HI-TEK do's and don'ts

[Red Ork]

I have read the metal colors need 2 coats, but the other colors need 3. What is the difference? Can you do a base coat in a metallic and then second coat in a 'flat' color?

Similarly has anyone tried doing 1 wet coat and 1 dry coat? I can't think of why you would, but that never stops members here from trying things "just cause"

[Ausglock]

2 coats of any of the coatings works fine.
Some do 3 coats for rifle bullets.

[HI-TEK]

I have read the metal colors need 2 coats, but the other colors need 3. What is the difference? Can you do a base coat in a metallic and then second coat in a 'flat' color?

Similarly has anyone tried doing 1 wet coat and 1 dry coat? I can't think of why you would, but that never stops members here from trying things "just cause"

Just to clarify things, all the coatings can be used, mixed and interchanged and over coated.
Many mix their own mixtures, to get strange looking, distinctive or unique colours.
They all work. What you need to keep in mind is the liquids, require catalyst, and powdered systems are all in one.
If you wish, coat with one colour first, then coat with another colour second, and a different colour as third.
Alternatively, premix any colour/s together first, and coat with mixture.
As long as you are happy with what you make, it is all good.
Hope that this answers your questions.

[Beagle333]

BTT for the new coaters.

[Sticky]

BTT for the new coaters.

Thank you!

[Ausglock]

you are a good man, Beagle333

[DrBill33]

Somewhere in the original thread, there is a comment on using gasoline, followed by wiping and the acetone as a means of successfully removing all traces of Alox. Has anyone tried this? If so, to what success?

[NYBushBro]

250ml = 8.45 Fluid Ounces (US)
2kg = 4.41 lbs
200°C = 392°F (just so nobody has to look it up.)

I'm curious how to incorporate this with oven heat treating to harden bullets... or whether this would negate prior heat-treating/water quenching.

If anyone has had experience (good or not-so-good) with trying to do this, please chime in. Thanks!

[popper]

BushBro - just dump in cold water from the oven. Works fine. I just started playing with the gold 1035 powder (cooked at 400F). Passed wipe & smash test for 3 coats - failed during sizing. They were a little brownish/dark. Running another batch now, 380F. Like I do for pistol, dump boolits in jug, add a splash of acetone to get them wet & then add coating. If I can get it to work in the BO I'll try in the 308, full load.
edit: did 2 light coatings, 2 heavier coats gold 1035, good color with a few darker streaks. Only added bout a thous. to dia.
HiTek - can I coat first with liquid green then with the dry gold and expect good HV quality?
Edit: yup, gold scrapes off with fingernail. Passes smash & wipe. Dried about 8 hrs. after coating. Never had a problem with the green liquid.

[Recluse]

Just shot my first Hi-Tek coated boolits today and all-in-all, consider it a significant success.

I'm not to swift with the metric system or mixing grams with litres with teaspoons with inches, yards and nautical miles. I prefer to keep it simple. So, I simply use a one-part of powder to six-parts of acetone and I make it up in extremely small batches--much how I do/did my 45/45/10 tumble lube.

I started with "freshly cast" boolits that had no lube and no prior sizing done to them. Rather than trying to soak boolits in gasoline or acetone or mineral spirits to clean the lube off, I simply re-melted them and then re-cast them.

Same as I do/did my tumble-lubing, I apply the coating in small batches, and using a small amount of coating. Swirl and (gently) tumble until I heard the audible change in sound the boolits make when coming in contact with each other, then dumped onto the wire-mesh tray I made.

Into the new toaster oven at 400F for 15 minutes for the first baking. Remove, let cool and repeat application process exactly the same two more times except only baking for 12 minutes. After third batch is baked, I dump them straight into a water bath, let cool, then go straight to the push-through sizer and run them through while they're still wet.

Spread 'em on a towel under the ceiling fan and let them dry.

I pushed some 158SWC in .357 Magnum today to an average of 1425fps with excellent accuracy and zero leading and no smoke. I fired some mouseload 105SWC in the .38 Special and again, no smoke and no leading. Accuracy was excellent. Coating was the Hi-Tek Black 1035, three light coats.

Next, I shot some 214SWC sized to .430 and loaded for 44 Special out of the Model 29. Again, superb accuracy, no smoke, no leading.

So far, so good. Now to the 200SWC in 45ACP. Can't tell if the fall-off in accuracy was my shooting or the boolits. Same Red Dot load that I can write my name with or drive nails with using that 200SWC boolit sized .452 and tumble-lubed in my 45/45/10. With the coated boolits, I had more flyers than I'm accustomed to--quite a bit more, actually. I may experiment with adjusting the load some, but not before I try them a couple more times.

All-in-all, this has actually exceeded my expectations. I'm happy. Real happy. Good stuff.

[sparky45]

Good post JD. I'm still using powder coat but I have some Hi Tek to try. Hope mine turn out as good as yours. Pics would be nice..

[landers]

I am getting ready to dive in and still have a few questions, besides one is liquid and one is dry, about the difference between the liquid and dry "supercoat".

1. Is one tougher or harder than the other?
2. Has anyone tested the effects on cast hollow point bullets, like delayed expansion or failure to expand compared to traditional lube?
3. Are they compatible with black powder or black powder substitutes like pyrodex or 777? I cant use sabots here in Colorado and really dislike the messy lube I have to use for my own cast muzzleloader boolits.

Thanks to all for the knowledge and insight you share here!

Landers

[Ausglock]

The "hardness" is the same for liquid and powder.
The coatings with the Gold elements (Texas Tea, Gold 1035, Red Copper) can be pushed faster.
Hollow points? I have not tried them.
Black powder? A few here in OZ have tried it, but seating the bullet (ball) seems to remove the coating from the fouling already in the barrel.

[landers]

Trevor,
Thanks for the quick reply,
I just ordered one of each, red and brown copper, from Byron at Gateway Bullets, he was great to work with. I am currently on page 37 of the mega thread getting all the information I can before the lube arrives. I have a question that didn't occur to ask when ordering.

what is the "solid" in the copper coating, is it possible it will act as an abrasive at these temperatures and pressures in the barrel?

Thanks and have a great day,
Landers

[Ausglock]

The "Solids" in the coating is the metallic component that adds to the heat reflection properties of the coating. It is non abrasive. As the temp increases it reflects the heat from the alloy better.
So, no issue.

[fredj338]

I just did my first test batch with the hi-tek gold. It was pretty straight forward, just not time efficient in the small toaster oven I had. Still, first results look great, passed the smash test & the 40s I sized look great. Now for the shooting! I'll be looking for a larger heat source. It would be great to be able to do 500 @ a time. Thanks, this thread was really helpful.

[Ausglock]

If you are playing with the HITEK Powder, remember, the catalyst is already in the powder.
you only need to add Acetone.
Ratio is:
20grams of powder to 100 Mls of acetone.
Shake very very well and leave to re-act for 1 hour.
shake again and then coat away.

[zomby woof]

The "hardness" is the same for liquid and powder.
The coatings with the Gold elements (Texas Tea, Gold 1035, Red Copper) can be pushed faster.

I just purchased Brick Red from Bayou. Does this have the gold elements?

[HI-TEK]

I just purchased Brick Red from Bayou. Does this have the gold elements?

Thanks for using the coating.
The Brick Red does not have Gold flecks in it.
Candy Apple has the Gold Flecks, and is more a Red Crimson colour, (different Red to Brick Red)

[zomby woof]

Thanks for using the coating.
The Brick Red does not have Gold flecks in it.
Candy Apple has the Gold Flecks, and is more a Red Crimson colour, (different Red to Brick Red)

So the brick Red is the same as the dark green liquid I started out with??