Powder Coat vs HiTek experiment

[fredj338]

I'm thinking you are assuming the sizing is lubricated, correct? Now I'm sitting here imagining trying to size after the fact.
Having not tried that ever, I'm now curious if that's even possible. Does it destroy the coating?

Not at all. Applied properly the coating is tough. You can smash bullets flat & the coating doesn't come off so sizing is not an issue. The coating itself has a bit of slick to it, but if the bullets are really oversized, I spray on some Oneshot case lube & away you go.

[Taterhead]

Until now, I've been using PC. Smoke's and HF red, but have a preference for Smoke's. I stand mine on bases to bake since I've never been happy with the dump-'em-out method.

Lately I've been suspecting that Hi-Tek might be quicker overall when doing large quantities -- even though it requires multiple coats. The fact that a large quantity can be swirled and dumped in one big batch might save time overall since individual bullets need not be handled separately.

I have some red HT in powder form onhand and some trays made. I'll get to it soon.

Fred is right that the sizer won't bother the coating unless it is applied incorrectly. Otherwise, it would perform poorly when engraved by the barrel.

[ghh3rd]

I think that’s sizing after powder coating is almost a necessity, since it adds substantial amount of diameter to the bullet. Powder coating does size nicely, and as mentioned above it does almost give it a polished looked where it’s been sized.

Even if I do decide to use HiTek, I think I’ll always be powder coating my Lee 310 boolits since they always cast smaller than they should. With PC coating on them I can size them to the diameter that I actually want them to drop at.

It’s nice to have more than one tool available in the toolbox.

[kbstenberg]

When the HT started to get main stream. I bought what they had at the time. The large Almost quart size can. I got really tired of the same color and haven't used it in a couple years. I wish back then they had the smaller quantity containers.
I still have way over 3/4 of a can of pigment. Kevin

[509thsfs]

I decided to try hitek after comparing procedures. Glad I went with hitek. I do batches of 150 .45 slugs at a time in a small toaster oven and run a sort of assembly line so continuously pumping out bullets. Application is as simple as you get. Put slugs in plastic container, I add 3ml of liquid, swirl for 10-15 seconds the dump out on screen. about 10 mins later they go in oven for 12 minutes. While they are baking, another batch is coated and drying. 1st batch comes out to cool, next batch goes in and 3rd batch coated and drying as 1st batch cools and 2nd coat applied and repeat. Shake and bake. No mess, no fuss. Thinking of making two more screen trays just to have even more just waiting their turn in oven

[WheelgunConvert]

I use both methods but have some dislikes about HT in 9mm. Leading is less an issue when sized 358 but is no issue at 357 using PC...this is consistent with 3 different projectiles 115 LRN, 123 TC, and 132 LSWC. If you want to add a bit of diameter back after sizing, no problem adding another layer of PC...you can add more HT layers but it takes several additional coats for the size change to be useful.

HT is dandy for 38spl/357, 44 mag, and 45 acp. I’ll also use it on MZ projectiles and the fishing weights to limit oxidation. I commonly just coat multiple sizes all mixed together and sort as I size after 2 coats. I coat sized 38, 44 &45 a 3rd time because I have a bit of HT mixed up left over and it’s not labor intensive...I don’t know if it’s actually needed it’s just that simple. I have come to like red-copper (EC#2 catalyst) dry powder 5 grams in 20 cc acetone with 5 cc isopropyl alcohol mixed very well. There was a black with tiny sparkles that also works well, but that one and the zombie green (did not like) were ruined in a flood so I don’t recall the product names or numbers.

If you’re in it for the colors, just go PC and have fun. I do use PC colors to differentiate my ladder loads...I’m admittedly a ladder junkie and would probably shoot a lot better if I wasn’t such an experimental geek.

Colors do have a special effect when introducing someone to our sport though. Those pink projectiles help personalize your special loads for ladies that may be timid about firearms. The zombie greens may present an opportunity for a meaningful conversation with a naive adolescent. Tar Heel blue, corvette red, other sparkling or shiny coatings can bridge a gap that will introduce 1 more to the “Silent “ 2nd Amendment.

Support project Gadsden- Don’t Tread on Our Schools

[dikman]

I'm thinking you are assuming the sizing is lubricated, correct? Now I'm sitting here imagining trying to size after the fact.
Having not tried that ever, I'm now curious if that's even possible. Does it destroy the coating?

If you size before coating with Hi-Tek the sizing closes the "pores" of the lead and smooths it down. There is a slight possibility that the Hi-Tek won't adhere to the surface. Having said that people have done it that way, it's just not the preferred way to coat. If the coating is applied correctly then sizing won't affect it.

Nearly forgot, you don't want anything contaminating the surface of the lead or you WILL have problems.

[Grmps]

PC is a coating and HiTek is a stain. It is OK to size hi-tek between coats ONLY if you use aqua lube or no lube at all; anything else and the hi tek will not stick seeing Hi tek is a stain and goes into the pores of the lead, like dikman said, you can't size before the first coat because doing so will close the pores. I like using Hi Tek only when I'm coating 40 pounds or more of boolits seeing I coat in 8 pound batches. I get 5 or 6 trays going and it goes quickly IF you ues a fan and drying racks to dry the coating between bakes. If your using Hitek for rifle or higher velocity boolits it's recommended to use a color with metalics in it seeing the metalics act as a heat sheild.
As of late I've been playing mainly with PC and have come up with around 50 different color combinations.
advantages- HiTek is more consistently even coatings
PC; quicker for small batches more color selection only requires 1 coat.

[ghh3rd]

Found a great way to dry the fresh coat of HiTek today. I placed the wire screen full of boolits on top of the air conditioner on the porch. The fan blows a great volume of slightly warm air through them.

[ioon44]

I can see how that would work quite well, I place mine on my dark red deck in full sunshine and they reach 140 deg F in less than 30 min and are ready to bake.

[hermans]

Great thread! Now I also understand the difference in the PC and HiTek processes, especially after reading posts #27 and #28 from dikman and Grmps. Very useful information, thanks guys!

[Time Killer]

Size after powder coat. I use non stick tin foil under my bullets. Two main issues if you use the dump and bake method. 15 min at about 375 heat. So a lower temp bake. Then keep and eye on them when you take them out of the oven and dump them when they are warm to the touch not hot in a cardboard box and shake. (The Elvis ammo method) You will have very few stuck together. Do not let them get cold and do not drop them when they are to hot. They will just stick back together if they are two hot.

[ghh3rd]

Time Killer, thanks for the tip. I was going to bake a batch of PC coated boolits tonight but fell asleep on the recliner instead. When I bake them tomorrow I’ll try what you mentioned and see if my sticking issues on the dump method gets better.