Titan ReloadingWidenersInline FabricationMidSouth Shooters Supply
RotoMetals2Reloading EverythingRepackboxLee Precision
Load Data PBcastco
Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Gray Or Silver Or Clear?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master ACC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    San Antonio Texas
    Posts
    579

    Gray Or Silver Or Clear?

    Anybody have experience with gray, silver or clear powder coating powders. I don't want to have my boolits stand out. I want them to just be close to looking like normal boolits.

    Do these powders apply as easy as the black I have? (Eastwood)

    ACC

  2. #2
    Boolit Master

    jcren's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    South, Central Ok
    Posts
    2,172
    Smoke's clear is one of the easiest powders to use, excellent coverage and slick as snot. Only draw back is it can be hard to tell coated from uncoated!

    Btw, goes on white like powdered sugar, so easy to guage coverage.
    "In God we trust, in all others, check the manual!"

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

    Kraschenbirn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    East Central IL
    Posts
    3,446
    +1 on Smoke's Clear. I began powder-coating about four years ago and, in that time, have experimented with a number of powders, including the HF's and several of Smoke's colors. It could be that my technique has improved with practice, but IMO his Clear is the easiest to work with and gives the most consistently uniform coverage.

    Bill
    "I'm not often right but I've never been wrong."

    Jimmy Buffett
    "Scarlet Begonias"

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Posts
    911
    ya id just get smokes clear. I just tried it for the first time and it goes on very easy as said. just make sure you use a completely different shake container and BB's for it so it don't pick up any pigment

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Oklahoma
    Posts
    321
    I also use Smokes clear. Excellent choice in my opinion. I get very good coverage easily. The only negative is it’s a very thin coating. So if you’re trying to bump your boolits up in size it might take two coats.
    “You’ve got to slow down to be fast” - Dad

  6. #6
    Banned
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Posts
    3,409
    I've found that Silver is the easiest/best coating PC I have. I've coated over 25,000 boolits with




    these are also very good performers





  7. #7
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Beautiful Idaho
    Posts
    2,644
    The very best covering powder I use is the semi gloss clear from Eastwood. I usually add a pinch of blue or green for a nice transparent slight color. This said, I'm sure Smoke's powder works very well also, just haven't tried it myself. I went a little overboard buying Cardinal and Eastwood powders when I started and it looks like I have a two lifetime supply. Gp

  8. #8
    Banned
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Posts
    2,725
    I share your appreciation of boolits looking like they are made of metal not plastic. Been trying different powders and mixing powders to get a good looking boolit. I got some Cardinal Silver from Conditor22 to try out. I have found it to be the very best powder paint I have used to date. For me it is equal to or better than Smoke's clear which is also absolutely a winner. Like others have said though...with Smoke's Clear it is hard to tell if your boolits have been coated.
    I have also tried a couple of copper colored powders. Smoke's Translucent Copper is a pretty good color but I find it needs 2 coats. I have tried mixing copper and silver but the silver dominates the mix. Even 3 parts copper to one part silver comes out silver.
    One other note here, some guys do A LOT of boolits. I am not one of them.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
    JWFilips's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Northeastern part of Penn's Woods near Slocum Hollow.
    Posts
    1,920
    Another Vote for Smoke's Clear! Easy to use Very slick; good one coat coverage and it shoots great ; and looks like a shiny cast bullet!
    " Associate with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation: for it is better to be alone than in bad company. " George Washington

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Southern Ky.
    Posts
    575
    After reading everything I could find about both powder and liquid coatings, and being tired of making a very good sticky boolit lube (FWFL-of which I still have a couple of lifetimes' supply), I settled on Smoke's clear because I wanted my lead boolits to look like lead boolits. Then after reading all the instructions carefully, I jumped in and did a bunch successfully. Haven't had a single difficulty along the way. I would add just this one suggestion: If you PC, do the application part in an air-conditioned, dehumidified area. I do it in my basement (both air-conditioned & de-humidified) but do the cooking outside and do not even use the #5 container, but an empty #2, 2-lb gunpowder container that I had sitting around doing nothing, but I do use the bbs that Smoke sells. Simple matter to take the coated boolits from the basement to the oven outside for cooking. Big Boomer

  11. #11
    Moderator


    Minerat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Jefferson County, CO
    Posts
    9,514
    If you PC, do the application part in an air-conditioned, dehumidified area. I do it in my basement (both air-conditioned & de-humidified) but do the cooking outside.....
    Does the garage count it was 40 deg and 10% last weekend here. I got good coatings and frozen feet as a bonus. Lol

    I use smokes clear and silver and just got some Translucent Copper to try. I also recoated some clear 357's with traffic yellow cause I did not pickup the first coat till I added them to the yellow bowl.
    Steve,

    Life Member NRA
    Colorado Rifle Club member
    Rocky Mtn Gun Owners member
    NAGR member

  12. #12
    Boolit Master


    Walks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    3,028
    I've been using Eastwoods "Squirrel Gray" for the last 2 years.
    No one who shoots Cowboy with my Buddy or me has ever said a word about the looks of our ammo.

    I use Smokes powder for everything else that I shoot. My Daughter especially likes Smokes J.D. Green for Her 9mm bullets.
    I use Carolina Blue for My .38's & .44 & .45 bullets for punching paper and plinking.
    Flame Red for Hot loads.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

    SASS #375 Life

  13. #13
    Banned
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Posts
    2,725
    Quote Originally Posted by Minerat View Post
    Does the garage count it was 40 deg and 10% last weekend here. I got good coatings and frozen feet as a bonus. Lol

    I use smokes clear and silver and just got some Translucent Copper to try. I also recoated some clear 357's with traffic yellow cause I did not pickup the first coat till I added them to the yellow bowl.
    I did some powder coating in an unheated garage a couple of years ago. Temp inside garage -20° F. Chunks of powder were frozen. But I got the best coverage ever. Harbor Freight Red big fat and fluffy. BEAUTIFUL

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
    DHDeal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    South Carolina
    Posts
    636
    WHAT, no color? Shame!

    I do use Smokes clear also. As mentioned, you have to make sure you label the bullet box its in (I do at least) as they don't look coated after curing. It's also a real easy powder to use.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Southern Ky.
    Posts
    575
    Minerat: That ought to work!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check