Wait time from casting to coating

[T_McD]

Is there any advantage or disadvantage to waiting to powder coat cast bullets? I haven’t cast a single bullet yet so forgive my ignorance. The reason I ask is I am itching to cast but won’t get powder for a few weeks.

[DEC505]

T-mcd, I try to time my sessions so I have the time to size about an hour after they come out of the oven. They just seem to size easier to me. Sorry I miss read your question, I've waited several months after casting to powder coat and I've coated them right after they have cooled and found no difference.

[Loudy13]

Cast away your can always coat them later I just coated about 500 40 call bullets that I cast 3-4 months ago

[mattw]

I coat mine as soon as they are sorted. Have not had a problem yet.

[Lakehouse2012]

There are some purists that believe, when casting WW's or other mixed sources, you need to water quence, and then dry them, Next you store them for 2-4 weeks and let the lattice-structure grow, to get the hardest laod. I'm not necessarily in that camp, but I have done the testing and it sure does help harndess.

[EMR]

....I've waited several months after casting to powder coat and I've coated them right after they have cooled and found no difference.

This has been my experience as well

[Conditor22]

You can coat the boolits as soon as they are cool enough to handle to as long as you want afterward as long as the boolits stay clean and aren't oxidized.

I put all my boolits in ziplock bags after I cast if I'm going to store them for some time.

[cwlongshot]

You can coat the boolits as soon as they are cool enough to handle to as long as you want afterward as long as the boolits stay clean and aren't oxidized.

I put all my boolits in ziplock bags after I cast if I'm going to store them for some time.

I like to wait a week or so, but I have coated same day and never had issue. I also use freezer bags for mine. Easy to label and keep away from any harmful environmental changes.

As a general rule, I will wait, simply cause I have to wait to shoot, so I wait to cast. Its just how I do it.

CW

[Sig556r]

I PC the same day I cast (both water-quenched).
Haven't had problem yet with both HF & poly PCs

[owejia]

Have about 6,000 38 wad cutters that were cast last spring to powder coat. These were sized and stored in plastic clear nut cans to keep them clean. Usually powder coat soon after casting but got lazy and didn't finish the job. Have powdered coated some, that were cast and lubed, after cleaning in alcohol that were more than five years since being cast. As long as the bullets are clean and free from oil have not had any problems with powder coating sticking. Just use good powder and follow baking instructions by powder mfg and you will have very few problems. Believe what ever time hardening takes place after casting is lost during powder coating bake.

[Smoke4320]

. As long as the bullets are clean and free from oil have not had any problems with powder coating sticking. Just use good powder and follow baking instructions by powder mfg and you will have very few problems.

agree with the above

[Dragonheart]

Ditto that! As for me I like to PC as soon as possible. Since I air cool I know the bullets are not contaminated coming out of the mold and the sooner they are coated the more likely they will stay that way. If I need to wait, I store them in "clean" containers that will seal. I use metal coffee cans with sealing lids that were cleaned then powder coated inside and out for storage.

[Traffer]

Because of the humidity issues here in Wisconsin, I have been tempted to try and PC while they were still hot from the mold...maybe 130° F or something like that. Just to see if the powder would stick better. I haven't tried it yet because of the set up difficulties. But will someday.

[Dragonheart]

Because of the humidity issues here in Wisconsin, I have been tempted to try and PC while they were still hot from the mold...maybe 130° F or something like that. Just to see if the powder would stick better. I haven't tried it yet because of the set up difficulties. But will someday.

I would not recommend that because I can't see how you could keep them all at the same temperature; go higher than that and you will end up with a big gooey lead ball.
Because humidity doesen't get much higher than here in the Gulf Coast, I do per-heating all the time. It is easy to do for me since I use a homemade tumbler just for PC. I put about 6 pounds of bullets in an aluminum tray and monitor the temp in my oven with a Glass Taylor Oven Guide Thermometer after they have stabilize at a temp below 150 degrees max, I dump them into my running tumbler and they coat quickly. The coating is also well bonded and not as fragile as it would be with the typical shaking method.

[Traffer]

I would not recommend that because I can't see how you could keep them all at the same temperature; go higher than that and you will end up with a big gooey lead ball.
Because humidity doesen't get much higher than here in the Gulf Coast, I do per-heating all the time. It is easy to do for me since I use a homemade tumbler just for PC. I put about 6 pounds of bullets in an aluminum tray and monitor the temp in my oven with a Glass Taylor Oven Guide Thermometer after they have stabilize at a temp below 150 degrees max, I dump them into my running tumbler and they coat quickly. The coating is also well bonded and not as fragile as it would be with the typical shaking method.

Could I use the tumbler I use for cleaning? Maybe put them in a plastic jar inside the tumbler? It runs at about 50 rpm.

[Dragonheart]

Problem I see is the length of time its going to take to put everything in a tumbler and getting the process started. Having the hot bullets just sitting in the powder with no agitation. When the metal is hot the powder tends to stick, so I would go with a cooler temperature. Tumblers also ten to be too aggressive and the reason I converted a vibrator tumbler just for PC, which allows me to control the amount of vibration in addition to coating several hundred bullets at a time.

[Walter Laich]

I either PC the day I cast them or the next day. Just depends how many I cast and the time of day.

sizing is again same day or the next.

[ghh3rd]

Don’t wait so long that you get lead oxide growing on your boolits.

[murf205]

Because of the humidity issues here in Wisconsin, I have been tempted to try and PC while they were still hot from the mold...maybe 130° F or something like that. Just to see if the powder would stick better. I haven't tried it yet because of the set up difficulties. But will someday.

Don't do that! I tried it 1 time and wound up with a softball sized wad of gooey boolits. I don't know the exact temp of my folly but it works too well with cool boolits to risk that mistake again. Had to remelt the entire batch-bummer.

[Dragonheart]

If you don't use a quality thermometer like the glass Taylor Oven Guide or something better, to monitor your oven then you don't have a clue as to your oven's temperature. Temperature is critical to do a proper cure and to preheat.
Since I learned PC from professionals (not bullets), I have always monitored my PC process and preheat without worry.