checking interest in $10-11.00 a LB hi quality powder

[Smoke4320]

OK valentine's day will be here real soon so I am going to run a Special

Pink 1 LB increments ONLY (IE 1LB, 2LB ect) (no 1/4 LB sample packs ) $15.50 Shipped
This will run thru Feb 7th 2015
PM me for payment details

[ThatFishGuy]

Placed order yesterday evening and order was already out this morning! Thanks Smoke, cant wait to try this out. I tried the wet tumble coating last year with ok results (HF pc), but I've exhausted all my projectiles so its time to crank some out. Got a new mold arriving today and the powder+ asbb's in a couple days. Can't wait to try this out!

[leadbutt]

Any neon colors in the works?

[AR15-SBR]

Smoke,

Thanks for such prompt shipping on the signal blue, it is awesome. I liked it soo much I just ordered a 1/4 lb sample pack.

AR15-SBR

[Norman]

Smoke, since the introduction of zinc wheel weights, if I happened to mix in some with my lead would coating the bullets make a big difference. Its getting harder and harder to find all lead weights at tire stores. Anyone tried shooting PC zinc boolits??? Thanks
Norman

[Smoke4320]

zinc and lead together do not cast well at all .. Needs to be one or the other
There are several people here who have experimented with all zinc bullets but I personally don't know the outcome
PC would stick to zinc no problem

[hubcap52]

I tried zinc bullets a long time ago. A real disaster. Zinc is VERY hard and hard to cast with, and will ruin any lead alloy. MUCH higher melting point- will damage aluminum molds.

[Norman]

OK. Thanks for the replies. Guess I will just have to find a full parking lot and bring my pliers. Just kidding. Who has the best price to buy wheel weight type lead from. Thanks again.

[BC38]

I just ordered some powder and BBs for my first experiment with PC-ing. Lots of good info here. Probably a dumb question, but one I didn't see addressed in this thread (though it may be elsewhere).

If a guy has some commercially cast boolits that are pre-lubed, what is a good, easy, economical way to remove the lube before PC-ing? Soak them in acetone maybe?
I have about 500 unlubed wadcutters that I'm going to start with, but if I like the powdercoating as well as other folks around here seem to, I have a few thousand lubed bullets I may want to strip and PC them.

I also see lots of references to using "non stick" foil and a few to using "wire mesh" for baking.
Is the foil just regular old aluminum foil - or something else?
What kind of "wire mesh" are people using?
Anything else that works just as well? Like a highly polished aluminum baking sheet? Or maybe a stainless steel baking sheet? I have a good used toaster oven and a thermometer to use, just trying to figure out what else I need....

[NewbieDave007]

I just ordered some powder and BBs for my first experiment with PC-ing. Lots of good info here. Probably a dumb question, but one I didn't see addressed in this thread (though it may be elsewhere).

If a guy has some commercially cast boolits that are pre-lubed, what is a good, easy, economical way to remove the lube before PC-ing? Soak them in acetone maybe?
I have about 500 unlubed wadcutters that I'm going to start with, but if I like the powdercoating as well as other folks around here seem to, I have a few thousand lubed bullets I may want to strip and PC them.

I also see lots of references to using "non stick" foil and a few to using "wire mesh" for baking.
Is the foil just regular old aluminum foil - or something else?
What kind of "wire mesh" are people using?
Anything else that works just as well? Like a highly polished aluminum baking sheet? Or maybe a stainless steel baking sheet? I have a good used toaster oven and a thermometer to use, just trying to figure out what else I need....

I've never done it, but I've heard some guys boil the lubed bullets to get the lube off...just an idea.

"Non stick" is NOT regular foil and does cost a bit more. Also make sure you are using the correct side of it.

I personally don't use a wire mesh, but the ones that I've seen are tight enough mesh to hold, but also as wide as possible to limit sticking to the mesh.

Some set up jigs and cover them with the non-stick for baking, but personally I just cover a solid tray with non stick and set the boolits up on their backside. The reason for the non stick is so that the PC will come loose without issue once you are done baking, so no to the other options you listed.

Good luck.

[BC38]

Thanks for the reply NewbieDave007. So I take it that something like aluminum window screen would be too fine of a mesh? I haven't seen the non-stick foil, but I'm assuming it isn't hard t find. Based on people's statements about using it several times, it sounds like a roll of it would about last a lifetime...

[NewbieDave007]

Thanks for the reply NewbieDave007. So I take it that something like aluminum window screen would be too fine of a mesh? I haven't seen the non-stick foil, but I'm assuming it isn't hard t find. Based on people's statements about using it several times, it sounds like a roll of it would about last a lifetime...

Like I said, I don't personally use the mesh method, so I wouldn't know. What I will say is that when you bake the PC it changes from the solid (powder) to closer to a sticky glue that then joins all together, so that's why I've personally stayed away from baking on mesh.

The non-stick isn't hard to find but my memory is that it is about 2-3X the price of the normal stuff, but you don't want things to stick to the boolits and the normal stuff will.

[corbinace]

I haven't seen the non-stick foil, but I'm assuming it isn't hard t find. Based on people's statements about using it several times.

No, it is in any grocery store. We are just a cheap lot. That, and it takes a few seconds to get it wrapped on my pan so it stays put for the process, so I use it a few times before I recycle it.

[Smoke4320]

I am probably on about 30 batches with the same Reynolds non stick foil and shake & bake
Switching over to using the hole punched paper plates to sift the excess powder and bb's out has 2 benefits to me. It actually rubs excess powder from the bullets giving a smoother finish and greatly reduced if not totally eliminating any flashing and it's much faster to pick the bullets up

[BC38]

I am probably on about 30 batches with the same Reynolds non stick foil and shake & bake
Switching over to using the hole punched paper plates to sift the excess powder and bb's out has 2 benefits to me. It actually rubs excess powder from the bullets giving a smoother finish and greatly reduced if not totally eliminating any flashing and it's much faster to pick the bullets up

Tell me more about the paper plates. I searched the thread and didn't find any reference to or description of that.
Obviously the holes have to be bigger than the BBs but smaller than the bullets - so somewhere in the 0.18"-0.35" range for 380/9mm/38/357/10mm/40 calibers, and maybe a little bigger for 44/45 calibers. Are you punching the holes on a 1/2" grid using a paper punch or something? How much powder ends up stuck on the plate? The sifting doesn't knock a lot of the powder coat off the bullets?
If paper works, I'm wondering about the idea of maybe using a 5/16" drill bit and drilling a grid of holes in a plastic bowl and using that to sift. Have you tried anything like that?
This thread is a great info resource for powdercoating newbies like me. I appreciate the feedback guys. Keep it comin!

[Walter Laich]

I now use the paper plates and like it a lot.
I actually use the paper bowls vs. plates.
glue two together for strength
use a punch to put a series of holes in flat part of bowl. Drills will tear up the paper.
after the shake part pour the bullets, powder and BBs into the bowl.
I am using a much larger bowl below that one to catch the powder and BBs; one the same size didn't allow enough room as I was moving the bowl around to get rid of powder and BBs
Then put a solid paper bowl under the one with the bullets in them and use forceps to put them on the trays
I use a cut up silicone mat instead of NSAF; like it much better

It's been great being part of this development of PC on bullets. Fun and improves the reloading process

[Smoke4320]

Yea I glue 2 paper bowls together then punch 1/4" dia holes around the bowl
then use another bowl to catch the dropping

[Smoke4320]

Almost no powder is left on the bowls. A couple of taps on the bowls a d it gathers in a pile and you pour off

[BC38]

Almost no powder is left on the bowls. A couple of taps on the bowls a d it gathers in a pile and you pour off

Would that be a reason NOT to use a plastic bowl? Because the powder sticks more to plastic?

[F_L]

Good Stuff! I used the HF powder on 9mm with mixed results. Finally ordered from Smoke and am very pleased. Shake -n-bake works well. Even in high humidity, drizzle and cold. Cheap latex gloves worked for picking up the bullets. Rolling each one between the fingers knocked off the extra powder.