My first batch

[jeff100]

I have cooked my first batch of powder coated (PC) cast boolits using the shake and bake method. I used some cast 432-200-RF boolits that I had on hand cast from a NOE mold. These boolits have been sitting around in a sealed container for a couple of years. The powder used is Powder by the Pound RAL 5011 'Steele Blue' powder. My results are less than perfect with this first batch of boolits. The first coat cured and gave full coverage but the thickness of the coating varied. I baked these boolits for 15 minutes starting with a cold oven. When I checked the oven temp without boolits, it took about 4 minutes for the oven to come up to temp @ 400+ degrees.

I added a second powder coat to get a more consistent coating thickness on the boolit. After sizing a smash test of a boolit showed the PC did not show any flaking or other failure. I am not satisfied with the flow out of the PC as it cured a bit unevenly and didn't flow out as I hoped it would. Close up photos show uneven coating of the cured PC. I'm guessing I didn't allow enough time for coating in the tumbler although the boolits looked well coated when I took them out. I think that once I get my Airsoft BB's and add these to the mix during coating of the boolits the PC coverage will improve.

Question: I didn't water quench these boolits after baking them, letting them slowly cool on their own. How will this affect hardness?

[Grmps]

Jeff, To figure how a cooling method affects hardness we need to know what alloy you are using.
AC generally takes 30 days to reach max BHN
before baking pictures might help us to see your coverage issues.
I generally like to go 12-15 min in a preheated oven.
Not a bad job for first time. for short range shooting they should be just fine

I have no experience with that particular powder. different powders even from the same manufacturer work differently.

Seeing your just starting out PCing I'd suggest getting a sample pack of PC from Smoke a VS here, All the powders he sells work well for DT PCing

Welcome to PCing

Once you get PCing down you'll never go back to lubing

PS use and oven thermometer set in the middle of the shelf you are baking on to check your oven temperature. Almost all countertop ovens are off.

[DerekP Houston]

I've never had good luck trying to 'fix' a bad PC with another coat. As far as your temperature, try watching until the powder turns shiny on the bullet and doing 10 minutes from there. Outside temps and the amount of bullets on each tray can effect the time for me but that method has been consistent. The pigment is the paint is what causes 'flow' issues, the clear powder seems to get the most even coverage for me.

[jeff100]

Alloy is combination of pure lead and linotype using 3 parts lead to 1 part lino by weight.

[The Dar]

I've never had good luck trying to 'fix' a bad PC with another coat.

I agree with DerekP, the few times I used a second coat the results looked worse. I think your first attempt looks very nice. I say choot 'em and see, they will probably surprise you. I shot 24 rounds of PC bullets in a very dirty barrel my first time. Accuracy was impressive and the barrel was bright and shiny afterwards.

Dar out.

[jeff100]

I will 'choot em' and see. Thanks everyone who replied. Also, many many thanks to those who contributed to the sticky threads on powder coating. I spent hours and hours reading a couple of the sticky threads, particularly the 100+ page thread, valuable information that helped me a great deal as a beginner to powder coating. I read these threads till my eyes were blurry. Also a shout out to Big Mak who gave me his personal help and expertise to which I'm grateful for.

JJ

[DerekP Houston]

shrug I still consider myself a beginner on all this stuff and this must be 4 years in to reloading now? Yours looked much better than my first attempts. And just think, your post will help other newbies as they find this forum in the future

[rototerrier]

I can attest that Smokes Flame Red and Carolina Blue Coat flow very well, in my environment. Powder By The Pound Super Durable Wet Black also flows very well for me.

I just recently ran into an issue where I couldn't get any of the gray RandyRat powder to work at all. Traded all of it to another member who had Smokes that he couldn't get to work. We both tested after the swap and the RandyRat I sent him works for him and the Smokes he sent me works for me.

Proved to me that even the environment interacts with the powders. Not all work the same in all locations. You pretty much just have to get a bunch of samples and try a batch with them all until you find the one that works best for you and in your environment. Everyone's results may and will vary, but something will eventually work the way you want.

Here's just 1 coat of smokes red on some 308's I did a couple weeks ago. They are pretty much flawless.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

You will find that even if the coat is thin in certain areas on the boolit they still work fine and prevent leading. I have had boolits where there were spots without color completely but had a "shiny" coat over them and they shot just like the others with more uniform coats.

[Tripplebeards]

Being a newbie I asked the same question about WQ vs AC hardness times not too long ago.

If I remember right water quenched boolits settle down to their final hardness after about a day or so and AC after 2 days. After that they will slowly harden (not much more and enough to worry about...and in milli-bumps)up to a month from what other posters have stated. My AC COWW with 2% pewter dropped out of my mold with a BH of 10.5 and two days later tested at 13.4.

Everyone told me just to load and shoot. If it were me I would wait 3-4 days Before shooting them. By that time they will be close enough to their final hardness and there will be not enough difference in BH to change the accuracy or consistently from the same boolits in a months time.

[MyFlatline]

I've had very good luck with "Powder by the Pound" in all colors. When I first started tumbling, I had all kinds of issues. Now , it's twirl and shake for about 30 seconds and they are done. Did a big batch this afternoon and forgot to take pictures. I use to blame the humidity, now, I believe it is the quality of the powder and the cleanliness of the bullet that makes it all come together. JMHO.

[Tripplebeards]

Being a newbie I asked the same question about WQ vs AC hardness times not too long ago.

If I remember right water quenched boolits settle down to their final hardness after about a day or so and AC after 2 days. After that they will slowly harden (not much more and enough to worry about...and in milli-bumps)up to a month from what other posters have stated. My AC COWW with 2% pewter dropped out of my mold with a BH of 10.5 and two days later tested at 13.4.

Everyone told me just to load and shoot. If it were me I would wait 3-4 days Before shooting them. By that time they will be close enough to their final hardness and there will be not enough difference in BH to change the accuracy or consistently from the same boolits in a months time.

I justed tested again for giggles. I casted them around the 3rd or 4th of this month. The AC coww with 2% pewter tested at 14.3 BH. I would assume they arent going to get much harder since most posters have stated Coww dont get this hard to begin with. So in 10 days time my BH went from 10.5 to 14.3

[waco]

Are there any issues with metallic colors by Eastwood or Powder by the pound?
Sorry if this has been covered already.
Waco

[The Dar]

jeff100 Did you get a chance to "choot 'em" yet? I'm curious to know how they worked out for you.