perfect and fell from the mold.
Nice.
Hooroo.
Regards, Trevor.
Australia
I have the 500 plus mould release liquid concentrate that Bayou sells and it works great. Is it one of these two or a different version all together?
You used the bonded version of the 500+.
At a guess, it should last longer as a release agent because it is bonded to the mould and does not transfer.
In terms of how long this bonded version will continue to work as a release is a guess at this stage, but
I envisage quite a while, as casting should not wear away surface, as there is minimal abrasion taking place.
Only time will tell all.
Dsltech1
This is similar but not the same as the liquid version.
These products produce a silvery steel Grey finish. One simply as a powder brush on, and the other one is a powder made up with solvent to act as a paint type system that will bond to where it is painted onto after heat is applied to that mould, (with pre-heat) and plus cast alloy heat.
These were produced to eliminate solvents being shipped all around the world.
User can prepare a mix, after they have the powder of choice, use the non bonded powder as is, or use the bonded version after mixing it with Acetone at about 5 grams into about 50-80 mls Acetone. The 5g/80mls mix goes a very long way and is applied sparingly by brush.
Just emailed Alan Easterly at HP Bullet coatings to let me know when new mold release is in stock here in US.
Thanks Joe.
I found some .308s that I had coated way back when I first started using the Hi Tek. Coating was a little thick. One of my mistakes back then was trying to make a jacket out of it. Loaded them up and went to the range. While these were not as accurate as my more recent coated bullets, I did shoot 100 rounds with no leading (of course). My newer coated bullets will shoot 2" at 200 yards.
We have a CMP range here that has a 200, 300 and 600 yard electronic scoring range. They will not let you shoot the 300 yard range until you can put three out of five in 2" at 200 yards. Same for 600 yard need to put three out of five in the bulls eye on the 300 yard. All of the guys that I have seen shooting there are using manufactured jacketed bullets. But I want to do that 600 yards with a bullet that I cast and coated with Hi Tek. I'm almost ready to try that 300 yards.
This stuff works.
While I work at it, it is by God's grace that it happens. So it is best I ask him what, how and when before I start..
Tried casting from a dead cold mold treated with the new release bonding agent.
First bullets out were perfect.....Surprised the hell out of me..
Cast for 1 hour and they were still falling free with only a light tap on the handle hinge.
Hooroo.
Regards, Trevor.
Australia
I've got a MP mold and two of my Lee molds that I think this product might help.
While I work at it, it is by God's grace that it happens. So it is best I ask him what, how and when before I start..
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |