HI-TEK do's and don'ts

[HI-TEK]

Thank you Velvet.
Have you taken notice on label, where it states, in large letters,
"IMPORTANT", you are advised in clear detail to thoroughly dry before heat curing.

Can I ask where you obtained a coating manual?
Also, can you please advise where this manual, advises that forced air drying is not required?
Further, you claim, that warm air drying contradicts user manual? I cannot find such contradiction.

With instruction I supply, there is no where that it is advised, that warm air drying is not required.

Where are you located?

As I tried to advise, environmental conditions should not be used as a guide for manufacturing.

Two main areas where flaking can be produced with first coat is

1. Not enough drying before baking.
As I advised, warm air dry first coat, until it is about 50C.
Then, test bake a couple so that coated cast reaches at least 180C.
Keep warm air drying the rest.
You must determine the temperature of baked coated cast to see if your oven in fact has heated your load to correct temperature.

2. Provided first coated cast is adequately dry, the Coated cast has not reached 180C in your oven, and stayed there for 2 minutes afterwards.
Not getting coated cast to 180C, the heat simply dries coating but does not cure coating adequately.

You have not answered my questions.
a. What is temperature of coated cast before baking
and
b. What is temperature of finished baked first coat?

Below is what is written on my coating advice

4. Allow the bullets to dry fully once they are coated.
Test bake a few, when you think they are dry. Only if test bake passes all tests with the few, only then bake the bulk.
If they go into the oven wet, or not completely dry, the coating can bubble up and look rough, and the fumes are harsh and can be flammable, and results will be unsatisfactory.

Give adequate time to dry, don’t rush drying, the warmer and drier the space you work in, the better. Coating may take as little as 10 minutes to many hours to dry. This is dependent on the ambient temperature and humidity.

With ambient drying, once humidity is trapped/locked inside coatings, they may feel dry to the touch.
However, when test baking a few, will expose under dried coatings by appearance of fine blisters being formed during baking. If you get these fine blisters, or flaking with smash test, especially with the first coat, you can almost guarantee that the coating was not adequately dry before baking.

Further advice on same coating instructions,
IMPORTANT NOTES
Applying second or third coats to poorly bonded first coat will not fix bonding problems with first coat.
Re-baking to fix poor adhesion problems will not work. Before projectiles are baked, first coat must be dry totally, even if warm air drying is required to complete drying.
When you think they are dry, test bake only a few first. If all is well, only then bake the rest.

If first coat has not bonded, and is heat cured, the application of further coats, won’t fix the lack of adhesion of previous coat.
If first coat has not bonded after baking, do not re-coat again, but work out why first coat failed to bond.


Can you please advise where you have been advised with contradiction to instructions?

[Velvet]

Thank you Velvet.
Have you taken notice on label, where it states, in large letters,
"IMPORTANT", you are advised in clear detail to thoroughly dry before heat curing.

Can I ask where you obtained a coating manual?
Also, can you please advise where this manual, advises that forced air drying is not required?
Further, you claim, that warm air drying contradicts user manual? I cannot find such contradiction.

With instruction I supply, there is no where that it is advised, that warm air drying is not required.

Where are you located?

As I tried to advise, environmental conditions should not be used as a guide for manufacturing.

Two main areas where flaking can be produced with first coat is

1. Not enough drying before baking.
As I advised, warm air dry first coat, until it is about 50C.
Then, test bake a couple so that coated cast reaches at least 180C.
Keep warm air drying the rest.
You must determine the temperature of baked coated cast to see if your oven in fact has heated your load to correct temperature.

2. Provided first coated cast is adequately dry, the Coated cast has not reached 180C in your oven, and stayed there for 2 minutes afterwards.
Not getting coated cast to 180C, the heat simply dries coating but does not cure coating adequately.

You have not answered my questions.
a. What is temperature of coated cast before baking
and
b. What is temperature of finished baked first coat?

Below is what is written on my coating advice

4. Allow the bullets to dry fully once they are coated.
Test bake a few, when you think they are dry. Only if test bake passes all tests with the few, only then bake the bulk.
If they go into the oven wet, or not completely dry, the coating can bubble up and look rough, and the fumes are harsh and can be flammable, and results will be unsatisfactory.

Give adequate time to dry, don’t rush drying, the warmer and drier the space you work in, the better. Coating may take as little as 10 minutes to many hours to dry. This is dependent on the ambient temperature and humidity.

With ambient drying, once humidity is trapped/locked inside coatings, they may feel dry to the touch.
However, when test baking a few, will expose under dried coatings by appearance of fine blisters being formed during baking. If you get these fine blisters, or flaking with smash test, especially with the first coat, you can almost guarantee that the coating was not adequately dry before baking.

Further advice on same coating instructions,
IMPORTANT NOTES
Applying second or third coats to poorly bonded first coat will not fix bonding problems with first coat.
Re-baking to fix poor adhesion problems will not work. Before projectiles are baked, first coat must be dry totally, even if warm air drying is required to complete drying.
When you think they are dry, test bake only a few first. If all is well, only then bake the rest.

If first coat has not bonded, and is heat cured, the application of further coats, won’t fix the lack of adhesion of previous coat.
If first coat has not bonded after baking, do not re-coat again, but work out why first coat failed to bond.


Can you please advise where you have been advised with contradiction to instructions?

Hi Hi-TEK, thank you.
I am attaching the sheets of the manual that I have printed.

I understand that there is a great contradiction if the manual says not to rush drying, to allow adequate drying time, as it says verbatim: "Give adequate time to dry, don't rush drying", and then you tell me to use a hair dryer applying hot air, warm air dry first coat, until it is about 50C, and you indicate to place the bullets on top of the oven, it seems to me that what I say is clear: there is a clear contradiction: what rush or not rush ?.
In my understanding, NOT RUSH DRYING, means letting it dry on its own.
But I don't want to argue with you.

I answer your questions:
to. What is temperature of coated cast before baking
- I haven't measured it, but it's warm to the touch.
b. What is temperature of finished baked first coat?
- I haven't measured it either. Tell me how you want me to take the temperature. Do I have to take a bullet and measure its freshly baked temperature? If so, I'm going to try to borrow a laser thermometer to measure.

I am not applying a second coat. I'm trying to get the first one to adhere well. Then I'll apply the new layers, but now I can't get the first one to stick.

Thank you.

[HI-TEK]

Hi Velvet,
There is no argument at all.

I am trying to help with your situation.
You have downloaded the US agents website coating instructions.

Again, where are you located?
The picture you posted of the jar of coating, is supplied from Australia, not from USA.

It just seems to me a simple situation with interpretations of the written word/data.

Not rushing drying process, as you have said, can be a little misleading as it can be interpreted not rushing drying.
I think what is being advised is, not to rush situation, and seems to contradict what I have advised.

The coating is not affected with fast drying, even with using warmed or warmed fan forced air.
Advice on product label, and on my instructions, points to coating required to being properly dried, using whatever means to achieve that result.

I simply provided you what was successful in most environment situations and speeds up process, consistency and reliability..
Depending on users needs, drying can be from 10 minutes to several hours or even longer if drying conditions are not good.

What I have on my coating advice, (as I posted) is very similar for getting the end result.
Warmed fan forced air simply provides user with fastest drying, and more reproducible results.
Using a hair drier or fan forced heater both work, and what is adopted will be dependent to manufacturer and volume of product to be processed.

With measuring temperatures, an IR thermometer is more reliable and should produce consistent and reproducible results.

To standardize quality, and reproducibility, manufacturers set up an operating system, that guarantees removal of all variations caused by environmental changes and assures total reproducible results.

[Velvet]

Hi Velvet,
There is no argument at all.

I am trying to help with your situation.
You have downloaded the US agents website coating instructions.

Again, where are you located?
The picture you posted of the jar of coating, is supplied from Australia, not from USA.

It just seems to me a simple situation with interpretations of the written word/data.

Not rushing drying process, as you have said, can be a little misleading as it can be interpreted not rushing drying.
I think what is being advised is, not to rush situation, and seems to contradict what I have advised.

The coating is not affected with fast drying, even with using warmed or warmed fan forced air.
Advice on product label, and on my instructions, points to coating required to being properly dried, using whatever means to achieve that result.

I simply provided you what was successful in most environment situations and speeds up process, consistency and reliability..
Depending on users needs, drying can be from 10 minutes to several hours or even longer if drying conditions are not good.

What I have on my coating advice, (as I posted) is very similar for getting the end result.
Warmed fan forced air simply provides user with fastest drying, and more reproducible results.
Using a hair drier or fan forced heater both work, and what is adopted will be dependent to manufacturer and volume of product to be processed.

With measuring temperatures, an IR thermometer is more reliable and should produce consistent and reproducible results.

To standardize quality, and reproducibility, manufacturers set up an operating system, that guarantees removal of all variations caused by environmental changes and assures total reproducible results.

Hi-tek
I'm in Argentina, sorry, I didn't say it in a previous message.
It's like you say, I bought the product from Australia.
It has become clear to me: I can use methods that speed up the drying process, such as the brass dryer that provides recirculation of hot air to various stacked trays. This removes a variable because I can subject it to a duration of time and always constant temperatures.
It seems to me that I could dry up to about 1000 bullets per batch easily.
As I understood, I could apply hot air to reach 50ºc.
a) For how long do you recommend doing it? about 20 minutes?
b) Can I put the bullets after applying the coating? Or do you suggest that I first leave them for a while to dry on their own? Let's say for an hour?
c) once dried in the dryer, should I put them on top of the oven during the pre-heating process? or is this step no longer necessary?

Then come the tests with the oven. I'm going to try to get an IR thermometer to supply the information you ask for.
I will communicate again when I have news.
Thanks for the help.

[Ausglock]

How I pre-warm my bullets.
place them on the oven as it heats up.


Once they are coated, they get dried on this rack with a fan heater blowing hot air over the top 2 trays before they go to the oven.


Once they are baked, I cool them with a cold air fan under the rack. can cool 2 trays at once.



You need a good oven with good airflow and plenty of power. This will bake 2 trays of 2.5Kg in 7 1/2 mins at 200 Deg C. The countdown timer shows the temp already at 200 deg C after only 2 minutes into the bake.

[Velvet]

How I pre-warm my bullets.
place them on the oven as it heats up.


Once they are coated, they get dried on this rack with a fan heater blowing hot air over the top 2 trays before they go to the oven.


Once they are baked, I cool them with a cold air fan under the rack. can cool 2 trays at once.



You need a good oven with good airflow and plenty of power. This will bake 2 trays of 2.5Kg in 7 1/2 mins at 200 Deg C. The countdown timer shows the temp already at 200 deg C after only 2 minutes into the bake.

Hello Ausglock, thank you.
Obviously, you have developed a forced drying fixture / method that works perfectly ...
As I was commenting to Hi-TEK, I had interpreted that the manual suggested letting the bullets dry on their own.
What do you think about using the Frankford Arsenal brass case dryer to dry the bullets? (attached photos).
Looking at the pictures you sent, I discover that you use two ovens. , ... Do you use Heller only to preheat? and the Kleenmaid for baking? or do you use both?
The other thought, is that if it is easier to apply coating to a smooth bullet, to do it with one that has cannelures, in which more coating accumulates and therefore takes longer to dry.

I'm going to try forced drying and then comment on the results.
Thanks for the help

[Ausglock]

Never seen the FA dryer, But it should do the job
The heller is for if I am only baking a 1000 or so.
The Kleenmaid is for larger quantities.

The trick is.....the bullets need to be warm to the touch. put your hand on them. are they warm???? OK put in the oven.

You are aware that you have to bring the oven to set temp BEFORE placing the bullets in the oven? You start timing from when they enter the oven.

Bullets with grooves coat the same as grooveless bullets. 45 SWC bullets will have no coating in the groove or at the shoulder due to the large area that gets no contact when swirling. You can get over this by doing a weaker mix of 20gms to 150mls Acetone.

I use 6mls of coating mix to 2kg to 2.5kg of bullets per coat. My trays hold this much alloy irrespective of what size bullet is getting baked.

Your main issue that I can see is that you are not drying the coating before baking. feel the coating on the bullets... does it feel "rubbery" between your fingers? if so, they are not dry. warm them...

[Velvet]

Never seen the FA dryer, But it should do the job
The heller is for if I am only baking a 1000 or so.
The Kleenmaid is for larger quantities.

The trick is.....the bullets need to be warm to the touch. put your hand on them. are they warm???? OK put in the oven.

You are aware that you have to bring the oven to set temp BEFORE placing the bullets in the oven? You start timing from when they enter the oven.

Bullets with grooves coat the same as grooveless bullets. 45 SWC bullets will have no coating in the groove or at the shoulder due to the large area that gets no contact when swirling. You can get over this by doing a weaker mix of 20gms to 150mls Acetone.

I use 6mls of coating mix to 2kg to 2.5kg of bullets per coat. My trays hold this much alloy irrespective of what size bullet is getting baked.

Your main issue that I can see is that you are not drying the coating before baking. feel the coating on the bullets... does it feel "rubbery" between your fingers? if so, they are not dry. warm them...

Great advice Sir.....(it must be included in the instruction manual).
the bullets are hot to the touch before putting them in the oven.
Obviously, I turn on the oven previously, and when it enters the regime, that is, it reaches 200ºC, I just put the tray with the bullets there. Previously, I leave them about 10min on the roof of the oven, so that they preheat. Of course, the timer starts when I put the tray into the oven, which I leave 12min.
I'm going to try the weaker mix (20gms to 150mls Acetone) for those 45 SWC bullets.
Approximately 2.5kg also enter my tray. They are about 200 bullets. It is more or less what you are putting. I'm going to try 6ml like you, but with the weaker mix.
You know I never felt bullets "rubbery" like you mentioned. They must have been ALMOST DRY, with that humidity under the coating that Hi-TEK explained.
Tomorrow I do the following tests, to see if I can do it !!!!
Thanks again.

[Velvet]

Hi guys, I have news.
I did a new test, but I still fail, I think.
I send photos of the bullets with the first coating applied. See that as the mixture is lighter, they are covered quite well. There are also photos of once baked at different temperatures.
I comment the sepcs of the test:

- I used a new mix, the one suggested by Auglock. : 20gm-150ML acetone). I liked this mix.
- 100% pure acetone, given to me by a biochemical friend.
- 200 bullets 45ACP SWC. Weight of 2,5kg approx. Casted a couple of days ago, without any contamination.
- 6ML of coating applied to slightly heated bullets, and then 20 seconds of tumbler.
- I left the bullets for 1 hour in the sun on the mesh.
- Then I forced drying for 30 minutes, in the FArsenal dryer, with hot air at 120F according to the dial of the device.
- Then I preheated the oven, and put a tray on the roof of the oven for 15min. Quite hot to the touch, only manipulable with a cloth glove.
- Then I did the tests with different baking times, as detailed in the pictures below:









Results:
- With 12 minutes of baking, it did not pass any of the 3 tests: rubbing, smash and finger nail.
- With 14 minutes of baking, it passed the smash test because the coating did not come off, but it did not pass the rubering on the rag with acetone, nor the scraping with the nails.

I honestly don't know what else to do.
Any suggestion is welcome.

[Ausglock]

If it failed at 12 but passed at 14, your alloy is not actually getting to 200Deg C. Drill a hole in a bullet and insert a K sensor and check the reading.
this will show the actual temp of the alloy. If you are using a small convection oven, the 2.5Kg may be overloading it.
Other than that?????? No idea.

Umm... after thought... When you mix the coating, You Do leave it for 30 minutes to react before using it.........

Oh... and you are swirling too long. The coated bullets in the first picture are blotchy... Reduce swirl time to 12 to 15 seconds.

[Velvet]

If it failed at 12 but passed at 14, your alloy is not actually getting to 200Deg C. Drill a hole in a bullet and insert a K sensor and check the reading.
this will show the actual temp of the alloy. If you are using a small convection oven, the 2.5Kg may be overloading it.
Other than that?????? No idea.

Umm... after thought... When you mix the coating, You Do leave it for 30 minutes to react before using it.........

Oh... and you are swirling too long. The coated bullets in the first picture are blotchy... Reduce swirl time to 12 to 15 seconds.

After 14 minutes the smash test passed, although I did not scratch it with my fingernail. If I did it on that same bullet, it would have come off too. In fact it is peeled off with the nail and rubbing it on the rag in the other bullets of the samples.
The material does not adhere, neither with 12 nor with 14.
The thermometer reads a little past 200ºc inside the oven.
Indeed, I left the mixture for more than 1 hour so that it mixed well, and I stirred it for more than 3 minutes before applying to the bullets.
I am not overloading the oven, because I only put 3 bullets per test.
I'm going to try a 12-second swirling as you say, so I rule out that is the cause.

There are less and less variables to blame.
I'm going to order another internal oven thermometer to make sure the temperature is correct, but practically you have to set up a laboratory to be able to succeed with this coating.

[Ausglock]

No lab needed.
But you have to check the variables.

You say a friend gave you Acetone.
Are you SURE that what they gave you is UN1090 acetone? Not contaminated with other stuff?

As they say.... Trust No-one. If you can not 100% verity (no hearsay) that it is the right stuff, Go buy the right stuff.
The acetone is the only remaining variable.

People in the USA had coating that "didn't work" It got returned to HITEK here in Aussie and I them preceded to coat with it.
NO PROBLEMS with the coating returned. In fact I used it to coat 6000 38 Special that fired perfectly.
So. Check everything.

[Velvet]

No lab needed.
But you have to check the variables.

You say a friend gave you Acetone.
Are you SURE that what they gave you is UN1090 acetone? Not contaminated with other stuff?

As they say.... Trust No-one. If you can not 100% verity (no hearsay) that it is the right stuff, Go buy the right stuff.
The acetone is the only remaining variable.

People in the USA had coating that "didn't work" It got returned to HITEK here in Aussie and I them preceded to coat with it.
NO PROBLEMS with the coating returned. In fact I used it to coat 6000 38 Special that fired perfectly.
So. Check everything.

The previous acetone was also pure acetone. Because you doubted that it was, I asked my friend who is a biochemist and works in a company that commercializes a large number of chemical products, to sell me 100% pure acetone, and he did so. I have no doubts about that.
I'm going to try the swirling for just 12 seconds and tell you.
Maybe I should try a little less coating, say 5ML.
At least, we have discarded the issue of drying !!!, or at least I think so.
Forgive me, but this is a headache ...

[Stephen Cohen]

Velvet I note your picture of the Acetone label shows UN 1090 which is correct, From what I see and read, you are doing it all right. I would as Ausglock has suggested, buy some Acetone from known source as you could have been give the wrong product or contaminated product by accident, I once was given some boat epoxy and hardener when mixed an applied it never hardened, seems I as given release agent as harder by mistake. Your smash test looked ok to me and the small amount of rub off did not seem excessive but pictures can be deceiving at times. I would as you mentioned try a little less coating on your first tumble as I find that the smallest amount usually just gives a light stain to the bullet which seems to give best adhesion, one can use more coating on second and or third coating if one wishes. The first coat is the binder coat and the most important, might I suggest you try turning up the temp by say 50 degree and see how that works, you cant really hurt the properties of the coating by over cooking you will just end with a darker colour. I want you to succeed with this coating as you have done your best to take advice and follow instructions as best you can which is more than I can say for some who have had teething problems. Regards Stephen

[Velvet]

Velvet I note your picture of the Acetone label shows UN 1090 which is correct, From what I see and read, you are doing it all right. I would as Ausglock has suggested, buy some Acetone from known source as you could have been give the wrong product or contaminated product by accident, I once was given some boat epoxy and hardener when mixed an applied it never hardened, seems I as given release agent as harder by mistake. Your smash test looked ok to me and the small amount of rub off did not seem excessive but pictures can be deceiving at times. I would as you mentioned try a little less coating on your first tumble as I find that the smallest amount usually just gives a light stain to the bullet which seems to give best adhesion, one can use more coating on second and or third coating if one wishes. The first coat is the binder coat and the most important, might I suggest you try turning up the temp by say 50 degree and see how that works, you cant really hurt the properties of the coating by over cooking you will just end with a darker colour. I want you to succeed with this coating as you have done your best to take advice and follow instructions as best you can which is more than I can say for some who have had teething problems. Regards Stephen

Thanks Stephen.
I'm doing my best to make it work. Trust me.
I am convinced that the two acetones that I have tried are 100% Pure. I have told my friend about these problems I have had, and I expressly asked him to sell me 100% pure acetone. So it was. I definitely rule out acetone.
It seems to me that failure is due to the amount of coating I am applying to it. I'm going to try 5ml and 4ml. I have no problem applying multiple coats of coating.
But from 20gm-100ML (as Hi-TEK recommends), I've switched to 20gm-150ML (50% more acetone), and applied the amount of coating that works well for Ausglock, but still doesn't stick. I do not understand what happens, honestly.
I'm going to do a couple more tests.
Thanks Stephen

[Stephen Cohen]

Velvet, When you say it does not stick, do you mean it flakes off badly or is there just a small amount of flaking when you do the smash test, a small amount of flaking is not totally unusual as is a small amount of rub off with the rub test, by small amount I mean a little stain on the cloth you rub with, which again is acceptable. I know you have stated your using number 2 alloy but I just wonder what metals were used to obtain that hardness, I have seen casters use zinc to harden their alloy to something like number 2 alloy, I believe the term number 2 alloy is a measure of hardness to most people and may have no real similarity to the original Lyman number 2 alloy. I can't help but feel your alloy may well be the problem in some way, back in the days when I used to use lube I did not worry about the odd Zinc wheel weight getting into the pot when making my version of number 2 alloy. I wonder if you have a couple of commercial fishing sinkers you could try and coat. I find this frustrating as you do because I have never had a problem from day one as long as my alloy is clean and free of contamination.Regards Stephen

[Ausglock]

OK... Just got off the phone to the Metalurgist Where I buy my 2,6,92 hardball alloy from.
He said that if you really have 5,5,90 alloy, you will have adhesion issues due to the very high (and wasteful) Tin content. The molecular structure of tin prevents penetration by chemicals at higher ratios. He suggests adding more pure lead to your alloy to bring the ratios back to close to Hardball alloy 2.6.92.

This would also be why you can scrape it off with a fingernail (no penetration/adhesion)
He also suggested you buy an Ingot of commercial Hardball alloy and test your coating on that.

Hope this helps.

[Stephen Cohen]

Would seem the problem may finally be solved, I have to admit I never felt the need for such hard alloy with my 45 acp. Regards Stephen

[Velvet]

Velvet, When you say it does not stick, do you mean it flakes off badly or is there just a small amount of flaking when you do the smash test, a small amount of flaking is not totally unusual as is a small amount of rub off with the rub test, by small amount I mean a little stain on the cloth you rub with, which again is acceptable. I know you have stated your using number 2 alloy but I just wonder what metals were used to obtain that hardness, I have seen casters use zinc to harden their alloy to something like number 2 alloy, I believe the term number 2 alloy is a measure of hardness to most people and may have no real similarity to the original Lyman number 2 alloy. I can't help but feel your alloy may well be the problem in some way, back in the days when I used to use lube I did not worry about the odd Zinc wheel weight getting into the pot when making my version of number 2 alloy. I wonder if you have a couple of commercial fishing sinkers you could try and coat. I find this frustrating as you do because I have never had a problem from day one as long as my alloy is clean and free of contamination.Regards Stephen

With two other colleagues, we bought the alloy from a local metal company. We asked him for a mixture that had lead, tin and antimony, with the proportion 90% + 5% + 5% respectively. He did so. We had to buy a minimum of 700 or 800kg, I do not remember well, so I received a little more than 200kg of this alloy, in large bars, which I converted into smaller ones with the LEE mold.
I do not have a device to measure hardness, I should buy it, but as I mentioned before, with conventional lubrication methods, I have not had any kind of problem with the bullets that I have cast for my 45 ACP gun. Does not lead the barrel.
My friends haven't had any problems with their weapons either, even one of them casting 150gn bullets with gas checks for his 308win. Also, use the alox lub, without leading your barrel.
I would rule out the issue of lead hardness, because we are 3 users without leading problems.

When I say that the coating does not adhere, I mean that when I hit the bullet with the hammer blow, the bullet looks like the photos: the coating does not come off, but if I scrape it off with my fingernail, it disappears. It is glued very weakly.
If I take a bullet and rub it for 30 seconds on a towel soaked in pure acetone, the coating literally disappears.
If I take a bullet and scrape it with my fingernail anywhere, the material disappears.
From my humble point of view, the adhesion of the coating is extremely weak. That bullet fired into a barrel pistol, should leave all the coating in the way.
In this thread, I have read over there, that someone advised to put the lead to a mixture of acid and water, to open the pores. I could try that too, but if I had to do this with each batch of bullets, imagine how cumbersome and complicated the process is.

I am thinking that this coating that I have read is fantastic, as it has so many specific requirements for its application to be successful, it is more suitable for companies that apply it commercially, such as Ausglock. That is to say, there are so many variables that can make you fail the coating, which is more a nuisance than a solution for the common and ordinary user.
I know that many people have worked successfully, and many others have not, from what I have read.
I consider myself a meticulous and detailed person, but I still can't find the solution.
Maybe it is this red copper coating that is metallic, and that is more difficult to apply .... I don't know. Maybe order another color without metal, to see if that is the cause.
Anyway, thank you very much for your interest. I don't bother with my problems anymore.

[Velvet]

OK... Just got off the phone to the Metalurgist Where I buy my 2,6,92 hardball alloy from.
He said that if you really have 5,5,90 alloy, you will have adhesion issues due to the very high (and wasteful) Tin content. The molecular structure of tin prevents penetration by chemicals at higher ratios. He suggests adding more pure lead to your alloy to bring the ratios back to close to Hardball alloy 2.6.92.

This would also be why you can scrape it off with a fingernail (no penetration/adhesion)
He also suggested you buy an Ingot of commercial Hardball alloy and test your coating on that.

Hope this helps.

I have more than 150kg of # 2 alloy, and that it works perfect without leaking any barrel, you will imagine that I am not going to discard it or re-melt to test if the coating adheres.
Anyway, thank you very much for the information. It would be good to specify it in the Hi-TEK instruction manual so people are warned that it has to have alloy 2-6-92 for the coating to adhere without problems.