Powder question

[Ford SD]

OK ... Im on 2 day of power coating .... ordered these during the summer last year.
Day 1 did a batch on reg alum foil .. Surprise they stuck to it

My cook time is app 14 min , Time for bullets to gloss over plus 10 min, hammer test good sticking when powder does stick

read some of the PC posts ... one is 40 pages long and 8 or so years in the making and after reading most of it i am not retaining most of it it
--------------------------------------------
Picked up 4 gloss colours.... read best results using gloss polyester, so that is what I though I had bought
Bought from prismatic powders
first letter P = Polyester
2nd letter S = Solid P= top coat


having some problems I have tried 3 of the 4 powders and only getting 1 good result .... Dry powder Bowl bb
Are these the correct powders, or do I need a spray gun for the powders that do not work ?

Bright Green PSB 5945....works great did some 38 wc, 44 mag, 40

Bright Green is a bright, nearly neon, green solid tone. This color is a polyester solid tone powder coat and has a high gloss finish.
High Gloss: 85+ Gloss Units
--------------------------------------
JUST ORANGE PSS-4045
I tried it with 3 differts bowls with BB and with out 3 different bullets it would not stick .... Stuck very well to the side of the bow

is a bright construction orange with a smooth appearance. This color is a polyester solid tone powder coat with a high gloss finish.
High Gloss: 85+ Gloss Units

l
-----------------------------------
Card Black PSS 1523 ... Not wanting to stick played with at a bit for some 30 cal results soso ... had to do 2 coats
Card Black is a deep black. This color is a polyester solid tone powder coat and has semi-gloss finish.Semi-Gloss: 37-70 Gloss Units
----------------------------------
Cannon grey PSS 2748 Not wanting to stick, so mixed it with some of the above green and had to do 2 coats
Cannon Grey is a dark blue/grey. This color is a polyester solid tone powder coat and has a high gloss finish.High Gloss: 85+ Gloss Units
---------------------------------------------
PPB 6415 Rancher red .. not tried ..
... ordered this by mistake as I was not looking for a top coat power at this time
Rancher Red is a rich red top coat. This color is a polyester top coat powder coat with a high gloss finish

So Why am I have problems .. wrong power ? doing it wrong ?
the Just orange maybe had a 5-10% coverage and was not worth baking, when still in bowl
tried 1 teaspoon tried 2 teaspoon .... just does not want to stick

-----------------------
Help, thanks

ps I now have bb . nsaf , icecube tray for the 30cal
Now using a round rubermade bowl with a air tight lid #5 .... keeps the dust down a lot better than one of the other bowl I tried
and working on a pid for the oven, as some of the batches got to hot and changed colour


I did Pick up one trick
Using nitride gloves ... if you have a bullet that has a thin spot on it stick the tip of your finger in the powder and tap the bullet on the bare spot, then pick it up and place in oven tray

[Tonto]

Get a sample pack of colors from Smoke on here and some plastic bb’s. Make sure the entire container is #5 not just the lid. Get a piece of silicone baking sheet instead of foil. Make sure your baking oven is temperature calibrated and bake your finished bullets for at least 20-30 minutes, I use 400F as my set temp. Sounds like you have the shake process down. Just get proven powders and keep it simple. Size after coating and curing. The more you do the better you will get. Proven powders is the best first step. Good luck.

[rancher1913]

not all powder will tumble coat. start with smokes proven powder and then experiment with other powder after you see what good powder should do.

[Dragonheart]

Before blaming the powder check the basics.

Contaminated bullet is big reason for poor coverage and a good reason not to do a water drop. Just drop cast into a clean pan and let them cool, don't handle them and store in air tight containers until coating. Even the best powders won't perform on a contaminated surface.

Humidity might be your problem as moisture inhibits static electricity, whether it is in the air or the powder. Preheat bullet to 140°, No Higher! and use an accurate thermometer to monitor. Tumble and the heated bullets and they will take a heaver even coat.

I recommend starting with Smoke's powders and I have used Smoke's powders with excellent results, but I started with Prismatic 10 years ago have tried a number of Prismatic Solid colors with excellent results. Some colors that have tumble coated well for me are: TRACTOR GREEN #PSS-4517, SWEET PLUM #PSS-1054, REALLY RED, GLOSS BLACK #USS2603 #PSS-4416, ORANGE RAL 2008, COBALT BLUE, BUBBA BLUE #PSS-3042, BLUE STREAK, BRIGHT GREEN. I also have other Prismatic powders that I spray and all produce professional results.

I don't pick up the bullets with gloves because I can load a tray faster with self closing tweezers with a ground point that does not disturb the coating.


I also do not use foil. I use non-stick silicon baking mats that I started with 10 years ago. I also use a SS baker's cooling rack with a grid appropriate for the bullet diameter to maximize the number of bullets placed on a tray and keep from toppling on the way to the oven.

[charlie b]

^^^I do the same. If I have to handle the bullets before coating (eg, sizing and seating gas checks) I will clean them with acetone before coating.

The tweezers I use have a piece of heat shrink on the tips and I dip them in the powder before using.

I cook everything at 400F for over 20min. Usually the timer on the oven is set at 23, just to make sure it is at 400F for 20min.

[Dragonheart]

^^^I do the same. If I have to handle the bullets before coating (eg, sizing and seating gas checks) I will clean them with acetone before coating.

The tweezers I use have a piece of heat shrink on the tips and I dip them in the powder before using.

I cook everything at 400F for over 20min. Usually the timer on the oven is set at 23, just to make sure it is at 400F for 20min.

You can order a Taylor Oven guide thermometer off amazon for about $12 which can last a lifetime and is accurate. You are only measuring the air temp, but at least you will know when it reaches temp and if it stays there, many of these ovens won't even do that, so never rely on a dial for accuracy.

[charlie b]

My temp is set based on an oven thermometer, actually two of them as a double check. The 'dial' on my oven is off by 30deg. When set at 370 the internal temp is 400.

[Dragonheart]

The best solution is to make a thermocouple. For less than $10 and a little time you can stop guessing.

For $32 on Amazon you can purchase a digital K thermometer with two K type probe sockets. (Digital 2 Channels K-Type Thermometer 4 Thermocouples, Probe Sensor Tester Monitor Wired & Stainless Steel -50~1300°C -58~2372°F Temperature Kelvin Scale Dual Measurement Kit )

I take the wire probes and insert the end into the cavity of a bullet mold and cast a bullet encasing the probe. I then lay this bullet probe in the center of the tray of my PC bullets. Now I have an actual bullet temperature that tells me when to start my timing.

[osage]

Dragonheart I have a couple K probes for my multi meter but hadn't thought about casting it into bullet. I was planning on drilling bullet.

[Dragonheart]

Dragonheart I have a couple K probes for my multi meter but hadn't thought about casting it into bullet. I was planning on drilling bullet.

I first tried drilling, but had trouble keeping the wire in. Casting the wire in a bullet cavity with a little help from a third hand worked well with the metal contact it's very consistent, better durability plus I have the same mass so I feel very confidant of the reading.

I seldom use my toaster ovens anymore since I converted a free 30" wall oven to a PID. With 5 oven racks so I cook in 1/2 sheet baker's pans on silicon mats. I use two or three thermocouples to monitor top & bottom racks so when they all come to temp I set my timer for 15 minutes. Most wouldn't guess how long it takes to bring 6K bullets up to 400°. The two 240 volt oven elements will bring the oven up to temp in about 10 minutes, then about 35 minutes to get the load to temp.