2K epoxy paint + thinner. Unbaked.

[Pyryman]

Hi All

I went to our local cheapskatemart and bought white 2k epoxypaint (16 euros, 1l) from boating department. Mixed 5(paint)-8(thinner)-1(hardener) and a squirt of black paint. Tumbled 50 boolits in a bucket with a very little coating and let it dry. Repeated once so I could get some colour to them. Hammered few just for fun and coating stayed. Beeing lazy I passed baking and sizing, reloaded, shot and all went ok. No leading. Only thing I noticed was a light odor of burning paint.

I think that I will continue trying with this method. Tried to search results using 2k epoxypaint (someone must have tried it already) but couldn't find any so I'll pass more info when I have shot more. Was it Marcus from WiederladerTV that showed similar mixture but he used 2(paint)-1(hardener) and optional 1 part thinner for his coating... and baked in oven. My idea was to increase the amount of thinner and airdry them skipping whole baking part.



Sorry for bad pic but you know how hard is to be professional photoartist with these mobile phones... After two coatings all are .4525ish. Had to hammer one more just for pic.

Pyryman

[Pyryman]

About that baking thing... Is it just to cure that powderpaint / speed curing process or does it have some other functions as well?

Pyryman

[Pyryman]

Tried this to some bigger boolits also. Two coatings made .459 boolits to .460 but this time mixture was bit thicker because I used same mixture as mentioned above and didn't shake enough. At this point it could be that I will replace 45-45-10 method with this epoxy coating. Simple and same amount of work. I admit - Bullets do not look as pretty as using HI-TEK or similar coatings but I don't want to go that baking thing. Diving deeper into this forum I found that many of you guys have tried 2k epoxy already. Have you found any cons?


Pyryman

[Maximumbob54]

I still bake the epoxy paint I'm using for fifteen minutes each time (two thin coatings) but I only do that to force the paint to set a bit. I couldn't say how long is needed to really cure but I let mine set at least a week before shooting them. I've never noticed a burning paint smell after shooting mine.

[Pyryman]

Good point, thanks. I'll try letting it cure longer next and try if it still smells. First batch I shot next day.

[prs]

I thought I would skip the need for painting and just cast my boolits out of epoxy glue. For some reason I could not get my mold to open.



On a more serious note, you guys have the experimental spirit, for sure.

Rooster

[JD74]

the mixture of paint to hardener all depends on what the epoxy calls for. I used Klass Kote epoxy (http://www.klasskote.com/) which calls for a one to one mixture. I also found that by thinning it down a little it would give me a better coat and fill in the lube grooves but thinning to much ends up making coats to thin take 3 or more coats for good coverage. I baked mine 10 mins at 200f to cure and set paint also most of the time, shoot some same day with out baking also 3 hours after tumbling with no leading.

[Pyryman]

Thanks JD74. Found out that light stink had to do something with curing time. Now that same patch had no stink at all. My epoxy from Biltema is advised mixed 3:1 but I'm testing different ratios. By thinning down a very thin film like layer can be done and I'm testing that now. Just to know how little is too little.

//Ok. Had to test it but 5-10-1 ratio was too thin

[MGnoob]

I use similar 2k epoxy paint, i'll have to try it without cooking them. The only thing i don't like about epoxy is multiple coats.

[Pyryman]

Took a while testing but this is what I've learnt so far. In my first post I had success with pure luck loading to my Spartan. With some delusive feeling of expertism I decided to switch everything to 9mm. I have 9mm HK USP and I have tried everything to make cast boolits work with Titegroup powder with success. I decided that I pass our local VV powders and keep on giving Titegroup one more change. If my coating would pass Titegroup, it would pass with any other powder available. And my epoxy would still be cheapest available 2k paint from local cheapskatemart, no sizing, no baking, and no thinner for now on.

I casted using Lee's TL356-124-2r mold. Range scrap mixed with WW, I dont know the hardness or Brinells, I just drop them to water bucket.

So I found out that with my paint I got leading all over with too thin coatings. Also with multiple thin coatings. Always leading when trying to add thinner/acetone. Then I decided that trying to achieve film like layers of epoxy has come to it's end I went to thick coating. Paint bucket's label said 3 (paint)-1(hardener) so that's what I did (eyeball accuracy of course). Added a little extra paint to bucket and shaked till good and wet coverage. Let dry and repeat. Guestimator showed that boolits were after 2 coatings .359-.360. That's plenty of coating because my mold dropped them .356 just like Lee promised (ok - some were .357 with my alloy)...

Finish was rough and nothing like those shiny-smooth-looking-boolits I had seen in this forum. But they were not painted like mine either so my boolits got some rougher texture on them. And I did get lead fouling in my barrel. Sooo many times I thought I would surrender and just decide that Titegroup and cast (epoxycoated) boolits just don't mix in my USP...

...Then I went backwards to blunk testing oal and found out I had loaded my cartridges too short. Then I rechecked my crimp with blunk test (less crimp). And with these these two checkings I found my (little) VICTORY!!! After 200 rnds Boresnaked twice and no lead fouling. Nada. Back to my post one. No need to bake boolits and watch temperatures. Just let first epoxy coating dry. Just get oal correct to your gun and recheck your crimp. That's what I've learnt. If it keeps coating smashed with hammer and anvil it will stay if you get all other parts working.

Only con is that these do not look as pretty as those ESPC - coating with my paint stays rough. But no need to bake them either.

And sorry for my poor language which I forgot to mention earlier. And thank you for this great forum.

[Cd662]

I'm relatively new to shooting coated bullets. Do you think there could be any long term damage from the paint in the bore, or from you inhaling it?

[Pyryman]

I'm no expert to say anything... but I'll say something. When casting all warn you about lead fumes which leads to lead poisoning. Pulling trigger releases lead fumes and you'll get lead poisoning. Everything goes around lead and how dangerous element it is. Lead is only one dangerous element in cartridge. Primers and powders release fumes containing elements no one knows about. But no one is trying to inhale those fumes either because we know it wouldn't be smart. Coating lead bullets bring some added elements to those fumes which we do not want to inhale. I know only about Ares-bullets which usually have burning paint/rubberlike odor and my epoxy coating has different kind of stink if it hasn't cured enough. But I try to avoid those fumes shooting outdoors or indoor ranges with good ventilation. Coating itself doesn't make your shooting safer. It makes reloading safer because you dont't have to handle lead. My point is that I don't want to inhale any fumes released when shooting, coated, plain casts or jacketed ones.

Thinking about barrel wear... I think so that if I had put same amount of jacketed bullets through my barrel I would have worn one down already. With cast bullets and coated ones you'll shoot so much more before you'll notice any wear that replacement barrel's price comes irrelevant.

[LAGS]

How do these boolits hold up to the Smush Test ?
Does the epoxy stick as well as powdercoating ?

[coffeeguy]

Yep, holds up fine...See the first post. This makes me curious, I'll have to try it!