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Thread: Looking for suggestions for Silicone Mats for PCing

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy SharuLady's Avatar
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    Question Looking for suggestions for Silicone Mats for PCing

    There are so many types of mats (for regular usage in baking) & (for BBQ Grills) of different materials, thickness, max temp (have seen some go up to 500 Degrees) and sizes. Can they be cut down to size to fit one's tray sizes without causing any issues with the mats?

    While I have NSAF and Parchment paper, I would also like to have the option of Silicone mats for standing up boolits to bake. I don't like the idea (speaking for me only) to use the dumping method and having to contend with the boolits sticking together and then having them have areas that is marred by having to separate them or having marks from them lying down on trays.

    I know others use this method and it seems to be ok for them but I just don't like those results obtained to be for myself. Plus the fact that by the ammo lying down (or in a pile) that when the PC starts to flow that by not standing that the flow may or could cause the coating to not be as uniform causing them possibly to be (more) out of round.

    So any suggestions or the types tried by anyone that works well without issues would be appreciated.

    TYIA, SharuLady

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    alfloyd's Avatar
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    These on Amazon are good to 450 deg F.

    https://www.amazon.com/Minchsrin-Mea...ZAW5901HR57GHX


    Lafaun
    Just staying at home and playing with multi-color boolits.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master



    MUSTANG's Avatar
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    The following Silicone Trivet works quite well for my Cast .308 caliber boolits (gas check installed before sizing). I place it on a metal tray that fits in the oven (Provides stability to move the Boolits into the stove and out of the Stove). Also makes it easier to water quench when I desire after PC coating. I prefer the Honey Comb pattern.

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    These also work well. They do not hold the base of the boolit (Gas Check area) as firmly for me as the Honey Comb Pattern does.

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    Mustang

    "In the beginning... the patriot is a scarce man, and brave and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." - Mark Twain.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    We have 2 silicone muffin tins that I adore.

    A silicone cookie baking sheet I have not found a use for, yet. But I don't PC my boolits.

    That might be the perfect use for it.

  5. #5
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    Minerat's Avatar
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    I use these and have cut them down to fix in my toaster oven pan. They work great even if the boolit lay's on its size like 223 and 172's tend to do. When cool you can brush off most of the melted powder so they are cleaner the next time and the price is right. I also have a set for the outdoor grill to cook salmon or grill veggies.

    https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sto...d=baking%20mat
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  6. #6
    Boolit Master
    StratsMan's Avatar
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    Bingo!!! That silicon trivet is just the thing for my 30 cal coating... I'm getting a couple...

  7. #7
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    I use Mesh Bin/Drawer Organizers the boolits usually don't stick if they do a light tap on the bottom releases them. Using a mesh tray you get better/more even heating and a more consistent cure.



    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DZ0TQY...v_ov_lig_dp_it

    https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sto...r%20organizers

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy SharuLady's Avatar
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    Just wish to thank all who replied to my post with their suggestions and links. All that info gives me a lot of things to look at and mull over. Now to check them all out at a deeper level.

    SharuLady

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have the square hole one like Mustang posted and they work pretty good. I didn't see any of the honeycomb style when I was buying and they look like they would work better. The 7" square trivets with 20 holes per side is just right for 30 cal. Other ones with I believe 28 holes per side are right for 22 cal maybe even 243 before gas checks are installed.

  10. #10
    Boolit Man
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    I bought some from a friend who has a restaurant, they were getting kind of old. I got 2, 1 was a medium size, which I cut in half and they fit perfectly into my 2 pans the other is a large one which I may keep intact for a large cookie sheet. I paid 10 bucks for all of them. he was going to get new ones. I have used both the stack method and the dump method. For the stack method, I took 4 Federal ammo trays and cut the bottoms off with a dyke cutter. then I glued all 4 together. they fit inside my pans and I have 200 little soldiers nicely lined up. Seems to work pretty well. For me, when I use the dump method, I have welder gloves on and dump them, silicone sheet and all, into a large cardboard box then swirl them around with my gloved hands. Once the silicone is free I take it out and continue to move the bullets around for a minute. I haven't had much trouble with them sticking to each other.

  11. #11
    Boolit Mold
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    This is what I bought, and they work well (Amazon basics): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  12. #12
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    I tried them. They ripped the PC off some bases and melted others (no change in oven temp). I've gone back to my 'grids' as shown in my post 'Standing Tall Boolits' http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...g-Tall-Boolits. YMMV.
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  13. #13
    Boolit Master bbogue1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Minerat View Post
    I use these and have cut them down to fix in my toaster oven pan. They work great even if the boolit lay's on its size like 223 and 172's tend to do. When cool you can brush off most of the melted powder so they are cleaner the next time and the price is right. I also have a set for the outdoor grill to cook salmon or grill veggies.

    https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sto...d=baking%20mat
    Re post 5...... I, too use a Yoshi Mat, copper infused silicon mat for PCing. Love it. Great price, does not bubble up, cooled pc paint scrapes off easily.
    VOTE, VOTE, VOTE often. In dealing with potential dishonesty or corruption, Something you might keep in mind is a revealing quote by S.W. Erdnase in his book The Expert at the Card Table "Almost every ruse in the game is more or less dependent upon another one."
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  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy SharuLady's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bbogue1 View Post
    Re post 5...... I, too use a Yoshi Mat, copper infused silicon mat for PCing. Love it. Great price, does not bubble up, cooled pc paint scrapes off easily.
    Hi, I do recall now that you had mentioned to me the "Yoshi Mat". But I have been looking at so many other items that it must have slipped my mind.
    But yesterday & today I finally finished up a lot of orders and the Yoshi Mat's is on its way to me now. It's great to hear that they behave well and clean up good!!!

    SharuLady

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    To my knowledge I am the one that first introduced silicon mats to this site and I have been using the same mats for 6 years now and these mats have baked tens of thousands of bullets. My mats came from Costco and are a heavy mats rated to 500 degrees. I didn't know how long they would last so I have new mats in reserve I bought years ago. I have tried everything out there and I still say silicone is the way to go.

    I do not use the dump method because I want the most accurate bullet I can make. But if a mat pulled off the powder coating off the base of your bullets then you have more of a problem than the mat because the PC bond is poor.

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    If you have used parchment paper and like the fine weave, then look for one labeled “oven line”. It has an almost perfectly smooth weave and works great and not affected by dunking in ice water bath. Perfect for pc application. Seems to last for ever. Still on first sheet.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master brassrat's Avatar
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    I just use a metal tray in a toaster oven. They were very sticky but did knock off without loosing the base. With more use, they work even better.

  18. #18
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