dry tumble powder coating?

[prickett]

Looks like your tumble trays are metal. Try using tupperware or whipped cream containers (i.e. plastic). Most of us use plastic and have good results. Maybe the metal is affecting the static charge of the boolits/paint ????

[Liberty'sSon]

Here is my first attempt at PC. I decided to go with dry tumble because I like the ease of it. I used a zombie green from PBTP, dry tumbled for 30 seconds or so , dumped them on the trays, and baked at 400F for 20 min. Two coats. I know it's not as smooth as the ES method, but I'm not trying to win a beauty contest, I'm punching holes in paper. I think they look quite good myself.

[garym1a2]

I will try something else with the Harbor freight Red as it did not work with my process and I brought 4 lbs of it. I am just spoiled with the green from PBTP, it justs jumps on the bullets and coatrs very nice plus it has a 10 min cure cycle. Regardless, since I just coated 9k bullets it will be a while till I get them loaded and more cast. I really like this process as its fast, the reloading dies stay cleaner, the gun also gets much less dirty. Plus I get to color code my bullets so I now what batch they are.
The PBTP Blue bullets I have shot them into by sand hill and recovered them. The paint stays on the bullet except the side that hits the sand. It and some of the lead is sandblasted away. Next outing I plan to recover both green and blue bullets for compareision.

Looks like your tumble trays are metal. Try using tupperware or whipped cream containers (i.e. plastic). Most of us use plastic and have good results. Maybe the metal is affecting the static charge of the boolits/paint ????

[Liberty'sSon]

Gary, what other PBTP colors have you tried? Are there any that don't work with the dry tumble method?

[garym1a2]

Just the two. The blue worked OK, but the Green was the best as it seemed to just jump onto the bullet and give great coverage.

Gary, what other PBTP colors have you tried? Are there any that don't work with the dry tumble method?

[prickett]

Just the two. The blue worked OK, but the Green was the best as it seemed to just jump onto the bullet and give great coverage.

Can you please update the thread http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-powders-don-t with the specifics? Thanks!

[Roosters]

Here is my first attempt at the shake,rattle & roll.
When I cast them I just dropped them on a cotton T shirt that was folded and let them cool.
Pre heated toaster oven to 400. Washed my hands good with dishwashing detergent (to remove any oil, sweat or buggers that were on my hands) & dried them.
Picked boolits up from T shirt placed in a plastic bowl then shook a little HF red powder in and put the lid on. Just guessing about 3 or 4 table spoons full.
Shake rattle & roll for about 3 min. I removed them from the bowl with needle nose pliers. As I removed them I tapped the pliers on the edge of the bowl to remove excess powder.
Stood on a tray with nonstick foil & placed in the oven.
Watched till they all glossed over then looked at the clock and went and got a cold beer.
12 min. later removed and let cool. Smashed one in the vice and got another beer and took a picture.
These are the Lee .430 240gr TL.

[bangerjim]

Good batch. But 3-4 TABLEspoons is a LOT! I use about 2/3 TEAspoon for ~50 boolits. If it needs more, I add just a sprinkle. I do NOT use a lid so I can watch them closely.

I drop my hot casts on an old terry towel in a cake pan full of water. Cools them fast and no burnt towels!

Keep up the good coats!

bangerjim

[Roosters]

My bowl was a Tupperware that followed me to the garage from the kitchen. Pretty good size. That batch was 70 or 80 240gr 44s and just covered the bottom good. Anyway just left the remaining powder and stuck the lid on it, should be good to go next time.

Right now I would trade my neighbor's right arm for some 2400 powder.

[jmort]

Those Boolits look real good. Dry PC May turn out to be the best compromise of all. Inspirational post. I believe it is also critical to get the two beer timing down as well.

[nframe]

Tried ES and Shake and Bake, I will tumble, strain, and bake on a hardware cloth tray that fits in the toaster oven. Cast some, preheat toaster oven, tumble in powder while the pot melts more lead and bake while casting more. Two deep on the screen doesn't matter.

[popper]

DT PC HF red & white in #5 tub, 165 gr 308s. Batches mostly come out OK but noticed that areas on ones that didn't coat completely will NOT coat at all. Not even for a second coat. Appears to be where the boolit slides across the plastic.

[bangerjim]

I see that with colors other than red. Even then, there are small areas where the powder does not stick The red seems to melt & run a bit when baking to cover up those very small divots, but large areas will not cover. As long as the lead "show-thru" spots are NOT on the tops of the grease grooves!

There is a technique to your "shake & roll" that will minimize that. The last 30 seconds I "swish" the boolits around the side walls in a circular motion. That evidently builds up an additional static charge. Then before taking them out (I do NOT just dump them!), I gently roll them back and forth on the coolwhip container's slightly domed bottom, making sure there is an ever so thin coating of powder there. Then lift them out with surgical tools. Dumping on a screen seems to knock off too much powder and leaves "screen lines" baked into the sides. You cannot coat 100 at a time! I usually do no more than 50 small cal and 35 big cal. Considering it only takes 2 minutes of shaking to get a covering, that is pretty fast.

I do ONLY ONE DT COAT. If two are required, I can ESPC faster!

White and yellow will not give good coverage.......dark lead shows thru but there is still a covering there, just not as thick as I would like.

That is why ESPC is the best. Even then, yellow does not cover well.....darker spots.

banger

[a.squibload]

I see several references to preheating the oven, I just put 'em in and turn it on,
about 12 min with HF red, seems to work fine. It's adjusted to 400ºF.

Got some yellow, haven't tried it yet.

[bangerjim]

I see several references to preheating the oven, I just put 'em in and turn it on,
about 12 min with HF red, seems to work fine. It's adjusted to 400ºF.

Got some yellow, haven't tried it yet.

Any good food cook and recipe calls for a preheated oven. Ask your wife/girlfriend/whatever. I prefer a preheat. Just works for me.

banger

[Walter Laich]

I tried preheating and cold oven. Run preheating for 10 minutes, cold for 20. both seem to work well for me.

Got my ES gun two weeks ago and been sick with fever so haven't had a chance to use it. Driving me crazy not to try it out--maybe this week-end....

[Beagle333]

I like to preheat. I have watched my El Cheapo oven run well over my preset temp during the first heat before it settles out.

[bangerjim]

I tried preheating and cold oven. Run preheating for 10 minutes, cold for 20. both seem to work well for me.

Got my ES gun two weeks ago and been sick with fever so haven't had a chance to use it. Driving me crazy not to try it out--maybe this week-end....

Hope you recover soon! You will have fun messing round with the gun. I use both ES & DT for different cal's and needs. Both are lightyears better than messing around with grease and paste wax brews.

Take care,

banger

[a.squibload]

Yeah but...

if you touch the hot oven there will be boolits all over the place!

Get well soon Walter.

[HDS]

The MCC method was looking like the number 1 contender until this thread. So simple and such nice results. Now to figure out which coating/color works best.