Powder coat or hi-tek??

[Burnt Fingers]

I have been using Hi-Tek for 3 years or so and have never Hi-Tek mix go bad, I an not even sure what you mean by going bad. I never have had to throw any of it out.

I've had every color go "bad" the color agent clumps together and hardens. This was from storing them in the garage in the Texas heat. Since I started keeping the mix in the refrigerator that problem has gone away.

[Vettepilot]

Nothing can survive in the garage in Texas heat can it? I know it can't here in western Arizona!!



Vettepilot

[TonyN]

PC hands down. My glocks don't like the Hi-Tek at all. You have to do to much with Hi-Tek as in finding the time. The right oven to hold temp.. hope that your oven doesnt have hot spots as Hi-Tek is very heat sensitive.. also have to find how long it needs to dry. Around 30 min. Per coat . 3 coats will add up .. PC is very strong.. no smoke.. tons of colors... it's stupid easy to get right... I can mass produce with very easy curing. Zero time for it to dry.

[Burnt Fingers]

Nothing can survive in the garage in Texas heat can it? I know it can't here in western Arizona!!



Vettepilot

Our garage is very well insulated. It will run 15-20° cooler than outside during the summer. But that's still pretty hot.

[Stephen Cohen]

I say what ever floats your boat is right for you, saying one is better for your purpose than the other, is a bit like saying my wife is not near as ugly as yours, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and old age and failing eyesight helps a lot as well. Regards Stephen

[kevin c]

For the past few years I've shot nothing but commercial or personally coated HiTek cast boolits through my G34 factory barrels without any problems at all. HiTek worked for me from my very first attempt at coating (I followed the instructions as exactly as I could, and was careful with the drying), and the process suits my need to coat two to four thousand casts a month for my personal use. Two coats works fine for my application (USPSA action pistol 9mm at 900 to 1000 fps). A good convection oven and turning the tray 180 degrees halfway through the bake have prevented any uneven baking.

To be fair, I've never tried powder coating. What I'd read gave me the impression that HiTek might be better for volume production, and I already had good experience with commercial versions. And I was under the (maybe mistaken?) impression that for PC the casts needed to be stood up and separated from each other while baking, whereas the shake/dump/bake Hitek procedure sounded easier

[M.A.D]

Now this is a great post..... To Hi Tek or PC..... I can buy Eastwood Powder 10 minutes from me in Australia, But who stocks Hi tek in Australia... Because freight to Australia from USA is a killer....

[razorfish]

Now this is a great post..... To Hi Tek or PC..... I can buy Eastwood Powder 10 minutes from me in Australia, But who stocks Hi tek in Australia... Because freight to Australia from USA is a killer....

I thought Hi-Tek was manufactured in Australia.


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[jmort]

Yes it is.
It may not be 10 minutes away, but you can get it easily from what I understand,
I use both, but PC is superior in many applications. Both are useful.
Use the PC on bullets that are easy to stand up.
Shake, bake, done.
Use Hi Tek on PITA bullets that need to be dumped.
Shake bake dump, shake, bake dump. You have to do it twice or even three times.
Some do this with PC, but I do not like dump results but you do it once.
Hi Tek is a tempremental process. A science project comparatively.
If I could shake bake dump PC I would never use Hi Tek.
But such is life.
Regardless, you need a convection oven for both, and take it from there.
Good luck on your endeavors.

[popper]

I put my liquid hitek in the fridge and it does harden and clump. Yes I've overcoated failed hitek with BLL or alox with success. Even with hitek you need to bump/shake the tray when cooling to keep them from sticking together. I've been modifying factory ammo trays to align the PC ones (remove before cooking). Even thinking the A.E. 22lr trays would work for PC 223 slugs (40 grid'd holder). I've cooked PC several days after coating, no problem unless you knock the powder off.

[M.A.D]

Well, i guess i will give both a go, Can anyone recommend one of the Eastwood Black PC Powders (As ive read not all PC powders work) And anyone recommend one of the Hi Tek or do they not mater as they all work the same?

[Conditor22]

Get a polyester high gloss (usually TGIC) and you will be fine

[Stephen Cohen]

Now this is a great post..... To Hi Tek or PC..... I can buy Eastwood Powder 10 minutes from me in Australia, But who stocks Hi tek in Australia... Because freight to Australia from USA is a killer....

It is made in Australia and a quick email to Joe will see it on your doorstep in a few days, it would be rather silly to purchase it from the States if you lived here in Australia. I find it funny that an Australian would think its made in the USA, after all we do make some pretty good things in Australia as well. Regards Stephen

[M.A.D]

Well the only link i can find for it is in the USA... All USA phone numbers, USA prices etc Hence i thought it was made in the USA.. You would think If it was a Aussie product, there would be a Aussie based webpage and details...

[Stephen Cohen]

There is an Aussie web page but I admit there are more American web pages up there which shows its good stuff. You should be able to look them up under J&M Specialized Coatings PTY LTD there on the web. Phone (02) 6556004 and Mob 0412140821. I just googled it myself. I was not having a go at ya mate I really did find it funny an Aussie would naturally think its made in USA, but as you say one does have to look a little harder and I did have an advantage I already know about them. Regards Stephen.

[Conditor22]

PM
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?25001-HI-TEK,
he's the industrial chamist that invented it

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post4625246

[M.A.D]

I flicked Hi Tek a email, They wrote back, $78 posted for a pound of the stuff... But 50,000 projectiles from a pound... Thats pretty dam good value if you ask me.... Heck even if it coated 10K.
Does Alloy hardness matter? Working on a pistol range i can get lead from the 22 section or from the centerfire section... when i swage Jacketed , i only use lead from the 22 section. And does any particular colour coat better then any other?

[Ausglock]

Lead hardness depends on what calibre you shoot. Range reclaim works fine for 38 Special and 45ACP.
You need harder for 9mm etc.

[Stephen Cohen]

Ausglock is pretty much on the money with his advice. I use range lead myself but I am lucky it has a lot of commercial cast in the berms and when I sieve the berm sand I use a screen that lets the .22 stuff fall through, I add a little tin to what I get and use it in my .458wm .375 and 357maximum at 2200fps with no problems. Hi-Tek will not make a poor alloy a top shelf alloy but you will be hard pressed to pick the difference in most cases. It can be hard to get cast to shoot well in 9mm but any alloy about wheel weight hardness will work with 2 or three coats of Hi-Tek providing you use correct diameter cast, I cast and size 9mm at .358 which may mean you will have to expand the case with a 38 special expander as I do. Regards Stephen

[M.A.D]

Well i'm lucky as there's only 3 guys out of 750 members who cast their own, And theres only about 100 guys who reload and buy commercial cast, everyone else buys factory. so i just grab the lead from the range. We have 4 bays for 22 only... So i get to pick what i want... And all the free brass in the world... Anyway, im going to give Hi tek and Powder coat a go...