simple Hi-Tek coating

[Gateway Bullets]

Trev,

i will try to post my instructions Monday when I get to my computer.

[HI-TEK]

I really think HI-TEK Joe needs to lay off the booze and write a proper instruction manual.
Everyone keeps asking about instructions, But none are available.
This would test his 1 finger typing skills...

I make and supplied the test products.
Powdered versions of the Hi-Tek coatings are all new to this world........

As the official tester of the experimental products, you are supposed to under your multi million dollar contract, work out all the finer details to make the products work, then, publish your research papers and findings, which you failed to do.
Now your contracts have been torn up and shredded including secret formulas.

If a full and comprehensive recipe book is required, that is no problem at all.
However, who is going to read it?
Who reads instruction manuals?????

IN short, you spoon out powder, chuck it into Acetone, mix and then coat, dry well, and then bake.
I need to ask, why would any one require a instruction booklet?

I need users/potential users to advise, what type of instruction booklet may be required and what will they consider would be useful.
I am happy to have a look at all suggestions, and pass it onto the product development team, and product testers for consideration, and for inclusion into any product usage instruction manual.

[Avenger442]

Some time ago I said I would share whatever I could on my testing with the Hi-Tek coating. My objective is to load for hunting. I don’t necessarily need to put all of my loads into a 1” at 100 yds. I need 2-3” at 100 yds. and maybe 4” circle at 300 yds. (a rare shot in my neck of the woods) enough velocity to put animal down cleanly with my .308. I believe I’m almost there. Will be working later with a .44 mag. load for my other rifle.
Coating Hi-Tek Gold 1035. Lead is wheel weight plus 2% tin. Water dropped after last coat. Load is the Lee C309-160R bullet, gas check and sized to 309 over Accurate 5744 in a Remington case with CCI primer.



Here they are coated three coats Gold 1035 and loaded.

Remington 700 with Remington scope 24” bull barrel. Range was a shade over 50 yards from a rest. Shot six different loads of the 5744 from 20 grains to 22.5 grains and Remington factory ammo 150 grain Core-Lok PSP (my normal factory hunting round).

Here are photos of results.




Don’t have a crono. Speeds are interpolated from data in the Lyman Reloading Handbook.
20.0 grains = 1672 fps spread 1-1/4"
20.5 grains = 1702 fps spread 1-1/2"
21.0 grains = 1732 fps spread 2-1/4"
21.5 grains = 1766 fps spread 1-1/4"
22.0 grains = 1793 fps spread 1-3/4"
22.5 grains = 1823 fps spread 1-3/4"

Remington factory ammo spreads were 1-1/4" to 2-1/4".

Almost forgot an important item. NO LEAD in barrel. I pushed a dry patch through it and took a photo. It was too blurry to really see how clean it was.

I'm happy with this.

Met a fellow caster picking up brass at the range who is looking at Hi-Tek coating on this forum. He had some of the painted and baked with him.

By the way, somewhere at the range I lost my box of empty cases. If anyone is at the public range Owls Hollow Rd. Gadsden, Al. and finds my brass let me know

[PAT303]

Thats the type of post we need,nothing but straight out results on paper. Pat

[Gateway Bullets]

Good work Avenger442!!!!!

[Avenger442]

Thanks Guys.
I'm just happy God has allowed me the time and resources to do something I like to do.
If it weren't for this forum, and the guys who are helping in it, I would probably be messing with the 45-45-10 or something more expensive, messy and time consuming. So thanks to all of you for the help.

[Gateway Bullets]

This is a copy of the instruction I send out with my powdered hi-tek




Gateway Bullets
HI-TEK-LUBE Bullet Coating Instructions

Instructions and Recommendations
Read the instructions all the way through before starting. (We won’t tell anyone you did, your man card is safe)
*Use adequate protective gear including chemical resistant gloves, safety glasses, a respirator adequate for painting and USE COMMON SENSE. You are dealing with chemicals, not baking muffins. Do not use an oven you intend to cook in ever again.

Tools and equipment you will need:
1. HI-TEK-LUBE POWDERED VERSION and acetone.
2. The safety gear noted above.
3. Measuring tools. (A set of cheap metal or plastic measuring spoons works well)
4. Plastic containers to tumble bullets in. (A half-gallon bucket or disposable food containers are good, but any fairly strong, clean plastic container will work)
5. A container to mix the coating in. (A transparent restaurant-style ketchup bottle or similar dispensing bottle with a thin nozzle does a great job)
6. A roll or two of paper towels or shop rags.
7. Acetone. (This will be used to both mix the bullet coating and for cleanup)
8. A well-ventilated area for working in. (Not your kitchen or basement, outside or in an open garage away from open flames)
9. Flat wire baskets capable of holding the weight of bullets and withstanding the heat of the oven. (If you can’t find something adequate they are fairly easy and cheap to make from 1/4” hardware cloth)
10. An oven that can hold a temperature fairly well. (A toaster oven with a circulation fan can be had for about $40.00 and works great)
11. Clean lead bullets that have not been sized. If your bullets have wax, Alox, or any other lubricant on them, the acetone will dissolve it and contaminate the coating. Clean lead will produce great coating, waxy or dirty lead will cause coating failure. Sized lead bullets will not allow the coating to bond to the lead as the sizing process closes the pores on the surface of the bullet.
12. A little patience. Read the instructions fully BEFORE starting, (yes, I said it twice) and take your time. The coating process is not difficult but it can take a little practice to do it well. If it doesn’t go well the first time, go back and read the instructions again, usually a simple mistake is the problem. If you keep having problems call us, we’ll be happy to help.

What you need to know before starting:

1. A little goes a LONG way, start out with the smallest amount you can mix and around 100 bullets. If it comes out a little thin you can recoat them again after baking.
2. Two or three or even four thin coats works great. One thick coat will be rough looking, and will probably crack and flake off during sizing or loading.
3. Bullets with sharp edges and little flakes of lead hanging from them will coat fine, but during loading or sizing the flakes will usually break off and leave exposed lead. This isn’t the end of the world, but it can defeat the purpose of the coating. Smooth surfaces work better and the bullets tend to be more accurate.
4. Allow the bullets to dry fully once they are coated. If they go into the oven wet the coating will bubble up and look rough, and the fumes are harsh and flammable. Give adequate time to dry, the warmer and drier the space you work in the better. Coating may take as little as 10 minutes to several hours to dry. This is dependent on the ambient temperature and humidity.
5. Having several batches of bullets rotating through the oven at once will speed things up quite a bit, but wait until you get the hang of it before trying it. Once you have successfully done three or four batches of bullets you’ll feel like an old pro.
6. When you mix the coating, it’s better to have too much solvent than to have too little. Thick coats=bad bullets, thin coats=good bullets. A LIGHT STAIN IS BEST!
7. Experiment with your mix a little if your results aren’t what you want. Adding or taking away powder will usually cause coating failure. However, a little “fiddling” with the amount of Acetone can really make a difference depending on your working conditions.
8. For mix ratios of the powdered coating shoud be 20 grams (2-3 tablespoons) to 100 milliliters
(3.5 -4 ounces) of acetone . Use a mask and be careful, the fumes coming from the coating mix is NOT something you want to breathe.
9. Wear work clothes or an apron and cover your work area if you want to avoid stains. The first few times you use the coating it will be messy. Even after you get the hang of it it’s not a particularly clean process.
10. Reloading with HI-TEK-LUBE coated bullets should be done using quality reloading equipment with data obtained from a reloading manual. Use loading data that is normally used for your particular bullet and application. Gateway Bullets does NOT provide load data.
11. HI-TEK-LUBE coated bullets should be sized without further lubrication.
Step by step coating instructions.
1. Get a measuring spoon, mixing bottle, coating, catalyst (will not need catalyst for powdered version), and solvent. The coating separates in the bottle pretty quickly, so you’ll need to shake it well to make sure it’s mixed. Dropping a bullet into the bottle of coating before shaking will speed this up a LOT, as the solids in the coating will settle to the bottom and stick. The bullet will bounce around like the marble in an aerosol paint can and mix things thoroughly.
2. Put about 100 of the bullets you want to coat in the tumbling container and have them in reach, you’ll need them in a minute or two. This is a good time to set your oven between 375-395 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Over a trash can or separate container measure out the coating first, the catalyst second, and the solvent third, pouring the mix into your clear mixing/dispensing (ketchup) bottle. Count out loud and tell your shooting buddies to shut it for a minute, it’s easier to lose count than you think. (Doing it in this order the measuring spoon is almost clean when you are done, and the coating gets sticky and hard to clean if it dries on the spoon)
4. Put the lid on the mixing bottle, cover the tip of the spout and shake for a few seconds to get everything mixed. During this shaking a small amount of pressure will build in the bottle, be careful when you take your uncover the spout, or the mix can spray out with the pressure.
5. Pour a VERY SMALL amount (we recommend 1cc/ml per pound of bullets) of mixture in the container uncovered with the bullets and start shaking. Shake them and rattle them around pretty rapidly, a good rule of thumb is to shake them as hard as you can without shaking them out of the container. Keep shaking for 15 to 20 seconds and do not allow the solvent to evaporate, which will happen pretty suddenly. (You will hear a distinct change in the sound of the bullets rattling around when the solvent evaporates).
6. After shaking for 15-20 seconds, empty them out into the wire basket. Make sure there is room under the basket for air to move. Spread them out until they are not touching each other. At this point the coating will be thin and a little sticky and you should still see lead through it fairly easily. If the coating looks rough or has a lumpy surface you likely used too much mixture, not enough solvent, or shook to long. This is not a big deal; just run them through like that or the uncured coating can be removed with clean solvent and redone.
7. While the bullets are drying, cap the bottle with the mix still in it and set it aside, you’ll need it for the next round of coating. You can speed up the drying process by using a fan to blow onto the bullets, but don’t rush it; the bullets need to be fully dried before they are baked.

8. Once the bullets are fully dried and the oven is set, put them in for 8-10 minutes to cure the coating. Watch the bullets for the first few minutes. If the coating starts to bubble, the bullets weren’t fully dried. Again, not a big deal, just allow a little more drying time on the next coat, and it will help to use a little more solvent or a smaller amount of mixed coating with the next batch to speed drying. The coating may change color slightly during baking, don’t worry, it’s normal.
9. Once the bullets are baked take them out and let them cool fully before the next application of coating and test to make sure coating has cured properly. If the bullets are coated hot, the solvent will evaporate too quickly and the coating will be lumpy and rough looking. After the bullets are thoroughly cooled inspect them, the coating should be fairly smooth and even, and should not scratch easily with a fingernail. (This does not mean that it cannot be scratched with a fingernail at all. Try to remember that you are not a gorilla.) See testing on final page.
10. Repeat the process (usually twice will do, but feel free to experiment) until the coating completely covers the bullet and little or no lead can be seen through it.
11. Size and load your coated bullets with appropriate Lead Bullet loading data from your favorite reloading manual.
12. Go Shooting!

TESTING THE BULLETS
Remove one or two bullets from the batch of bullets you have just coated after they have cooled to room temperature. Use a shop or paper towel and moisten with acetone. Rub the test bullets back and forth for 30 seconds. If proper curing has been obtained, there will not be any of the coating removed from the bullet and the towel should be free of any color transfer from the bullet. If it fails this test, STOP, and start over. The failure will be caused from low bake temperatures, improper bake time, not allowing to totally dry, too much coating used, or wrong mix ratio. Remember, it is better to use a little too much acetone and have VERY thin multiple coats as opposed to one thick heavy coat!

Next is the “smash test”. Place the above bullets on the floor or other sturdy object (use some common sense here and not the good dining room table) and literally smash the bullet with one blow. Check to see of the coating has become brittle by flaking off. If this has happened, the bullet has failed the test and you must start over. This failure is caused by either too high of a temperature when curing, curing time to long, or coating was applied to think.

Basic Data and Mix Ratios.

POWDER.
Mix 20 grams (2-3 tablespoons) of powdered coating to 100ml (3.5-4 ounces) of acetone. .
Bake Temperature: 375 to 395 Degrees Fahrenheit
Bake Time: 8-10 Minutes
Drying Time: Normally 7-10 Minutes. However, depending on ambient temperature and humidity levels, the drying time may take substantially longer. (1-24 hours)

Safety notice (Use your head).
When handling toxic metals (lead) and chemicals PLEASE BE CAREFUL. Normal precautions should be taken. MSDS for products carried by Gateway Bullets will be provided upon request.

THIS IS NOT POWDER COATING AND SHOULD NOT BE USED AS SUCH! THIS PRODUCT NEEDS TO BE MIXED WITH A SOLVENT PRIOR TO USE AND TUMBLED ONTO YOUR BULLETS. IT SHOULD NOT BE SPRAYED ONTO ONTO YOUR BULLETS!

Shooting is a great sport and part of our American heritage. Please support the NRA and your state and local shooting and firearms rights groups. These are the people that work to ensure your Second Amendment rights are protected.

Gateway Bullets
PO Box 100
Lonedell MO 60360
636-629-5555
www.gatewaybullets.com
© Copyright 2014, Gateway Bullets; All Rights Reserved

[Ausglock]

Good job, Mr Gateway.

[Moonman]

Nice write up Gateway.

MODS, This needs to become a HI-TEK coating process STICKY!

[Ausglock]

Ditto.

[Avenger442]

Thanks Gateway. Do you have the Black 1035 powder in stock? And, is it the one with the gold metal flake look?

[Gateway Bullets]

Why yes sir I do

[leadman]

Avenger442, you may want to try a slower powder to get better results. I posted a couple of pages back my results with the Lee 200gr in my Savage 30-06. Velocities were equal to jacketed with the accuracy that would be fine for hunting. I used H1000 for that testing.
I have also shot the Lee Bator 22 cal in my Contender 223 Rem to over 3,600 fps with decent hunting accuracy. That is also posted back aways in this thread.

[leadman]

For the recent members that have joined us a very good was to track the temperature is with the Digital Volt/Ohm Mutimeter from the Auto section at Walmart. It comes with a thermocouple that can be slipped in the door edge. Only about $20 and is more accurate than the kitchen oven temperature gauges. Has many other uses also.

[Michael J. Spangler]

Do you have a link to the specific multimeter or a product code and brand name? Thanks!

[Avenger442]

Avenger442, you may want to try a slower powder to get better results. I posted a couple of pages back my results with the Lee 200gr in my Savage 30-06. Velocities were equal to jacketed with the accuracy that would be fine for hunting. I used H1000 for that testing.
I have also shot the Lee Bator 22 cal in my Contender 223 Rem to over 3,600 fps with decent hunting accuracy. That is also posted back aways in this thread.

Leadman
I remember the post.
I as reading the Lyman Handbook and they had suggested the A 5744 and SR 7625 as powders with the potential for the most accurate load with a 160 gr. lead bullet. I could find the 5744 so that's what I used. I was trying to keep the pressure around 20,000 psi because of the lead alloy I was using. Maybe I could go to H-4895 and see what the result is. It looks like the pressure in the loads with 4895 might be more than the alloy can take. I've used it with Hornady jacketed with good results in this gun. Going to study some more on this before I go to the next powder.

I, recently, also cast some of the Lee Bantor 22 using 50/50 wheel weight/lino with some tin added. Not such a costly mix with a bullet the size of the 22. I haven't tested the hardness for this mix yet but hoping to hit a 21 BHN or more so I can up the pressure and load some .223 for some test.

But, like I said in the post, the 44 mag rifle is next. Unless I change my mind, it's going to be a 230 gr.(my cast weight) Lee bullet, same alloy as the .308 and IMR 4227. But, as always, open to the voice of experience.

[leadman]

Avenger442, I have been heat treating my alloys before coating and then water quenching after the last coat. I am able to maintain a higher hardness level this way.
Your loads are already probably past the 20K mark. I too was able to buy some 5744 and gave it a try but it just did not work well. I actually starting to get leading with this powder where I did not with the slower powders. Around here the really slow powders for the large magnum cartridges are available so If you give up maybe you can find some.

I have tried mixing an alloy for the 223 but have had mixed results so now just cast with straight linotype. A pound goes a long ways for these little boolits.

[HATCH]

With the coating you can run a softer boolit then you normally would. I would dare say that you could almost use pure lead in most pistol rounds but I haven't tested it.
Gateway, might need to add that you need a acetone safe measuring cup for the 100ml. Most cheap plastic ones will melt. Ask me how I know........

[Avenger442]

Avenger442, I have been heat treating my alloys before coating and then water quenching after the last coat. I am able to maintain a higher hardness level this way.
Your loads are already probably past the 20K mark. I too was able to buy some 5744 and gave it a try but it just did not work well. I actually starting to get leading with this powder where I did not with the slower powders. Around here the really slow powders for the large magnum cartridges are available so If you give up maybe you can find some.

I have tried mixing an alloy for the 223 but have had mixed results so now just cast with straight linotype. A pound goes a long ways for these little boolits.

Leadman
Also tried heat treating before coating. Tested bullets about a week after casting. Heat treated waited a week tested BHN and then coated two coats tested again. The heating to coat the bullets (390 deg.) returned the bullet to almost what it was a week after casting (about 14.3 BHN). I've come to the conclusion, at least with this alloy, that heat treating is probably a waist of time. I did water drop after the third coat but was running out of time to work on loads and did not test after the water drop before I tested the load. Probably need to do that.

I am going to load with some H4895 in the .308 (slowest powder I have on hand) and take it with me when I test the 44 mag. Going to have to find some load data that will keep the pressure lower than I'm using with the jacketed. If I remember right those loads were well into 30,000 psi. I'm probably going to need an alloy above 21 BHN to push it that hard. I don't like to use an expensive alloy unless it is absolutely necessary. Hatch may be right that you can run a softer alloy than normal with this coating? Someone want to test this hypothesis?

Remind me, did you test the BHN of the 30 cal bullet you used after coating? I did read your post but don't remember all of it. Would also like to know the BHN of the 22s you shot if you have it. It would help when I go there. One of my objectives is to load for an AR I have. But I need to know there is no leading.

This stuff is fun.

[Redwoode]

Cured properly does powder coating red copper or brown copper more closely resemble a factory jacketed bullet's color?