What powders? What techniques?

[airone46]

Hello everyone and best wishes for a Happy Easter.
I am writing to you to know what kind of paints you use to paint your boolits: epoxy or polyester?
I believe that epoxy paints are more resistant, and need a shorter baking time, even if at higher temperatures (200 ° C.)
I would also like to know if anyone uses the "fluidized bed painting" technique.
It is a little known and very simple technique: you need a container with a lid with a hole at the base or on one or more sides. The hole is closed by a filter that allows air to pass. A small amount of powder paint is placed on the filter. Then put a support inside the container with the boolits heated to about 200 ° C, close the lid and blow some air (just a common hairdryer!). The dust forms a cloud of paint particles which melts and sticks to them when in contact with hot boolits.
Unfortunately I don't know if I translated well into English!

[fredj338]

Seems like more work than simply shaking & then baking. Do they make an epoxy based powder that needs not catalyst?

[airone46]

All epoxy powders have no catalyst!
The hardening takes place by temperature (about 200 ° C. / 400 ° F.)
I think it is much easier to put the heated boolits in a box and blow the powder on them !!!
I believe that the coating in this way is more regular and avoids handlinp the boolits with pliers!

[fredj338]

All epoxy powders have no catalyst!
The hardening takes place by temperature (about 200 ° C. / 400 ° F.)
I think it is much easier to put the heated boolits in a box and blow the powder on them !!!
I believe that the coating in this way is more regular and avoids handlinp the boolits with pliers!

So if doing that, how do you handle the bullets prior to baking? I don't even like a spray gun because of the mess & add'l handling.
Pretty sure most of the powders I use are poly.

[mvintx]

We appreciate your idea about a different technique. I'm sure the PCing process most of us use, evolved out of ideas like yours. Since I've discovered the tumble and dump method, I'm going to stick with it until a better idea comes along. And your English translation was just fine.

[Walter Laich]

using Smoke's powder and ASBBs I find that if I swirl the container for 15-20 seconds and shake 3-4 times I get great results. Have about a Tablespoon (3 teaspoons) on powder to start and will add when I see less than perfect coverage on the bullets.

Seriously my biggest problem is casting enough so I can PC.

[Elkins45]

A lot of people who coat fishing lures and jig heads use the fluid bed because they can hold the part by the hook and dip it into the powder. I'm not sure how that would work with bullets.

[airone46]

Dip the hot boolit directly into the powder I think it leads to a very exaggerated thickness!
This doesn't matter to jigs, but it does matter to boolits!
just take a piece of perforated sheet metal or make the holes ourselves, insert the boolits for the tip, reheat in the oven and insert in a container (just a box for shoes!). You put some dust inside and blow it with an old hairdryer!
This way you use a very minimal amount of powder!
then it is passed in the oven at 200 ° C for 10 minutes to complete the polymerization.
If someone wants to test, it takes very little!
If it doesn't work, you only lose an old box, and a teaspoon of powder!
The only drawback is that near the tip you will see a small, uncoated ring! but the base will be covered!

[Conditor22]

Interesting, can you post pictures of your process

Many people like using IMGUR for pictures.

[airone46]

these days I have urgent repairs to do in my garden.
I can make you a drawing if you want! It is very simple and the cost is ZERO!

[DeadWoodDan]

I'm not sure about process as I am just starting down this road. I am interested in what program or other you used to put that together? Very well done and easy to understand . Great job!

[airone46]

436/5000
I'm sorry but I don't understand correctly!
Do you want to know the program I used for drawing? I used PAINT: I don't have graphics programs on my computer!
If you are referring instead to the technique of painting, I read it on the internet.
If instead you refer to the "box" I invented it!
The process seems very simple and quick to me: more or less the same as the tumbler, but in my opinion it is faster and should give a better painting.

[DeadWoodDan]

airone46,
So did you just find pictures on the internet and paste them into a "canvas"?

[airone46]

On the internet I only read the painting mode: electrostatic gun, fluid bed, electrostatic gun + fluid bed, other systems (tumbler, High Tech, powder + acetone, etc).
In my opinion, the "fluid bed" system is the simplest:
1) - the system takes up little space: a small box, in which when you are finished you keep hair dryer, powder, tray. You can build the "box" so large that it can be kept inside the oven.
2) - the system wastes little time: the time it takes to heat the boolits before painting them, save it later, to complete the polymerization. Spend just a few seconds to blow the powder.

I made the drawings on the computer with "PAINT"