Powder coating removed by Lee sizing die?

[BigFred]

So I'm new to powder coating, been casting for several years, and reloading for a lot longer than that. I've coated several small batches (as in 50 or so) trying things out and seeing what works and what doesn't. I'd say I've had decent success, and the coating is sticking fine. The issue I'm running into is when I size them after coating, it's taking the coating off on the sides where it's sizing it down. I'm casting with wheel weights, not sizing before coating, and sizing with the Lee .356 die after coating, both 9mm and .380. I'm wondering if it's due to the Lee molds dropping fat boolits, and then the added thickness of the powder coat is making them too big for the sizing die and it's scraping off the coating when sizing? I've read posts on here where people mention Lee sizing dies are under size to begin with, so it could potentially be trying to size down 0.005 or 0.006+. Is that just too much for the coating, and if so, what's the solution?

[Bama]

The inlet angle on mine was too sharp and too rough. I used a dermel with a stone to shape it then used a captec type(abrasive in rubber to polish the inlet. Some use sandpaper on a wooden dowel to acomplish the same thing. You may want to modify your procedure. It takes a little extra time but I size, PC and then resize. I believe I get a smoother more uniform coating thickness doing this than sizing all at one time. If you are still going to do it after PCing only, try using a little anhydrous laniloin mixed with "Heat in red container" (from "Auto zone"). I use it for my brass and it workd great sizing PCed boolits also.

[BigFred]

I'm fine with sizing them before and after coating. But, following the Lee instructions, they specifically state to not size unlubed bullets. If powder coating, you don't want any lube on them because it causes adhesion issues. Are you running the Lee sizing dies, and if so, are you sizing them unlubed?

[Bama]

I usually clean the die and then run them through with no lube initially. After polishing the die I have not had a problem with an unlubed bullet so far. I have had to use a cheater bar (piece of pipe) on the press arm once or twice but other than that no problems If I could find a way to remove the lanolin completly I would lube them all. But I haven't found any way to really get them clean enough to not adversly effect a shake and bake powder application. I even use nitril gloves to not get any oil from hands on the cast bullets before PCing.

[slide]

Bama is right on with the heet and lanolin lube. I spray my bullets after powder coating to help get them through the sizer and have not had any problems. Powder coat is tough stuff and I don't think alcohol or lanolin will bother it at all. Am I understanding this right? If they are powder coated what kind of adhesion problems are you talking about?

[Handloader109]

Bullets too big to pull down in one pass. Get a .358 die and run through that first. Cheater bar? No way should you be having to apply that. I don't size until after coating. Never had that problem. And I've used .356 a lot. Are you water dropping? If so, don't. Let cool and shrink a bit

[DerekP Houston]

What size are they dropping as cast? I'm tempted to say too big a jump in one pass as well.

[runfiverun]

heck go to 358 and leave them there.
but I'd start measuring stuff.
002 and some lube = no problem.
005 and no lube = problems.

[BigFred]

I'll give the .358 die a shot. I heard a lot of people say they sized after coating no problem, so I was wondering what was going on with mine. We'll see how it goes.

[sawinredneck]

I also size my 9mm's to .356, without lube, before powdercoat. I found if I didn't many wouldn't size, and I wasn't going to use a cheater bar, and others the PC would strip off of them. Once I started pre-sizing I've had no more problems.

[Grmps]

I've sized 365 to 358 in one pass with no pc scrapping off.

How hard is your alloy?
What size are the boolits before and after PCing.
In PCing, you need to knock off all the excess coating before baking.

I'd also agree with grinding/polishing the dies inlet to get a smooth transition and spraying on a lanolin based case lube to ease sizing.

[n.h.schmidt]

You could use case sizing lubes that you can easily wash off. The Lee case lube and RCBS-2 lube for starters . They will easily allow any bullet sizing to be done and simply wash off for powder coating.
n.h.schmidt

[DerekP Houston]

oh *after* i've coated mine I spray them with a shot of hornady lube prior to sizing. Makes em slicker than snot and they slide right through. What are yall using to polish the sizing dies? My 356 is a tad on the rough side and I wouldn't mind opening it up to 357.

[Walter Laich]

all of mine do fine with only sizing after PC. This from .32 to .458 bullets

like mentioned above, might be putting too thick a coat on. I tap mine on edge of PC jar when taking them out or dump all in tray and lightly shake tray to remove excess PC.

Only time I ever had problem was when a .45 Colt bullets snuck into a batch of .44s; when I sized that I lifted the table off the floor several times for getting it through the die.

[MyFlatline]

Instead of lube, dribble some water on the fresh cast as you are sizing. Only time I had PC come off when sizing, was when my toaster oven wasn't getting to the desired temp. I mostly size .35 calibers, cast size a .360 down to ,358 and not loose any coating. I do size before and after ..Hope this helps.

[CASTER OF LEAD]

I have done it both ways and have seen no difference in the pressure required to size using my Lee push thru dies. I have never had PC or lead shave off any boolit. Although I am not sizing 005 in one pass either. I most times size then PC, then push the through again just to dress up the boolit. I use the lanolin w/ heet to size prior to PC. Acetone rinse after sizing and then PC. Never had any problems. YMMV - CASTER

[Vern Humphrey]

Try dampening a patch with Ed's Red and wiping each bullet with it as you run it though the sizer.

[jeff100]

I just sized a batch of 45 Colt cast and powder coated boolits to .452 using a Lee push thru sizing die. With the powder coating the boolits were quite a bit oversize so I used Imperial sizing wax as a thin lube on the powder coated boolits. A couple of these boolits were really tough to size (meaning took all my strength on the lever, thought my press was gonna come undone from the bench) but in general all sized fine using the wax. - JJ

[rsrocket1]

My 356-120-TC's and TL356-124-2R drop at 0.358" and after PC with HF red. they are typically 0.360". They push through my Lee 0.356" sizer just fine.

As Bama recommended, try smoothing the edge of the inlet cone with some wet 400 grit waterproof sandpaper. Just enough to take the edge off.

[fredj338]

More likely the die is rough as a cob. I had a friend polish all mine on his ID polishing setup.