dry tumble powder coating?

[bangerjim]

I noticed if I coated my fingers in the pc I could pick up the boolits with no worries, my tweezers actually damaged the coating

I stick the hemostat jaws in the powder and it does the same thing. No dings where the jaws grab the boolits.

banger

[bangerjim]

Good to know. Picking up mine with hemos was quite tedious since you have to grab them from the coolwhip tub at such an awkward angle. Then it was really easy for them to tip while placing them down. That and I did get thin spots where I picked them up, even with powder on the end of the hemos.

I use the curved ones and picking the up is a breeze!

banger

[Beagle333]

Somebody on here (buried back in the early threads) posted a pic where they had made/bent/honed some really awesome needlenose pliers that curved around into two points that met, kinda like a small pair of ice tongs. I'd sure like to have a pair of those!

[bangerjim]

Buy a cheeeeep pair of needle nose pliers at Harbor Freight....heat the jaws to bright red with a propane torch, let them cool in the air......and you will be able to bend them to the points you are referring to.

banger

[Beagle333]

I did not know that. Thanks Banger!



edit: Ahhhh! Here it is!!! Post #170
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...c-Method/page9

[popper]

Rush I used the hemostat on 90 30 cal rifle today, no marks at all but I was Spraying them so the coating may have been thicker. The DT worked for 30 or so then poor coating so I sprayed. Mine have a long handle so easy to set in the oven.

[russs]

I use the thin vinyl disposable gloves to pick up the bullets and put them on parchment paper. Just pinch a little powder to start and it doesn't remove any PC from the bullets. The parchment paper is good for about a half dozen bakes and then I just turn it over for another half dozen bakes. Cheaper than Non stick foil.

[BT8850]

Hello all, first post here, been a reader for a while. I'm brand new to reloading but have had success with the dry tumble pc method. Here is my process, its very similar to everyone elses. This is using the Lee 175g TC tumble lube .401 bullet and Sherwin Williams brand Powdura TGIC Powder color equipment blue.

Small plastic container, tumble 50-60 bullets in about a tablespoon of powder until evenly coated


Dump onto toaster oven tray that's been lined with aluminum foil and a piece of window screen (to keep bullets from sticking to foil)
use a toothpick to tip the bullets onto their bases
put tray into cold toaster oven and set dial to ~*375 for 12-15mins
When she dings I pull them out and let cool for a minute or two then drop them off the tray onto a dish towel to finish cooling (found that if let to completely cool on the tray, they stick to the screen)

Repeat for 2nd coat, sized with lee .401 die when completely cool

If tumbling less than 50 or so bullets, a third coat is usually needed for complete coverage

My bullets have passed the "smash test" and when fully coated and sized weigh about 177g, and are usually .599 +/- .003 or so in length

Fired in stock G20, stock G22, and Stock Beretta 96 with no leading, shoot just like a jacketed bullet. Was using Hogdon Longshot powder 6.5g for .40sw, 8.5g for 10mm.

I apologize if this was not the place for my first post but figured I'd share!

Attachment 100391

Attachment 100392

[prickett]

Hello all, first post here, been a reader for a while. I'm brand new to reloading but have had success with the dry tumble pc method. Here is my process, its very similar to everyone elses. This is using the Lee 175g TC tumble lube .401 bullet and Sherwin Williams brand Powdura TGIC Powder color equipment blue.

Congrats, they look great. Could you please add your powder to the definitive powders sticky? It looks like it definitely works!

[BT8850]

Thanks! Yes, I can do that. The only info I don't have is a place to purchase it, it was given to me by a friend to play with. It has worked pretty well. I also tried some yellow and grey sherwin williams brand, neither worked as well, grey was dull and uneven, yellow was very uneven after 3 coats, as well as taking more heat to cure which I wasn't too keen on.

[bangerjim]

Many of us are finding the same thing........light colors (yellow's, white's etc) do not cover well. Same goes when you are using those colors in any kind of standard paint. When's the last time you got a perfect even no-show-thru coat when putting white house paint over a very dark color base? The pigments just do not have the filling power as the darker hues. I have had excellent luck with ESPC and DT using red (and matte black with ESPC) and have seen greens and dark blues in pix that look perfect. But you probably should not waste your valuable time and energy on colors that take 3-4 coats/bakes to cover the lead. If a color will not cover in 1 process, I will not use it.

I am getting ready to order several pounds of a dark blue powder that will allow me to use the color mix wheel to make any shade I want. Using a dark blue will give the coverage and the added tints will give the hue I am after. Saves $$$$ buying tons of different colors.

bangerjim

[BT8850]

Many of us are finding the same thing........light colors (yellow's, white's etc) do not cover well. Same goes when you are using those colors in any kind of standard paint. When's the last time you got a perfect even no-show-thru coat when putting white house paint over a very dark color base? The pigments just do not have the filling power as the darker hues.

bangerjim

I never really thought about it like that, that's a fantastic point, thanks for bring it to my attention, makes alot of sense. Guess I'll stick to the darker stuff! I'd like to try some gloss black, I like the blue, it just sometimes seems a little cheesy having these electric blue bullets LOL I will have to look around on here, the green sounds interesting.

Good luck with your upcoming purchase, I'll look for the posts when you get started mixing up colors with your dark blue, sounds like a promising method!

[jakec]

first try at P C ing. easier than i thought. this is one coat and cook. i rubbed a little powder on my fingers and picked them up with no bare spots. cooked 20 min at 400.

[jakec]

Forgot the pic

[bangerjim]

first try at P C ing. easier than i thought. this is one coat and cook. i rubbed a little powder on my fingers and picked them up with no bare spots. cooked 20 min at 400.

If you are using HF red, or most commercial powders, you can bake at 400F for only 10 min......after the coating turns glossy in your oven. I prefer a preheated oven. The shorter time yields perfect coatings that pass the hammer and no leading tests! Just make sure your oven IS ACTUALLY at 400F inside, do not rely on the dial on the outside. Those cheap little bi-metal thermostats they use are all over the map. Cooking food is not as critical as our little goodies.

Just a thought to save you some time and electricity! You can crank twice as many boolits thru your oven at 10 min.

Good looking boolits!

banger

[jakec]

thanks! it is hf red. i was just going by the directions on the package. i thought it seemed a little long. 10 min will be much better thanks for the info banger!

[bkbville]

I'm looking at trying the DT method - question though about ovens - do I need a dedicated oven (i.e. should I never cook food with it again?)

I'm curious, especial with DT since there is no chemicals used as in the wet tumble method.

[jmort]

Yes, dedicated oven

[nitrohuck]

Yes, dedicated oven

haha uh-oh.... well for my first attempt I will have to be using my normal oven... whatever, I have no wife to answer to, I'm only poisoning myself

[Ironwood]

haha uh-oh.... well for my first attempt I will have to be using my normal oven... whatever, I have no wife to answer to, I'm only poisoning myself

Funny, I bought a new oven so that the food remnants could not contaminate my precious Boolits. Also because I didn't have one