PC before GC?

[Beagle333]

Those look too nice... You much be using an electrostatic powdercoating gun...

Yes. I spray most of mine. I don't have much luck with the tumbling. I can move pretty fast when rotating out 3 trays. I load and spray one while another one is baking and the last one is cooling after baking.

[Dragonheart]

So far. My pc method is high volume and hands free. So in 30 minutes i have bullets to dunk in water.

No pliers
No pc gun
Just a jar and strainer
And up to 100bullets at a time

I assume you are just dumping the bullets on a rack to cook? When I tried laying the bullet on their side the coating on the bases was not smooth and flat. A a gas check would fix this, but there is not a lot of point to gas checking most handgun calibers. Since the base of the bullet has more to do with accuracy and consistency than any other portion of the bullet, do you shoot any bullets that are not gas checked?

[LAKEMASTER]

I assume you are just dumping the bullets on a rack to cook? When I tried laying the bullet on their side the coating on the bases was not smooth and flat. A a gas check would fix this, but there is not a lot of point to gas checking most handgun calibers. Since the base of the bullet has more to do with accuracy and consistency than any other portion of the bullet, do you shoot any bullets that are not gas checked?

I tumble with my tumbler in a glass jar with BBS. Then i use a modified collander\strainer. To drain the bbs and powder.

Dump

Bake.

GC

Retumble

Bake

They look like glass

I assume 2 medium coats even out more then one heavy.

[popper]

Lakemaster - sounds like you have a method that works, shoot some and modify if needed. IF you need to change, GC with the 309 and then tumble, depends on the GC shank size.

[LAKEMASTER]

Im not trying to reinvent the wheel. I just looked at some TPC users and see where i can change the few things

[Tailhunter]

I have been gas checking my bullets and then pc'ing them. I just press the checks on and then run them through the sizer after the coating is done. Works well.

[Dragonheart]

I have been gas checking my bullets and then pc'ing them. I just press the checks on and then run them through the sizer after the coating is done. Works well.

That definitely works if you are spray coating, but if you tumble coat some of the checks will come off unless you size first. I have found it is just as easy to tumble coat then check & size. It also make a better looking bullet, however powder coating after checking will definitely glue the check on to stay.

[Tailhunter]

I have yet to have a check fall off. I do press them on but they stay even with vigorous shaking.

[RogerDat]

Have been reading this thread with interest, I was getting around to asking the same question. Hoped there would be a "right" way. <sigh> As with so much of this stuff the "right" way... depends on what works best. I expect that as the winter comes and humidity drops I'll get to find out the "right" answer by good old "well that approach worked out like a skunk in church" guess I'll try the other way.

I don't anticipate doing PC of pistol (revolver) ammo except maybe a few decorative ones just for grins. Rifle the 303 or 8mm seem like good candidates but wonder if doing .223 or 7.62 x 39 will be a PITA with the additional PC step or steps? Can't imagine getting standing a few hundred of those up, baking them and getting them out all while not having them fall over.

FWIW - Pistol I like tumble lube, I use large gallon or half gallon size zip lock bag to tumble rather than a plastic dish. It is about like playing with a really heavy slinky as I let the boolits flow from one corner to the next. The 45/45/10 lube dries fairly fast so over the course of a day it is no problem to get two coats on a 500 - 750 round batch of casting. Could do more in that time but would need additional trays for drying to speed things up. Or I could also supply heat and/or fan for faster drying if I was in a rush to load.

[NavyVet1959]

FWIW - Pistol I like tumble lube, I use large gallon or half gallon size zip lock bag to tumble rather than a plastic dish. It is about like playing with a really heavy slinky as I let the boolits flow from one corner to the next. The 45/45/10 lube dries fairly fast so over the course of a day it is no problem to get two coats on a 500 - 750 round batch of casting. Could do more in that time but would need additional trays for drying to speed things up. Or I could also supply heat and/or fan for faster drying if I was in a rush to load.

The tops of 5g buckets work well as trays. So do pieces of glass if you put a small wooden frame around them. I sometimes find people giving away pieces of glass on Craigslist. Sometimes it is thick tempered glass, so you can't cut it, you just have to go with whatever dimensions you get. Scoring and cracking tempered glass gives you a lot of small pieces, not the two pieces you intended.

If you have a table saw, cut a groove along the center of piece of lumber just wide enough for the piece of glass you have. Then cut the lumber in pieces and wrap around the edge of the glass. glue and attach the corners to each other in your preferred manner (nails, screws, joinery). The glass if free floating, but if you desire, you can calk/glue it in with silicone calk or construction adhesive. You don't need that much of a frame -- a 1x2 will work.

[Dragonheart]

I guess we have gotten a little off topic, but the great thing about powder coating is not having the lead in the barrel issue to deal with. I know everybody that lubes says, "there is no lead in my barrel", but when I use my "Foul Out" to clean their barrels the rod gets coated in lead.

As far as production I powder coat 5+ pounds of bullets in just a few minutes and and cook 1K+ at a time and yes it takes me a few minutes to stand them base down, but I end up with bullets that are cheap, accurate, good for long term storage, leave a clean barrel , clean dies, run in a bullet feeder, no sticky mess, a good topic for range talk and down right good looking. I tumble coat in an easy to make converted tumbler, which does all the work. See photo.
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