Washing PC from containers

[Walks]

I am doing my first PC as I write this.

My first 20 45cal bullets are in the little convection oven getting coated with HF red. Doesn't look too good. Not a smooth coat, used 20-250gr, 2 TB powder, 3 TB black 6mm BB's. Tumbled 6 min.

Oven doesn't want to stay at 400, either 350 or 450. Or maybe My Wife's little oven thermometer is off.

12min, bullets splotchy, no PC in lube grooves.

Can you wash/rinse items used in PC in the sink without staining the sink ?

I hate auto-correct on this tablet.

[Hossfly]

I just wipe out with soft paper towel like shop cloth, throw away type.

[popper]

TB is tablespoon? Way too much powder for just 20 boolits. Maybe need 1/2 teaspoon. Keep PC utensils away from the kitchen.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I shake and bake and when I do it I do it over the sink in case I have a container leak or break. Any leakage washes right down the drain with no staining. To change colors, I do as suggested, and just wipe with a dry paper towel

[Walks]

Thanks, I was reading the 1st thread on PC'ing from 2014.

[Dragonheart]

As mentioned it takes a very small amount of powder to coat 20 bullets. I would also suggest you get some powder from Smoke a seller on site. I know some use use and swear by HF powder, but most swear at it. With Smokes powder you will get good results.
Once an oven is used for PC it should never be used for food. Toaster ovens are not created equal, some like my Hamilton Beach work perfectly unlike a Black & Decker I tried that would never get past 380 degrees and wouldn't even hold that without temperature swings.
Don't get discouraged you can make it happen with the right tools.

[Kraschenbirn]

Not enough airsoft BBs. I've obtained my best results with a double layer of BBs that (before adding powder or boolits)) completely covers the bottom of my (#5) shaking container. Also, when you mention "tumbled 6 minutes" is that 'shake n' bake', by hand, in a #5 plastic container or actually time in a rotary tumbler? A rotary polishing tumbler without some sort of static-generating liner just flat won't work.

Bill

[Walks]

I changed the oven setting of my B & D to stay on. Now 400degrees even

I dumped out the first batch into a sandwich box to dig out the bullets, turned out sandwich box was #5, just added another 20 bullets. Worked better, got full coverage. Tall round containers do not work for me.

I bought a 3 color sample pack & BB's from Smoke, I'm using the HF red for practice. Also have some from EASTWOOD. Smashed a 45 from 1st batch, no chipping, smashed a 38 from 2nd batch, no chipping.

Pushed 6 bullets from each batch through a LEE sizer die, slid through like greased snot.

Shake & bake by hand, 6 minutes 1st time, 3 minutes 2nd time.

I have to get more #5 sandwich boxes & maybe more BB's. A learning curve for sure.

Thanks for your kind help.

[pacomdiver]

i use an air compresser with a blow nozzle to clean out my vibratory tumbler when i change colors, a quick puff and its clean

[Freightman]

Hey a cottage cheese large ctn. works good and cheap as they are throw away. I live in a very low humidity area so never use BB's and with good powder (Smoke) only shake for a count of 40. I never do two coats as it is a wast of powder, good powder is necessary, and don't use to much and do more at a time I do at least 75 to 100 unless it is my .512 then limit it to 50.

[Walks]

Freightman,
Humidity here is 79% right now.
I haven't had a chance to PC again yet. I'm hoping for tomorrow afternoon. It rained last night and I figured I'd better wait another day.

[bbogue1]

PC is a powder, made of very small plastic paint grains. Those grains are simple structures that retain their shape until melted then they flow like paint. To get them to stick to a surface the surface must have been charged with static electricity. I believe it is the negative that attracts the positive charge. Like shuffling across a rug to build up a static charge, your bullets swish or tumble around in a #5 plastic container (the most popular is the Cool Whip container) to develop a charge. That charge attracts the powder which makes your bullets look fuzzy. As long as the static charge is not relieved the powder will gently stick. Dropping the unbaked PC bullet will relieve the charge and most of the powder will fall off. The formulation of the powder makes it's susceptibility to static a great variable. Some powders are more easily attracted by the static than others.

The powder has no adhesive or sticky property, the particles are so small and so light they appear to stick to the bullets which is not the case. They are held in place by a tiny bit of electric charge. If the PC is not subject to heat (>300 degrees F) it will retain it's shape much the same as an ice cube left in the freezer will not change shape until subject to higher temperatures. In its frozen state in low temps the ice cube will not melt, move it to >33 degrees and it becomes a puddle of water. Put the puddle into a <32 temp and it will freeze in the shape of the puddle. That is a simplified explanation of what happens to the PC grains, too.

When the PC melts it becomes shiney and will spread out along the statically charged surface. In this state it has the same properties as wet paint. Keeping the PC in the oven past it's shiney stage does nothing to improve coating, those tiny grains have done as much coating as possible. At temps >350 degrees impurities most likely burn off leaving a dark patch (ash). That is why some inexpensive PC doesn't look smooth and uniform in color. It works fine, just looks bad. I say 350 because ovens vary in temp. If you are using a PID to control the temp you can maintain the temp far better than the bimetal switch that comes in the oven. Different PC formulations require different temps, all melting at 400 degrees or less.

You are on a fascinating road, keep up the good work. It is a bit frustrating in the beginning, but, it quickly becomes a skill.

[Ed_Shot]

I PC'd 1K + of assorted 9MM/38/45 boolits yesterday morn here. NOAA said it was 45 degrees and 70% humidity. I use a large #5 Country Crock butter container which has a good tight lid and I've never cleaned it. Over 10K PC'd in it so far. I use Eastwood Ford Dark Blue and I'm very pleased with the results. I PC 150 ea. 9MM/38 or 120 ea 45 boolits in the container at a time. I've tired black BB's and see no advantage. I find 3 Tbs. of powder in the container does better than 2. I swirl for perhaps 20 seconds. I find shaking up&down is detrimental. I dump my coated boolits out on a screen rack over a powder-catch-bowl and pick then up using nitrile gloves and stand them up on parchment covered trays. I use a W-Mart B&D convection toaster oven which according to my $4 oven thermometer holds 400 degrees dead-on like a rock. I bake for a full 20 min. I'm still on my first lb. of PC powder and it looks like I easily get more than 12K boolits done. I store the PC in a jar in the spare fridge. When it's cold I find it helps to warm the boolits with a hair dryer prior to PC. I'm definitely a novice and I learn something every time I PC.

[Dragonheart]

Freightman,
Humidity here is 79% right now.
I haven't had a chance to PC again yet. I'm hoping for tomorrow afternoon. It rained last night and I figured I'd better wait another day.

Just preheat the bullets; NO Hotter than 150 degrees!

[GregLaROCHE]

Make sure the boolits haven’t been exposed to any greese or oil.

[Smk SHoe]

I have some sandwich sized rubbermaid containers with a tight snap lid. bout 2.50$ each at Wally World. Have one set up for each color I pc.

[Walter Laich]

when I change color, which isn't very often--got over the "look at the pretty colors" stage long ago, I just add the new color in--gets ugly for a bit but as you add new color over and over it will become the main one in the bowl

[Dragonheart]

Since I tumble coat I change colors by either putting on a different bucket, which entails removing a single screw and loosening two nuts. Or I can dump the BB & remaining powder into a zip lock and useg a vacuum brush to get the residue.