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Thread: PC “Warts”

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    PC “Warts”

    Hi all,

    I’ve read and read and can’t find a solution to my powder coating problem. First of all, I’m only concerned with how they shoot; I don’t care about looks. However, after doing the shake and bake with HF white (all they had), then batch cooking them and water quenching, most of my bullets have evidence of sticking together, leaving a bare lead patch on one and a “wart” of additional PC on the other. Any tips? I picked out about 10% of them that I consider usable but I’m going to have to remelt the rest I believe.

    Thanks in advance for any help,

    Pete

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  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy PJEagle's Avatar
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    My research says that the only HF color that would work for shake and bake was red. I haven't read of anyone having success with any other HF color. I wasted my time with HF red for a while and always ended up with an orange peel finish. My advice would be to order some powder from Smoke in the VS section of the forum. His powders just work.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    I agree withPJEagle. I think a better quaility powder would go a long way to solving your problem
    Boolits !!!!! Does that mean what I think it do? It do!

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master fredj338's Avatar
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    Don't use HF powders. IF you have to only Red works worth a darn shake & bake. Stand your bullets on their bases for best finish. I water drop out of the oven as well but bake in small wire screen baskets. The bases stick just enough to stay on the basket for quenching then pop right off.
    EVERY GOOD SHOOTER NEEDS TO BE A HANDLOADER.
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  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    I used HF red for a long time but had the best luck in low humidity. I Always recieved poor results with the other HF powders. And I tried over and over.

    Smoke4320 here sells very good powder, he makes it easy for call in orders. Seriously, his powders work with half the shaking and much better results.

    Handle boolits after shaking with blue nitrile gloves, I bake on parchment paper, bullets lined up in rows, gives a fine finnish.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    Dont be affraid to try another coat. Easier then casting again.

  7. #7
    Banned
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    Most of the HF colors do not tumble coat well. (I believe they quit making red )

    If you have a vibrating case cleaner, put the container your tumbling in there and let it run for 15 min see if that helps

  8. #8
    Boolit Bub
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    Thanks for the tips. So it sounds like nobody has ever seen this particular issue before?

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    I agree that you should throw out the HF powder and get some of Smoke's PC. You might want to try and stand the boolits up to keep them from sticking and allowing the PC to flow down to the base.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by pka45 View Post
    Thanks for the tips. So it sounds like nobody has ever seen this particular issue before?
    you see it everytime you use a powder that does not tumble coat. powder coat was made to be sprayed, we have figured a way to use powder coat without spraying but not all powders are equal, get smokes sample pack.
    if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    as said id get smokes powder, shake em and stand em on a tray individually upright on foil or silicone matt, cook em, then pull the whole tray out and throw the whole tray right in a 5 gallon bucket of water. they will look far far better
    Last edited by bmortell; 02-04-2020 at 11:52 PM.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    That’s better coverage and I ever got with harder for harbor freight PC.lol after my trial and error and wasting of six dollars on that powder I spent 20 bucks with smoke. I stand my bullets up to. His powder is a lot finer grain and sticks better. Trust me and order some from him you won’t regret it. Imo HF PC is horrible for tumble coating.

    You might have something in your water sticking to your ally to when you water quench. I stopped quenching my bullets as I want the softest bullet possible for hunting.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master ACC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pka45 View Post
    Hi all,

    I’ve read and read and can’t find a solution to my powder coating problem. First of all, I’m only concerned with how they shoot; I don’t care about looks. However, after doing the shake and bake with HF white (all they had), then batch cooking them and water quenching, most of my bullets have evidence of sticking together, leaving a bare lead patch on one and a “wart” of additional PC on the other. Any tips? I picked out about 10% of them that I consider usable but I’m going to have to remelt the rest I believe.

    Thanks in advance for any help,

    Pete

    Click image for larger version. 

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    From my understanding HF White is really bad, and as they have discontinued Red and Yellow, get some other powder to try.

    ACC

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    I tried HF Red a long time ago and in my opinion it was poor. Seeing that Red was the best of the HF lot I wouldn't even try the other colors. I agree with the recommendations for Smoke's Powder.

    Standing your bullets has one big plus and that is the powder will tend to fill the imperfections on the base of a cast bullet and make the base o9f the bullet flat. A bullet with imperfections on the base and a base that is not flat will never be and accurate bullet.

    Using a quality powder will get you going but the biggest error or you can make is not getting a full cure. For that you need an oven that will get to and maintain 400F degrees. Some water drop and I can see it may gain some in hardness for rifle bullets, but a properly coated & cured polymer jacket is already as hard as copper and if it has a suitable thickness the polymer is riding the rifling, which is approximately .004" land to groove in depth. Water dropping handgun bullets is a waste of time.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master flyingmonkey35's Avatar
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    I never had good luck with any of HF powder in a shake n bake.

    ES no problem.

    Smoke has really good powder.

    Or call a local powder coating company and see if they'll sell you some of thier overspay.

    They normally just chuck it.

    + wear gloves and a mask.

    Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

  16. #16
    Boolit Man
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    Get better powder,order from powder by the pound!
    Great stuff!

  17. #17
    Boolit Bub
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    Thanks!

    The purpose of water dropping (for me) is to batch cook without standing them up. So instead of a waste of time, the point is to in fact save a good bit of time. I agree though, the hardness is not necessary.

    Will try again when I get another chance to fire up the molds.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master elmacgyver0's Avatar
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    I have not done a lot of powder coat, I started with HF red, it worked ok.
    I ordered some from Eastwood and the difference was like night and day.
    Haven't tried Smokes yet but sure it is as good or better than Eastwood by the reviews given here.
    After I use up my lubed boolits I imagine I will exclusively go with PC.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master


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    Diff powders react differently.
    Def try better quality powders. There are many.

    Temps and times can also effect. I find I get more of these as my baskets “age” or as the coats of powder increase upon them.

    Good thing is I haven’t seen them cause issues. But I’m not looking for my bullets for bench rest accuracy. I want 1” @ 50 with my rifle. Sometimes I get better. What I’m thrilled with using PC is increased velocity with softer alloy that expands.

    CW
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  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by pka45 View Post
    Thanks for the tips. So it sounds like nobody has ever seen this particular issue before?
    Yes, I did. Most of these guys who have tried HF powders, other than red, have seen the same issue, which is why most of us do not use HF powders. My advice is to throw away the powder and buy some good stuff from Smoke's.

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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
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LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
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