Does lead hardness matter for powder coat

[Rp-]

The bucket is number 2 plastic. I guess I'll have to find some of that number 5 stuff.

The first batch did pass the smash test with 1, 3, and 5 blows. I didn't check the second batch.

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[LuckyDog]

Have you checked out the stickies in this forum?
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/foru...d-Alternatives

One of them gave a REALLY good description on how to coat and what to use. ( I hope I am pointing you in the right direction) Been awhile since I read the article. Are you using Harbor Freight Red? Use that as a search term (HF RED) and you should get some good links.

[Rp-]

Yes HF red. Ill read up some more and if i have another fail im going to buy some diff powder from the guy on this forum that sells it.

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[PBaholic]

Yes HF red

- Use Harbor Freight Red to start out. Get fancy later...
- Use a smaller container, mine holds about a cup. I grab a handfull (40, 230 grain .45's) at a time.
- Make sure the Tupperware container has a #5 triangle on the bottom.
- Less powder is better. Your boolits should not be swimming in powder. I don't use bb's in mine.
- Shake it longer than you really want too. Be aggressive, and turn it upside down a few times. I do 30 seconds.
- If you have trouble getting good coverage, heat your boolits up a little first in your oven before you coat them.

I bake for 20 minutes past the point where the powder turns fully shiny at 400 degrees, usually 25 minutes. Watch out with harder lead, as it may melt at 400 degrees. Test a small batch first.

If you are setting each boolit down individually, as you want them perfect, use a large tweezers to grab them out of the Tupperware. Tap the tweezers with a boolit on the top lip of the Tupperware to shake off the excess powder. Place on Reynolds Wrap "Non-Stick" aluminum foil.

Don't bother water dropping your boolits, as you will lose all hardening when baking.

Unless you are doing something weird, you can get away with softer lead. I had trouble with PC .38's made out of BHN 5 pure lead tumbling at the target, but BHN 10 works fine. I can probably get away with softer, but I have a lot of BHN 10.

I use a Lee molds and do not size mine before powder coating. I DO size them afterwards, but do not get any PC loss. It seems the boolit must get squeezed to the right size, as the only PC I get is from the drip edge on the bottom of the boolit.

If you are doing this right, you should be able to take your PC Boolit, and smash it to 1/4" thick and get no real flaking of the PC.

The upside is, very little smoke when shooting. No leading. I can shoot 1,000 rounds or more before I clean my guns.

[sw282]

Rp- After spending 20 years as a US ARMY Instructor let me tell you front and center.

There's only ONE DUMB question... That's the question NOT ASKED