My newest method for PC

[retread]

I started out with PC using an ES Spray outfit. Made beautiful even coated boolits, but it was time consuming and fro me tedious. Then folks here started using the sake and bake method. I tried it but was not successful at the start. First the coating was not as even as I would have liked. Second, standing up the boolits with tweezer was a challenge (trying not to knock them over). Tried the basket method. It was fast but the boolits would stick together at times. I saw here on the forum one of the guys was using the plastic inserts that come with boxed factory ammo to facilitate standing the boolits up on the baking surface. I tried that and it works well. That problem being solved to my satisfaction, I concentrate on the powder application. I bought some of the Glad twist top containers with the no. 5 recycle code on them and tried the manual shaking routine(will black airsoft BB’s) and the results were pretty good. Being lazy I did not want to be rolling and shaking by hand so I make a jig to hold the containers so I could use my rotary tumbler(I did have to reinforce the containers with electrical tape, the started cracking). The result was great. I run then on the tumbler for about 20 minutes, dump them into a plastic colander, shake it a bit to let the excess powder sift out and then use plastic tweezers to load them into my trays(ammo inserts screwed to a piece of plywood) then I place my silicone mat on top, then my pan or basket, turn it over and remove the “form”. Then to the oven!
The coating is even on all the boolits and quite smooth. I think this method is as close to if not equal to spraying.

[Conditor22]

Interesting idea, the rotary tumbler. I like that spool-shaped holder you made to hold PC and boolits

I've used the vibrating brass cleaner with several containers stuffed in it.

You don't use airsoft BB's?

do plastic tweezers scar less than metal?

[retread]

Interesting idea, the rotary tumbler. I like that spool-shaped holder you made to hold PC and boolits

I've used the vibrating brass cleaner with several containers stuffed in it.

You don't use airsoft BB's?

do plastic tweezers scar less than metal?

They seem to work better and they are cheap!

[asmith80]

I've found the nitrile gloves don't knock off that much powder and picking them up by hand works a little easier for me.

I like the idea of putting the silicon mats in your mesh trays. I've been using the little baking trays that came with my oven and they have a shallow lip around the edge that I sometimes get boolits falling over, the taller sides of those mesh trays would prevent that. Do you have issues with them falling over on the uneven surface of the trays?

[fredj338]

I've found the nitrile gloves don't knock off that much powder and picking them up by hand works a little easier for me.

I like the idea of putting the silicon mats in your mesh trays. I've been using the little baking trays that came with my oven and they have a shallow lip around the edge that I sometimes get boolits falling over, the taller sides of those mesh trays would prevent that. Do you have issues with them falling over on the uneven surface of the trays?

I use the same type trays, drawer dividers for flatware. The mesh is very small & 9mm or larger easily stand up. Just don't bump the tray putting it in the oven, they will fall over.

[gpidaho]

retread: Sounds like you have a very workable system worked out. One thing I sort of doubt is the need to run the tumbler for 20 minutes. With ShakenBake, thirty or forty seconds get the job done with quality powders. Try 3 or 4 minutes in the tumbler if you haven't already. Gp

[Dieselhorses]

You put the factory bullet trays/inserts in the oven? Or do you just use them to align bullets on oven tray?

[Camper64]

I put the boolits nose down in the plastic trays then put the oven tray over the top, hold tight and flip. Then remove the upside down plastic trays and carefully move oven tray to oven. I typically do 150 9mm using three plastic trays at a time and 100 40 & 45's using two plastic trays.

[gareth96]

Yup.. just have to move carefully after you tump the boolits onto the baking sheet if you are using the no stick Al foil.. they'll slide around and bunch up touching each other.. not as bad with parchment paper, but still a little.. dunno about using a silicone mat.

[stubshaft]

I've been using those disposable cartridge holders for a while now. I leave them on the tray and over the boolits until after I've loaded the tray in the oven. Then I carefully lift them off.

[retread]

retread: Sounds like you have a very workable system worked out. One thing I sort of doubt is the need to run the tumbler for 20 minutes. With ShakenBake, thirty or forty seconds get the job done with quality powders. Try 3 or 4 minutes in the tumbler if you haven't already. Gp

I will try a shorter time but will work down in increments. The coating I am getting now is so much smoother that I was getting with shakenbake method of 30 - 40 seconds. I figured longer might be better so I threw them on for 20 minutes. I get tired shaking pretty quick, the tumbler on the other hand doesn't get tired,

[fredj338]

I will try a shorter time but will work down in increments. The coating I am getting now is so much smoother that I was getting with shakenbake method of 30 - 40 seconds. I figured longer might be better so I threw them on for 20 minutes. I get tired shaking pretty quick, the tumbler on the other hand doesn't get tired,

With good powders, I only need 30sec of vigorous shaking & swirling to get 100% coverage. I would think in the tumbler, maybe 2-3 min is enough?

[Dragonheart]

The beauty of the tumbler method is it can shake for 30 minutes and I don't get the least bit tired.

I built my tumbler just to coat bullets, so I can control the amount of vibration. I tried my big Dillon tumbler back in 2012 and found it would work, but it was just too aggressive. When I tumble, the coating comes out very different. The bullets have complete coverage with a more uniform and harder bond, not nearly as easy to damage when the bullets are picked up, like I got with a 30 second shake in a Cool Whip container. Not to mention I now tumble three to four hundred bullets at a time, not a handful.

[rsrocket1]

I tried putting the bullets in a 1 gallon Ziplock bag which was then placed in a vibratory tumbler and run for 5 minutes. The coverage was excellent but the powder was noticeably darker when I removed the bullets. I think some of the lead was getting powderized and mixing with the powder. The final product came out great from the oven but I dumped the bag and everything in it into the trash and didn't try it again. Maybe rolling the bullets in the rotary tumbler is more gentle than the vibratory tumbler.

[Camper64]

I tried putting the bullets in a 1 gallon Ziplock bag which was then placed in a vibratory tumbler and run for 5 minutes. The coverage was excellent but the powder was noticeably darker when I removed the bullets. I think some of the lead was getting powderized and mixing with the powder. The final product came out great from the oven but I dumped the bag and everything in it into the trash and didn't try it again. Maybe rolling the bullets in the rotary tumbler is more gentle than the vibratory tumbler.

Did you try this method using ASBB's or just the boolits? Not sure if the BB's would cushion the boolits.

[Conditor22]

▲▲▲ that's one reason I swirl and don't shake ▲▲▲

[Walter Laich]

I swirl for 20 seconds and shake two times. Use ASBBs

have a white colander just like one in 1st post. drills out holes in bottom so BBs would drop out along with powder

works well for me

[WehrmannsGeweher]

Standing boolits on end is not required. If you lay them flat on a SS mesh, they PC bake just as well and are just as accurate after sizing. Much faster too

[rockshooter]

the powder color change has no effect on anything.
Loren

[Dragonheart]

I tried putting the bullets in a 1 gallon Ziplock bag which was then placed in a vibratory tumbler and run for 5 minutes. The coverage was excellent but the powder was noticeably darker when I removed the bullets. I think some of the lead was getting powderized and mixing with the powder. The final product came out great from the oven but I dumped the bag and everything in it into the trash and didn't try it again. Maybe rolling the bullets in the rotary tumbler is more gentle than the vibratory tumbler.

Yes, that is what I found, stated in my previous post, regular case tumblers are too aggressive. That is one of the reasons I made my own dedicated bullet tumbler using a small tumbler that was no longer used. By adjusting the tension on the support rods I can dial in the amount of vibration. I can also tumble 6+ pounds of bullets at a time.