How about heating the lead bullets THEN apply the powder coat?

[tiger762]

Just had an idea I'll have to wait 'til the weekend to see if it is feasible. Heat a tray of bullets to 300 degrees or so. Use the smaller drum of my wet tumbler (BiggDawg). Add some amount of powder (to be determined) and the hot bullets, then tumble for some amount of time (also T.B.D.) The powder will start to coat everything it touches. It will apply too heavily to the first bullets, but the constant motion will move the powder around (hopefully) until all surfaces of all bullets have been coated.

[B. Lumpkin]

Will the hot bullets melt the tumbler? Sounds like a recipe for a sticky, gooey, mess of clumped up bullets.

[fishingsetx]

I heat mine before coating, but I espc





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[popper]

but the constant motion will move the powder around (hopefully) until all surfaces of all bullets have been coated.

I suggest you use a container inside the tumbler. If you've ever played with melted PC you'll understand my comment. I ESPC cold boolits, let them set for a day and the powder is still stuck.

[tiger762]

That's a valid concern, but I use the lowest temperature necessary to get the powder coat to liquify. The toaster oven thermostat is measuring the air temperature but with radiant heat transfer I have noticed that the bullets will be much hotter than the temperature of the air inside the oven. This has to do with the emissivity of the powder coating substance itself. Sort of like a white object and a black object being left in the Sun. The black object cannot radiate heat as well, so its temperature rises until it can reach thermal equilibrium.

I could use a metal paint can if the 300 degree temperature proves too much for the PVC drum.

Will the hot bullets melt the tumbler? Sounds like a recipe for a sticky, gooey, mess of clumped up bullets.

[tiger762]

I like that idea, a LOT. To see immediate effect of how much powder is applied and then go heavier (or lighter) as the case may be. I also have been using electrostatic application (Eastwood). I did a batch yesterday that looked like they were dusted sufficiently, but the finished product has a lot of clear spots. Could be I was using a "translucent" powder that really belongs on a valve cover. I can confirm the HF Red goes on thick and stays thick. I have about 30 different colors. Was trying out different ones. I'll try ESPC *after* heating the bullets and see if I get better results.

I heat mine before coating, but I espc

[B. Lumpkin]

It sounds interesting and I look forward to the updates. Now, what about the issue of the bullets getting all the sharp edges rounded, and dings/bumps from the tumbling motion? I own a Bigg Dawg tumbler and it has a pretty decent RPM so I would be concerned about bullet damage.

As it is, the SS media peens case mouths. I know you won't have SS pins in while tumbling bullets, lol. Just wanted to point out that the RPM and agitation inside the drum are enough to peen a case mouth so I'd be concerned about the bullets tumbling in the drum beating each other up.

[tiger762]

I'm thinking to start with an empty metal paint can but there will need to be a way to lift the bullets as they tumble.

I suggest you use a container inside the tumbler. If you've ever played with melted PC you'll understand my comment. I ESPC cold boolits, let them set for a day and the powder is still stuck.

[tiger762]

In a way, I am thinking it could be useful for the bullets to peen themselves, to expose fresh lead and maybe knock some oxidation off. I have made up some pure lead 0.452 18-deg TC with RCECO swage die set. Bullets without the jacket, in other words. Very basic geometry (cylinder plus truncated cone).

It sounds interesting and I look forward to the updates. Now, what about the issue of the bullets getting all the sharp edges rounded, and dings/bumps from the tumbling motion? I own a Bigg Dawg tumbler and it has a pretty decent RPM so I would be concerned about bullet damage. As it is, the SS media peens case mouths.

[B. Lumpkin]

I'm thinking to start with an empty metal paint can but there will need to be a way to lift the bullets as they tumble.

Maybe some form of agitator in the can?

[jeepyj]

Although I don't use the shake and bake method I set my Boolits on the tray preheat for 4-5 minutes then pull out and shoot with a HF sprayer inside a vacuum box so it doesn't dust up the shop. Very easy and very fast method to coat a lot of lead goodies in one evening.

[therealhitman]

Works very well for me. This guy posted it first. Smarter than he sounds.

[JASON4X4]

There is a guy i think his name is elvis ammo on YouTube that preheats his then shakes and bakes

[NavyVet1959]

I've tried setting the bullets on skillet that was sitting on a portable electric hot plate that was set on low and then dumping them into the container that I use with the ASBBs. It does seem to make a difference.

Ideally, what I would like to try would be to heat the bullets like this and pick them up one by one with some modified forceps that only gripped by 4 points, dip them in a powder fluid bed, and then place them on the tray that it going into the toaster oven. My experiment with the fluid bed didn't come out good though. The aquarium pump that I bought did not produce enough air flow and I haven't pursued this method any further (yet).

[Dragonheart]

To save you some time experimenting; if you heat the bullets to a true 250 degrees and try to tumble you will have a ball of sticky mess. If you keep the bullets under 200 degrees they will start to coat as soon as they hit the powder so it is important to keep them moving. I use a home built tumbler for that purpose and the bullets are dropped into a running tumbler.

Different powders will coat differently and some will coat thicker than others. It is possible to get a coating so thick the bullets will not go through the sizer. I use this method to combat high humidity. I would suggest you start out with a lower temp and go up to where you are satisfied. You must have an accurate thermometer in your oven if you want to get consistent results.

[NavyVet1959]

I recently made an electrostatic fluid bed (ESFB) utilizing an ion generator. My previous experiments with a fluid bed failed due to the aquarium pump not having enough air flow, but I hooked it up to a real air compressor and with a couple of valves and very small orifices, I was able to get an air flow that was about right. The power get attracted to the bullet quite nicely.

Need to work on my technique for holding the bullets with the forceps though...

[bigolsmokebomb]

ive used elvis ammo's method with great success. you bake your uncoated boolits for 4 minutes at 140deg and then shake and bake em, no need for bb's and its worked well with smokes powder and HF red. all you really want to do is get the boolits warm so that the PC sticks to them easier and you don't have to use a tumbler or wear out your arms. if you get them too warm the PC will start to melt and you will end up with a gigantic mess that's a major pita to clean up. the 140 for 4 mins gets them at just about the right temp to get great coverage just don't let them sit after they get warm. get em in the powder fast and start shakin.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I found that preheating the boolits before coating like the Eastwood's Instructions state,,, works the best. You seem to get the best and most complete coverage doing it that way.

Randy

[UKShootist]

Works very well for me. This guy posted it first. Smarter than he sounds.

I've been interested in powder coating, and have tried some of this man's techniques with limited success. He seems to get good results.

BUT

Watching his videos has been the only time on my life that I have been able to physically feel myself getting older every single second of them. He takes about 20 minutes for a video that he could do in 5. I'm glad he's made these videos but it's like watching time lapse in reverse.

[Dragonheart]

Diarrhea mouth seems to be a real problem on YouTube. There is a lot of really good information on the site, but it takes a lot of time and patience to sift through it.