Help on Powder Coating

[GimpeeShooter]

https://imgur.com/p25e55W

I've been experimenting with Smoke's Powder Coating, this is his Translucent Copper. Trying to get something that resembles a copper jacket. The far left is just a plain cast bullet. The middle is after 1 coat and the far right is after 2 coats. I've followed his instructions on how much to use and how long to tumble. I have my oven set to 380 degrees and I cook for 15 minutes.


Any suggestions on why I'm getting really spotty coverage on the first coat?

[kenton]

I have never tried smokes copper powder coat but with my light blue I got much better coverage when I moved my storage and shaking operation from my hot humid shed to my cool dry basement. I believe I also put my open powder in the oven at 200ish degrees for about 10 minutes to drive the moisture out. I don't know if that was necessary or even a good idea, but it is what I did.

My logic was that static charges build up much better when the air is dry.

[GimpeeShooter]

That is a good point. I was doing it in my parents detached garage with the garage door open. It wasn't overly humid but it was outdoors essentially.

[Thunder Stick]

A couple of things that helped me with getting good coverage.

1. Preheat the bullets before applying the powder coat.
2. Shake the bullets and powder in a #5 plastic tub.
3. Keep shaking to get good coverage before baking. When you have complete coverage, then pour the bullets out.

[Shuz]

A couple of things that helped me with getting good coverage.

1. Preheat the bullets before applying the powder coat.
2. Shake the bullets and powder in a #5 plastic tub.
3. Keep shaking to get good coverage before baking. When you have complete coverage, then pour the bullets out.

Be careful with preheating the boolits. If the boolits get too hot, the powder will start to melt and clump on a few. Ask me how I know! How hot is too hot? ?Quien sabes?

[Smoke4320]

Heat the bullets No more than 140 degrees

[Conditor22]

Translucent Copper, Translucent ANYTHING is meant to be used over a base coat to get good coverage.

Thin doesn't mean it's not covered or not shootable -- you have to try it -- if it works well, great --- if not and you get leading you know its too thin.

I sent one of my ovens to it's lowest setting <150° to preheat/dry out my boolits when it's raining. My rule of thumb is if I can't touch the boolits barehanded they are too hot

both the temperature and the bake time seem low.

doublecheck your oven's temperature with a thermometer set on the shelf your baking on. Most countertop ovens are off.

Check the manufacturer's specifications on bake time. all manufacturers specify either:
(1) bake XXX° for XX minutes AFTER the substrate reaches XXX°
(2) bake XXX° for XX minutes AFTER the powder flows.

[bangerjim]

I agree! Translucent is NOT something you should use unless you have a base coat that compliments the top coat. In this case a medium red might work? Some color that compliments the top see-thru color to get the desired effect in the end. I personally would never use anything translucent.....way too much work for something that just goes SPLAT on the other end of the barrel.

And yes, do NOT heat more than 140°F or your powder will start to clump B4 you even bake it!

[nwfdub]

There is a way around not using a base coat. I have had great success using mothers mag. I chuck the boolit up on the lathe then apply mothers mag and spin until nice and shiny. Clean well, then apply trans/ candy colors. Just watch the flow, very easy to overcook.

Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk

[bangerjim]

There is a way around not using a base coat. I have had great success using mothers mag. I chuck the boolit up on the lathe then apply mothers mag and spin until nice and shiny. Clean well, then apply trans/ candy colors. Just watch the flow, very easy to overcook.

Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk

That may work for you and I am glad to hear you have found a process that does work for your needs. But when you process MANY thousands of boolits like I and many others do on here, chucking every single boolit in a lathe and polishing it is an inordinate waste of time & effort, at least for my quantity needs.

The base coat is a simple, fast, and easy way to get pigment coverage. And for those that insist on doing 2 coats, it is a good justification for that added (although unneeded in my book) step. I never use 2 coats of anything because I do not ever need it. I avoid all metallic, translucent, vein, plaid/checkerboard (!), and (in the past) HF yellow and HF white powders all together.

There is a technicolor rainbow of excellent-adhering powders out there to choose from that work in just one coat.

Good coatings!

bangerjim

[cwlongshot]

I preheat my bullets ON TOP of my oven. NEVER gotten too hot even after sitting there almost a hour! Works well for me.

Yes, its TRANSLUCENT. Its NOT OPAQUE!! I tested this one day and I quite after five coats did not get me a "copper" bullet. IMHO Copper Penny is better for one coat. But as suggested the copper is GREAT as a second coat after a base. One of my favorites is BLK. With copper on top!! While is nice too.

But its really only usefull iffin ya wanna brag on your bullets. . They shoot just as well without the fuss of multi coats.

Here is video link to show ya the copper over black. I show it at about 2:20 time.

https://youtu.be/Xwk4_HxO1yE

CW

[GimpeeShooter]

Thank you all that makes sense about the translucent and needing a base coat. I'll have to try that. That's probably why the 2nd coat looks better.

[GimpeeShooter]

I'll experiment with the heat on the oven. But the big thing is probably missing the base coat.

[nwfdub]

That may work for you and I am glad to hear you have found a process that does work for your needs. But when you process MANY thousands of boolits like I and many others do on here, chucking every single boolit in a lathe and polishing it is an inordinate waste of time & effort, at least for my quantity needs.

The base coat is a simple, fast, and easy way to get pigment coverage. And for those that insist on doing 2 coats, it is a good justification for that added (although unneeded in my book) step. I never use 2 coats of anything because I do not ever need it. I avoid all metallic, translucent, vein, plaid/checkerboard (!), and (in the past) HF yellow and HF white powders all together.

There is a technicolor rainbow of excellent-adhering powders out there to choose from that work in just one coat.

Good coatings!

bangerjim

Thanks for the unnecessary flaming. Prefacing your comment with" I'm glad to hear it but" is like saying don't take offense to what I'm about to say, but....

The OP asked for help. I offered a different solution. There is always more than one way to skin a cat. Just because it's not YOUR way, doesn't mean someone else might not be interested in it.

To assume that a new caster is out to create as much bulk as you, thus your way is the only viable way is very condescending. Clearly the OP is interested in how the boolits look. I simply offered another solution. Let the OP, or anyone else reading this thread, decide which works best for them.

For the record I don't disagree with what you said, but I did not warrant the harshness I received.

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[Dragonheart]

I think the reason for the thin appearance for the coating has been answered, but your cast bullet surface appears to be very rough?

[DHDeal]

I doubt bangerjim was flaming your post. He's been doing this since this PC thing started and has found what works for him and what time he's willing to spend.

I, on the other hand, still enjoy trying new stuff. The great thing is if what I try doesn't come out like I planned, I can drop them back in the pot. I just feel sorry for the guys that have to shoot jacketed bullets and don't know the joy of spending hours casting, coating, sizing, and shooting superior bullets.

[reddog81]

I been using translucent copper for almost 2 years now. I’ve easily put 2,000 rounds of 9mm down range along with hundreds in 300 blackout. I’ve never ran into any of the issues mentioned here. 1 coat will look kind of light but it works perfectly fine for me. Never once have I needed 2 coats even when using in .30-06. I’ve never done a thing different when using it versus other PCs.

It’s translucent copper powder coat... of course it doesn’t look like a copper jacket.

[gnappi]

I doubt bangerjim was flaming your post. He's been doing this since this PC thing started and has found what works for him and what time he's willing to spend.

I, on the other hand, still enjoy trying new stuff. The great thing is if what I try doesn't come out like I planned, I can drop them back in the pot. I just feel sorry for the guys that have to shoot jacketed bullets and don't know the joy of spending hours casting, coating, sizing, and shooting superior bullets.

I doubt that many feel there is a "joy" slinging heavy molds and feeding a ton of lead into and working over a hot crucible

I think the joy in its totality for me is great satisfaction of being immune to at least one of the triumvirate corporations of component availability!

[GimpeeShooter]

I preheat my bullets ON TOP of my oven. NEVER gotten too hot even after sitting there almost a hour! Works well for me.

Yes, its TRANSLUCENT. Its NOT OPAQUE!! I tested this one day and I quite after five coats did not get me a "copper" bullet. IMHO Copper Penny is better for one coat. But as suggested the copper is GREAT as a second coat after a base. One of my favorites is BLK. With copper on top!! While is nice too.

But its really only usefull iffin ya wanna brag on your bullets. . They shoot just as well without the fuss of multi coats.

Here is video link to show ya the copper over black. I show it at about 2:20 time.

https://youtu.be/Xwk4_HxO1yE

CW

I like that look of the black and copper. I'll have to pick some black up to use as a base coat. I personally don't mind doing 2 coats, i enjoy repetitive tasks like powder coating. That's why I enjoy reloading so much, its something that I can do for hours on end.

[GimpeeShooter]

I been using translucent copper for almost 2 years now. I’ve easily put 2,000 rounds of 9mm down range along with hundreds in 300 blackout. I’ve never ran into any of the issues mentioned here. 1 coat will look kind of light but it works perfectly fine for me. Never once have I needed 2 coats even when using in .30-06. I’ve never done a thing different when using it versus other PCs.

It’s translucent copper powder coat... of course it doesn’t look like a copper jacket.

Reddog81, do you have any pics of your bullets? I understand its not going to look exactly like a copper jacket, I just was hoping for something that resembled it.