a trick for tumble powder coating

[snuffy]

When I first saw this painting/coating boolits idea, I thought it was a fad. Also, I don't have a place to give over to an over-spray mess.

Beagle333 brought the tumble coat process over to the firing line forum. So I tried it on Monday, stopped at harbor freight, bought some red powder coat;

Attachment 105044

9mm lee's 124 RN and 124 TCTL.

Attachment 105045

Used white airsoft and ziplock #5 plastic bowl.

Attachment 105046

Coverage is good,,---enough!

Attachment 105048

Alloy is very soft, nearly pure.

My first attempt was with a few 45 acp, some MP 200 RNFPHP, Penta points, and some 230 TCTL lee's.

So, after a loading session yesterday, I headed to the range today.

Attachment 105049

That's the spit open test tube with a 124 coated Lee 9mm truncated cone where it stopped. Once in a while you get this clear split right on the boolit path to see where it ends up.

[snuffy]

Don't know if there's an pic limit per post, so continued from above.



The two 9mm's. The soft lead actually deformed quite a bit, but the paint stuck. No leading!!! Even with the soft lead!



The two 45's. The TC boolit is range lead that runs about 12-14 BHN. The test tube could not stop the TC boolits from my 45 SA-1911 A-1. So I stacked one in front of the one that failed to stop the first one. The TC boolit penetrated 14" of the soft wax medium. The 200 HP is the same soft lead as the 9's were cast from.



Side view shows the paint stands up to the rifling, and sticks even though the boolit is deforming.



Now for the accuracy. Or lack thereof. At least with the 9's, the RN was best, but a 6" group @ 25 yards is awful. Pistol is my CZ-75B, it's capable of 2" groups with the right recipe. The TC boolits missed the whole paper target all 5 shots! (From 25 yds). (Standard copy paper). I suspect that even though there was no leading from either boolit, the soft lead just won't work in that gun.

The 45 is a customized SA 1911 A-1 with an aftermarket match barrel. It shot the 200 HP's into around 3" from again 25 yds. The 230 TC's were almost that good. None of the boolits leaded at all in either gun. The paint/coating survives the trip down the barrel, the rifling does not cut through the paint, and it sticks even while a HP opens up like that one did!

I'm going to dump the soft lead from that pot,(it needs to be cleaned anyway), replace it with range lead and cast some more of the TC boolits. Then coat them and do a load work-up. I can already see the end of normal lube for 9's, and possibly the 45's.

[jimbo1950]

Excellent work and you testing was teriffic!!

White asbb in a square bowl works, how about that!!!

[Blanco]

I have been experimenting with a bunch of different coatings. After reading this thread I tried the Tumble PC method with the black airsoft BB's.
After making up the first batch I can already tell this will no doubt work quite well. I hammer tested a Lee 230 TC .45 with 4 whacks from different directions and the PC was still about 95%. I tested another by heating it with my MAPP torch. It took nearly a full minute for the lead to find a path out of the PC, which survived.
To anyone who is wondering about the tumble on method, it's not perfect but it works. I have tried several types of materials and methods of application. This is the last I will try! less mess and less time consuming.

Attachment 105070

[jakec]

man i tried the black airsoft bbs and what a difference! thanks for the tip!

[jakec]

if anybody wants to try some without spending $20 for a giant tub of bbs let me know and ill mail you some of mine. i wont ever use that many.

[ryokox3]

if anybody wants to try some without spending $20 for a giant tub of bbs let me know and ill mail you some of mine. i wont ever use that many.

I would not mind that. I can paypal a few bucks to cover shipping and such. PM me please.

[Artful]

snuffy, nicely documented!

[hickfu]

Im almost out of my tub of Black BB's..... I have 6 cool-whip bowls now and have been mixing colors so I use a lot of the BB's

Doc

[bangerjim]

I have been in 3 WM's lately and they are out of white AND black!!!!!!! OMG! I guess I had better buy some Crossman company stock!


banger

[CBMC]

I have been in 3 WM's lately and they are out of white AND black!!!!!!! OMG! I guess I had better buy some Crossman company stock!


banger

I got mine from amazon for just over $6 shipped. Amazon said expected delivery 6/5. I received on 5/16. I went to 3 wm's and none of them had it so I just figured I would order from amazon.

[.429]

I tried this method (DT with bb's) last night and it for sure gives a better coating. Also, using non stick alum foil is a must! I first just got reg alum foil and they stuck bad. I can't wait to see if they are accurate enough for my needs. Thanks for all the info in this thread!

[Beagle333]

These are the ones I got at WallyWorld and I paid about this price too. It was the only size they had. I prolly got enough for a lifetime , even if I were using 10 color tubs at a time.
http://www.amazon.com/Crosman-AirSof...+bbs+25g+black

[bangerjim]

Those are the ones I use, except bought a whole bunch in the smaller round bottles with pour spout. Found them early last year for $1.88 a bottle at a couple WM's. Don't know why they were so cheep on a close-out sale (they now stock that same bottle at a MUCH price!). Bought all they had, as I shoot those in the 6 Airsoft guns I have. I probably have 3x what those large black containers hold. And no, I am not selling any!!!!! I DO still shoot them on a regular basis!

banger

[snuffy]

When I first saw this painting/coating boolits idea, I thought it was a fad. Also, I don't have a place to give over to an over-spray mess.

Beagle333 brought the tumble coat process over to the firing line forum. So I tried it on Monday, stopped at harbor freight, bought some red powder coat;

Attachment 105044

9mm lee's 124 RN and 124 TCTL.

Attachment 105045

Used white airsoft and ziplock #5 plastic bowl.

Attachment 105046

Coverage is good,,---enough!

Attachment 105048

Alloy is very soft, nearly pure.

My first attempt was with a few 45 acp, some MP 200 RNFPHP, Penta points, and some 230 TCTL lee's.

So, after a loading session yesterday, I headed to the range today.

Attachment 105049

That's the spit open test tube with a 124 coated Lee 9mm truncated cone where it stopped. Once in a while you get this clear split right on the boolit path to see where it ends up.

I tried this method (DT with bb's) last night and it for sure gives a better coating. Also, using non stick alum foil is a must! I first just got reg alum foil and they stuck bad. I can't wait to see if they are accurate enough for my needs. Thanks for all the info in this thread!

In my post above, I used parchment paper. Saw that someone else had used it, I had some for baking cakes, so I tried it. No sticking!

Thanks for the kudos! I love to test new things, especially when it will end up saving me and others some money.

Nest test is to see if coating some of my range lead with HFPC will shoot accurately, I already know they won't lead! I have ½ ton of that lead, so it should last the rest of my life.

[pretzelxx]

I went to Wal-Mart and got the black 5000 pack of bb, last one. Went to HF and saw 10 LBS of red powder coat! It was even on sale!

[.429]

I get to take my bb's back to wm. I got home with them, then realized my boys still had some from a couple years back. It was an unopened pack of black ones

[xacex]

Yup, went by my LWM and guess what. All out of black bb's. Glad I grabbed a container last time I was in there. You guys are creating an artificial rush on this product I bet. WM, and crossman are going "wth" with the sudden surge in sales of this particular color. Someone probably thinks it is a new illicit drug ingredient from the way it is flying off the shelf.

[popper]

For a process that is messy, expensive & doesn't work, must be a lot of PCers out there.
Did ~ 150 31-165C yesterday (some were re-dos) placing in the oven took ~ 20 min., 2 runs ~ 10 min. each load - mostly picking them out of the ASBB & powder. Only knocked one over. Don't really need to place them, just get close enough and drop them.

[Beagle333]

The market on ASBBs should stabilize with only one or two deliveries back to the store though. I don't think it's a long term rush on it, as is the case with HF powder, since it is a one-time purchase on the BBs if you are just tumbling with em.