Latest PC Techniques

[Dimner]

Some of the stickys on the basics of powder coating are pretty old.

Does all the info still apply? Or have there been developments that make some of the techniques outdated?

I know nothing about powder coating and want to make sure I start at the right place and filter through the old and get right to the meat and potatoes.

Is there a specific source that is the 2019 idiots guide to powder coating?

Thanks

[cwlongshot]

Whats posted there is and will remain valid and correct.

The basics are still the same.

Best part is you can do what ya like and see how things work for you in your situation

Take the basics and experiment. Worst you will have is uncured or imperfect coatings. Wanna get it right follow the stickies. But you will have seen first hand why it dose t work the way you tried and will when done as described. But its not quite black and white. Meaning you still get what APPEARS fine when your way off the reservation. BUT if you shooting low pressure and low velocity and aint worried about dirty leading or inaccuracies you might be happy as a clam. Ignorance is bliss. Or ya might be that guy who weighs every case bullet primer and flake of powder and micrometer measures every shot from his ransom rested shooter...

Some where in between is you me and everyone reading

Important part is you have fun and learn.

Cw

[Dimner]

Thanks for the quick reply. I guess, I going to be approaching this with two goals.

1) Some version of tumble powdercoating. I have a toaster oven
2) Looking to get some cast bullets going fast. Like maybe some 30wcf bulles going around 2000-2200fps. Or some 223 bullets going around the same speeds.

[cwlongshot]

Properly applied and cured powder coat will do you well for that!

I routinely shoot my 450 Bushmaster cast 285g up to 1900 fps with zero fouling and good accuracy. I picked up a 36-270 mold that drops a Ranch dog style 270g bullet Ill be loading in a 358 Norma magnum in the neighborhood of 2200/2300 fps.

Here is a 280g RN that was shot into wet phone books at top vel for a 358. As you can see, properly applied PC stays stuck!!

[bmortell]

the bb dry tumble works fine and is cheap, just get good brand powder so its easier to get coverage

[Walter Laich]

Here is a 280g RN that was shot into wet phone books at top vel for a 358. As you can see, properly applied PC stays stuck!!

did it kill the phone book?

[cwlongshot]

Multiple...

did it kill the phone book?

[usmc0811]

the bb dry tumble works fine and is cheap, just get good brand powder so its easier to get coverage

i dont use bb's anymore and they come out just fine.

[RKJ]

i dont use bb's anymore and they come out just fine.

I've found this to be the same for me too. The cool whip container and Smoke's (any color I've tried) work like a champ. They pass the smash test also.

[Conditor22]

BB's aren't just for adhesion/building static, they also help get an even coat.

[dahermit]

i dont use bb's anymore and they come out just fine.

Do you want us to take your word for it, or do you have pictures of the finished bullets that were tumbled without air soft BB's?

[Conditor22]

There are several members that don't use BB's, they aren't necessary for all PC's depending on the prep, container, conditions.

I buy War Inc camo BB's 14,000 at a time for $17.47 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

or
When in stock $6.95 ea. + shipping -- Wholesale Only! - $100 Minimum Order

https://www.dpciwholesale.com/14-000...bbs-10338.html



Crosman Elite .25g Airsoft BB's - 5,000 Count 20 containers @ $6.26 ea $125.20 + ship 49.21 == $8.72 ea

I could get in trouble on this site
https://www.dpciwholesale.com

[stubshaft]

Attachment 250024 Here are some of my PC'd boolits WITHOUT using any BB's. My experience is that they make a mess.

[Traffer]

Properly applied and cured powder coat will do you well for that!

I routinely shoot my 450 Bushmaster cast 285g up to 1900 fps with zero fouling and good accuracy. I picked up a 36-270 mold that drops a Ranch dog style 270g bullet Ill be loading in a 358 Norma magnum in the neighborhood of 2200/2300 fps.

Here is a 280g RN that was shot into wet phone books at top vel for a 358. As you can see, properly applied PC stays stuck!!

Very very nice indeed. Can you advise on lead hardness? How about gas checks. I assume at those speeds a check is needed. Aluminum work for that or is copper needed.

[cwlongshot]

I vary the hardness for my intended need. PC coatings allows softer bullets at higher velocities because it dose a awesome job of stopping leading. Overall improving the cast bullet. But Sometimes a harder bullet is more accurate. A GC is needed for higher pressures. High Pressures are the unfriendly aspect in cast bullet loads.

That 280 RN in the pics was very hard probably 22-25 bhn. It was a test. That 270 in the Norma Mag case is a Accurate 270g and IIRC about 16/18 bhn. (I dont remember with out my notes)

CW

Most HG stuff is a soft 10/12 BHN

[sv44]

well, i tried it without BBs and you are right- they come out great (tempted to say better). thanks for the tip!

[asmith80]

I've been experimenting with using these instead of BBs. It seems to be working pretty well. I'm getting more even and thicker coating from powders that have always gone on thin for me in the past. I think they're cheaper than BBs, too. They do get stuck in hollow points pretty easily, tho

[Traffer]

I've been experimenting with using these instead of BBs. It seems to be working pretty well. I'm getting more even and thicker coating from powders that have always gone on thin for me in the past. I think they're cheaper than BBs, too. They do get stuck in hollow points pretty easily, tho

I bought some black pony beads from a craft store. I think they are made from the same stuff as airsoft bb's. I also think they work better than airsoft bb's but cannot prove a thing. Real cheap! Got an adequate supply for like a buck n a half. Only need them when the humidity is high...
In Wisconsin high humidity is like 100%

[Dimner]

Some of the stickys on the basics of powder coating are pretty old.

Does all the info still apply? Or have there been developments that make some of the techniques outdated?

I know nothing about powder coating and want to make sure I start at the right place and filter through the old and get right to the meat and potatoes.

Is there a specific source that is the 2019 idiots guide to powder coating?

Thanks

Just to answer my own question for future powder coater peoples.

The cliff notes/idiots guide to PC can be found in this thread by Smoke:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post3432859

His technique is idiot proof if you do it exactly as he says.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

The way I Dry Tumble is to get a plastic container with snap on lid that has atriangle and #5 stamped on the bottom (this is VERY important to get acceptablestatic) I have gone to using Ziplock S Round (2 cup) twist lock containers(Rubbermaid equilavent will NOT holdup) , Others use cool whip containers
add enough BLACK 25 gram Airsoft BB's top cover about 1/2" deep on bottom.. (2 to 3 layers deep)
add 2 teaspoons of powder for cool whip containers (for the first load ONLY) in the S Round containers
1 teaspoon is more than enough .
add 50 to 100 bullets . The smaller ones like 223 would be 100 larger like 45ACP 230's might only be 30 at a time
snap on lid and swirl the container to the count of 30 then shake fairlyhard up and down to the count of 30
lift lid, Pick up bullets one at a time with long needle nose pliers .. Tappliers on container edge to shake off excess powder back into container
Put bullets on cookie sheet lined with Non stick foil (will last many manycycles)
Put in oven for 15 minutes . pull out let cool and put in a bullet box

Oven .. You need to be sure what temp the Oven is actuallycooking at... your aim is between 375 and 400 degrees
Oven needs to be preheated before putting bullets in .. I found my oven takeapprox. 8 minutes to reach 380 degrees
do a few small batches say 10 bullets till you find what temp YOUR over gives anice even flow to the powder.. too cool and you get clumps.. to hot and you getnice looking colored clumps melted lead puddles..
a convection oven with a fan to distribute the heat evenly throughoutthe oven will give you an almost sprayed slick look..

Blue Nitrile gloves can be used to pick upbullets .. So far other gloves have proven to not work ( they will removepowder everywhere the gloves touch )

A big thank you to Smoke and all my Tumble PC forefathers.

[OTShooter]

The next time I have a free weekend day, I'm going to be doing my first powdercoat run. And I AM going to use the black BBs, Smoke's powder, and shake the bullets in a #5 container. Mostly because it's my first time, and this is a well proven technique. And if I find later that it's not imperative to do it this way, I'm fine with that. But I understand how the basic technique works, so I'll start using that.

I spent quite a while researching things like which plastic #5 is made of (polypropylene), and so on. Black Airsoft BBs are ABS - it's naturally black. Smoke's paints are polyester based. There's some science behind using these specific plastics together, mostly based on the level of surface static each plastic builds, which helps transfer and adhere the paint to the bullets. I'm not saying it won't work with different materials, nor that leaving out the BBs is a bad thing, just that there's good science behind the whole, very simple process.