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View Poll Results: Questions about your PC Coating methods...

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  • * I follow PC Mfgr's directions for temp. & time.

    169 40.05%
  • * I pre-heat the oven

    293 69.43%
  • * I don't preheat the oven

    96 22.75%
  • * I bake longer than recommended time

    91 21.56%
  • * I bake shorter than recommended time

    26 6.16%
  • * I use higher temp. than recommended

    29 6.87%
  • * I use lower temp. than recommended

    23 5.45%
  • * I have verified my oven's temperature w/separate thermometer

    245 58.06%
  • * I use a PID Controller on my oven

    29 6.87%
  • * I use a convection oven

    171 40.52%
  • * I use a toaster oven

    230 54.50%
  • * I use a full size kitchen oven

    34 8.06%
  • * I use a recommended #5 tub

    260 61.61%
  • * I don't use #5 tub but I use a tub

    48 11.37%
  • * I ESPC with the casts on a jig

    25 5.92%
  • * I ESPC w/out a jig

    30 7.11%
  • * I put them in a container, place it in the vibratory cleaner bowl...let it shake them

    22 5.21%
  • * I put them in a rock polisher type drum and coat them

    6 1.42%
  • * I shake them less than a minute

    175 41.47%
  • * I shake them more than a minute

    153 36.26%
  • * I slurry coat

    4 0.95%
  • * I use recommended Black air-soft BB's

    183 43.36%
  • * I use any color BB's

    67 15.88%
  • * I don't use BB's

    112 26.54%
  • * I stand casts individually to bake

    256 60.66%
  • * I use a jig and bake

    26 6.16%
  • * I dump and bake

    94 22.27%
  • * I shake/tap off excess PC

    251 59.48%
  • * I don't shake/tap off excess PC

    38 9.00%
  • * I bake on non-stick Aluminum foil

    161 38.15%
  • * I bake on Parchment

    101 23.93%
  • * I bake on silicone mat

    83 19.67%
  • * I dump and bake on wire or mat and oven cool

    11 2.61%
  • * I dump and bake on wire or mat and air cool

    62 14.69%
  • * I dump and bake on wire or mat and water drop

    38 9.00%
  • * I stand or jig and bake and oven cool

    22 5.21%
  • * I stand or jig and bake and air cool

    120 28.44%
  • * I stand or jig and bake and water drop

    35 8.29%
  • * I use Harbor Freight PC

    157 37.20%
  • * I don't use Harbor Freight PC

    98 23.22%
  • * I use Smokes PC

    182 43.13%
  • * I use Powder by the Pound PC

    48 11.37%
  • * I use Eastwood PC

    73 17.30%
  • * I use Prismatic PC

    25 5.92%
  • * I use Sherman Williams PC

    6 1.42%
  • * I use ___________________PC (give a name of your brand in comments below)

    25 5.92%
  • * I use hi-tec or other than PC coating

    25 5.92%
  • * I get good coverage in hi-humidity

    86 20.38%
  • * I don't coat in high-humidity

    63 14.93%
  • * I get good coverage only in low-humidity

    37 8.77%
  • * I get good coverage rain or shine makes no difference

    164 38.86%
  • * I am satisfied with my coating results

    324 76.78%
  • * I am not satisfied with my coating results

    44 10.43%
  • * I want perfect looking coatings

    140 33.18%
  • * I don't care about perfect, I want quantity

    102 24.17%
  • * I put more effort into coating high velocity casts than lo-vel pistol casts

    51 12.09%
  • * I treat them all the same...hi or lo velocity

    147 34.83%
  • * I PC only the drive bands of my cast

    3 0.71%
  • * I gas check before I PC

    68 16.11%
  • * I gas check after I PC

    105 24.88%
  • * I leave the base of the cast bare of PC

    38 9.00%
  • * I coat the base of my casts with PC

    191 45.26%
  • * I have trouble with the PC flashing, making a skirt at the base

    23 5.45%
  • * I PC as it is my only option

    31 7.35%
  • * I PC as choice over a Lube-sizer

    150 35.55%
  • * I still do both

    102 24.17%
  • * I lube size or tumble or pan lube, to heck with this PC business...gerrrrr!

    7 1.66%
  • * I cast, size, PC and size again before loading

    74 17.54%
  • * I cast, PC and size before loading

    290 68.72%
  • * I cast, size and PC before loading

    15 3.55%
  • * I cast, PC and don't size before loading

    25 5.92%
  • * I nose size also

    18 4.27%
  • * After PC I wait some time before sizing

    73 17.30%
  • * After PC and-/or not- sizing, I wait some time before loading

    59 13.98%
  • * To heck with waiting for anything...I load them immediately or whenever I'm ready to use them

    131 31.04%
  • * I do a smash test for every batch

    54 12.80%
  • * My method has already passed the smash test long before and now, I don't bother

    172 40.76%
  • * I smash test only if I think something is wrong

    103 24.41%
  • * I never smash test

    64 15.17%
  • * I am satisfied with the accuracy of pistol casts and PC

    262 62.09%
  • * I am not satisfied with the accuracy of pistol casts and PC

    6 1.42%
  • * I am satisfied with the accuracy of rifle casts with PC

    110 26.07%
  • * I am not satisfied with the accuracy of rifle casts with PC

    19 4.50%
  • * I am not decided yet about accuracy

    89 21.09%
  • * Most of my problems are attributed to the quality of the PC powder I use

    37 8.77%
  • * Most of my problems are attributed to my oven temp. control

    23 5.45%
  • * Most of my problems are attributed to unclean casts

    15 3.55%
  • * I use nitrite gloves to handle my PC'd casts

    106 25.12%
  • * I use tweezers or some other tool to handle my PC'd casts

    228 54.03%
  • * I wear a respirator when I do PC coatings

    34 8.06%
Multiple Choice Poll.
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Results 61 to 80 of 89

Thread: (2)...The Devil's in the Details>>>>>PC Coatings<<<<<

  1. #61
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Posts
    51
    I tried the shake & bake in the beginning with HF powder, but couldn't get anything that resembled a good coverage. Bought the sprayer, and they turn out perfect. I set them out in a grid on the back side of a road sign. Most of the powder stays on the sign, and very little migrates off of the edge. After coating them & transferring the bullets to the oven pan, I sweep the over spray up with a paint brush and put it back in the jar for another round.

  2. #62
    Boolit Man DuncaninFrance's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
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    Blaye in S.W.France
    Posts
    78
    Trying to find powder here ( France ) is like trying to plait fog or juggle soot! Harbor Freights 16oz can which they sell at $6.99 costs the equivalent of about $90 here from Amazon................
    I am currently talking to a company in the UK about their powders which cost about $12 a pound but my trial was not very successful.Their technical guy is looking at it for me and I have sent him some casts to try with.
    A DAY WITHOUT WINE IS A DAY WITHOUT SUNSHINE
    Duncan

  3. #63
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Posts
    249
    I also use a Eastwood PC gun and Shake and Bake, depends on the bullet,what I'm loading it for

  4. #64
    Boolit Bub dbmjr1's Avatar
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    Aug 2012
    Location
    NOLA
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    I shake in a coffee can using 50/50 HF White and Red. I do two thin coats. I just dump them onto the metal tin that came with the oven, after shaking them off on some hardware cloth.
    I dump them while hot, and shake them around in a separate metal pan to keep them from sticking together while they cool. My finish is very even, with no blemishes from sticking together.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    I found that for me the HF red, by itself, gave too thick of a coating and resulted in blemishes from bullets sticking to the pan or each other.
    The HF White by itself took too many coats to get a satisfactory coating. Combined, they seem to work just right. If my coatings are a bit thin, I add a bit more red, too thick, I add a bit more white.

    I've found that you don't need a thick coating to prevent fouling in the bore. I've shot thousands of rounds and my bore is cleaner after shooting, than before.

    I love PCing bullets. Less smoke. Less fouling of firearms. Less worry about getting the Pb alloy just right. I can push them hard and fast if I want, or slow, without changing the alloy.
    Last edited by dbmjr1; 04-22-2018 at 06:39 PM.

  5. #65
    Boolit Master




    bruce drake's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Brownsburg, Indiana
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    4,231
    Quote Originally Posted by DuncaninFrance View Post
    Trying to find powder here ( France ) is like trying to plait fog or juggle soot! Harbor Freights 16oz can which they sell at $6.99 costs the equivalent of about $90 here from Amazon................
    I am currently talking to a company in the UK about their powders which cost about $12 a pound but my trial was not very successful.Their technical guy is looking at it for me and I have sent him some casts to try with.
    Local company in France that may make the powders you are looking for.

    http://www.acg-eticoat.com/page/Etic...er_coatings/14
    I Cast my Boolits, Therefore I am Happy.
    Bona Fide member of the Jeff Brown Hunt Club

  6. #66
    Boolit Master Gamsek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    EU
    Posts
    508

    (2)...The Devil's in the Details&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;PC Coatings&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;

    Quote Originally Posted by DuncaninFrance View Post
    Trying to find powder here ( France ) is like trying to plait fog or juggle soot! Harbor Freights 16oz can which they sell at $6.99 costs the equivalent of about $90 here from Amazon................
    I am currently talking to a company in the UK about their powders which cost about $12 a pound but my trial was not very successful.Their technical guy is looking at it for me and I have sent him some casts to try with.
    Try this UK company that I have successfully ordered from and got great results, look like Eastwood powders, same colors, same great results m, they are polyester,TGIC, choose among gloss, start with ultra gloss clear (no pigment/color) but excellent if not the best in coverage.

    https://www.electrostaticmagic.co.uk/pages/powders

    Pm me for more details
    Last edited by Gamsek; 07-01-2018 at 02:39 PM.

  7. #67
    Boolit Master

    firefly1957's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Harrison Michigan
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    2,776
    I also use enamel spray paint even with three coats it gives a thinner coating then P C that allows long nosed bullets to chamber into rifling easier. Specifically the Lee 170 grain in 30-30.
    When I think back on all the **** I learned in high school it's a wonder I can think at all ! And then my lack of education hasn't hurt me none I can read the writing on the wall.

  8. #68
    Boolit Grand Master


    GregLaROCHE's Avatar
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    Feb 2018
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    Southern France by way of Interior Bush Alaska
    Posts
    5,286
    I have great results with my heavy (405-500gr) boolits and lighter (140gr) coating, but need gas checks for the lighter caliber and faster boolits. The heavy(45-70) work great without GCs.

  9. #69
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    390
    I couldn't get even powder coating, or really any noticeable powder coating to stick to the bullets until I tried a number 5 tub today. I tried leaving the bullets in my case tumbler for random amounts of time with poor results.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  10. #70
    Banned
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    I just bought some no name copper colored PC off eBay for $14 per lb. Order one LB they sent about 3lb in a plastic bag. Tried them when the humidity was about 90% very VERY thin coat, so I double coated them.
    I bought this stuff because I want my PC boolits (22lr) to look as much like factory rounds as possible. The texture came out of the oven like 320 grit sandpaper. I swage them after PC so that is no big deal for me. After swaging they looked OK, not great but OK. The seller recommends mixing the PC with clear. I have Smokes Clear and the next batch will have the mix.
    I am looking for GREAT LOOKING bullets. No run of the mill stuff. Going to start with maybe 25% Smokes Clear and the copper to start.
    My method is to shake in container (no BBs.) and bounce in a strainer to get off excess then either dump on non stick aluminum foil or a silicone mat. An alternative method is to swage in a wire pin to the bottom of the bullet and place them in an aluminum block with pin holes to hold them straight up and away from any surface. Obviously that method is far more time consuming but I will probably use it when I get the powder recipe the way I want it.
    Any suggestions?

  11. #71
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    some powders will coat better/ smoother/thinner than others. Often you can mix a powder that works great with another powder to improve it.

    coat thickness doesn't hurt function, just appearance.

  12. #72
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    I just remembered how important it is when the powder DOES NOT WANT TO STICK. To use JUST enough powder to cover the boolits. I was having a real problem here tonight... trying Everything... then I thought, MAYBE EVEN LESS POWDER. Then I tried using just enough powder to cover with about enough left over to fill a about a 22 case...BINGO...nice ...perfect coverage, not too thick but completely and well covered.

  13. #73
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    I just bought myself some "pony beads" from the craft store. I was going to get those black airsoft BB's but for $15 a jar....nope. So in my uneducated mind black pony beads are roughly the same size and I bought black so they are the same color ...$1.49 per package...so I'm good now.

  14. #74
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    Traffer let us know if the "pony beads" work (unfortunately not all plastic is the same) Please post your results, name, and manufacturer of the beads.

  15. #75
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    PONY BEADS!!!!
    I have not tried black airsoft BB's. I went to buy some but they were $15 for a jar. So I went to a place called Michaels Craft Supplies. They had Pony Beads that are similar size to airsoft BB's but with holes in them. I got black ones because MAYBE they would be made from the same kind of plastic. They were on sale for $1.47 for a bag. I wasn't expecting much because of the high humidity here in Wisconsin and nothing works well. But to my amazement, The PC stuck. This is cheap Copper PC I got on eBay. It wouldn't stick well at all before the pony beads. Here are the pictures of Before Baking:
    Attachment 224218Attachment 224219Attachment 224220Attachment 224221Attachment 224222

  16. #76
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    Here are some pics of the finished boolits. These are actually CORES. They get swaged into the final shape. When I get that step done I will post those pics also. Some of these have a HF red base coat with 2 copper coats on top. And some have Smokes Clear base with 2 copper coats on top. I put in a couple of 22lr rounds for contrast. My goal is to have the boolits look like copper plated 22lr. I think they are pretty close.
    Attachment 224226Attachment 224227Attachment 224228

  17. #77
    Boolit Master


    cwlongshot's Avatar
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    I have that same copper off ebay.... Its on the back shelf waste of $$. Super thin coatings took four coats to look good. ( Just did few bullets to prove it was what it was... I dont use it now.

    CW
    NRA Life member • REMEMBER, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE its being paid for in BLOOD.
    Come visit my RUMBLE & uTube page's !!

    https://www.RUMBLE.com/user/Cwlongshot
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  18. #78
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    Quote Originally Posted by cwlongshot View Post
    I have that same copper off ebay.... Its on the back shelf waste of $$. Super thin coatings took four coats to look good. ( Just did few bullets to prove it was what it was... I dont use it now.

    CW
    It has the look I want so I am going to continue to experiment with it.

  19. #79
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  20. #80
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    Pictures of the 22lr boolits after final swage, Various combinations of PC here including Smoke's Clear, HF red and yellow, and the copper stuff from eBay.
    Attachment 224858Attachment 224859Attachment 224860

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check