Two questions

[Pigboat]

I've read threads until my eyes got blurry and unless I missed it, I haven't seen these two (maybe dumb) questions answered.

In powder coating, do the boolits have to be freshly cast or can I PC some that have been setting in a sealed container for a few years? Dull gray instead of bright.

I noticed in a couple of threads folks mentioning sitting them outside in the cold to "cure". Does this just mean cooling off or is there actually a curing time?

[MyFlatline]

I think you can coat anytime, at least I do.. Not sure what you have seen on "cold cure" but what I have found is,,,I water quench, after a day or so the BHN is about 22. Then I powder coat and the BHN drops to 12-15.

Hope this helps....

[WebMonkey]

coat them anytime except right out of the mold.



curing happens during the 'cook' so not sure about 'out in the cold'.
?

[bangerjim]

I have coated 15 year old Pb boolits! No cleaning. No problems. Perfect coats. Your only enemy is grease and lube.

“Out in the cold” I guess means out of the 400F oven! Here in AZ the cold is 65-110F in the back yard. The coat forms at 400F and just cool them down out of the oven to ambient (whatever your’s is!). The coating is totally cured out of the oven.

Go for it!

And do not get lost in the reading!!!!!!!! Doing it is 95% of the learning process.......not reading about it.

[Oily]

I sometimes use range scrap of dubious alloy and even after 2 weeks you can rub the boolits between your fingers and get substantial oxidation on your fingers. I don't chance it just clean with acetone and your good to go. I don't like wasting my time on hope it works. If you think they are dirty wash with acetone! Doesn't take a couple of minutes. Probably would coat fine but what is a couple of minutes?

[stubshaft]

I have coated old and new boolits. I cook them and drop them into a bucket of water to cool off to preserve or maintain the BHN. If I am aiming for a softer boolit I will let them air cool.

[Kraschenbirn]

I've PC'd boolits up to 3-4 years old. Clean 'em in acetone, let air dry, and go for it. So far as 'cure', I've found that PC'd boolits left to sit overnite seem to size more smoothly that 'fresh out of the oven.'

Bill

[dryflash3]

You may or may not to have to use a second coat on old bullets. Try a batch and see.

Just cast always coat in one coat for me.

Once bullets are cooked and return to room temp, they are cured.

If you can touch them, they are cured.

[Walter Laich]

I'm a 'one-coat' person--one and done

they work for me with half the effort of 2-coat ones

just saying . . .