HI Tek color differences

[T-Bird]

I have been using Gun Metal color solely for all my boolits since I started using Hi-Tek and it works well and less importantly, looks like picture says it should. I did however, have to bake a little longer (15min) and a little hotter (425F) than the instructions said to get it to work best. Just for a change I would like to use Red Copper when I run out of Gun Metal. Is it the same as to temp and bake time, or more like the instructions say? Also, I asked this on the Hi-Tek thread (the long one) but I didn't get an answer: Can you use more than 25% denatured alcohol to the acetone to lengthen the dry time so you can swirl longer? I would like to get the lube grooves coated better. I know it not important but they would look better !

[Ausglock]

Red Copper doesn't have the "colour issues" of the GM.
If you want to cover the grooves, Use 20Gms powder to 125 mls acetone and 25mls of Metho. This is a very weak mix and May need 3 coats.
But try some and see.

[ioon44]

I have been told "not" to use more than 25% denatured alcohol to the acetone. If you want to coat the lube rings try mixing at 125 ml Acetone to 20 grams and do 3 coats.

I have used both Gun Metal and Red copper and bake at 410 deg F for 12 minutes.

[T-Bird]

Ok thanks guys. Ausglock what is Metho?

[Petander]

Metho is dropbear language for Methylated spirits= Denatured alcohol.

It can be added before the actual full strength solution,too. I just did a small (5 lbs) test batch , trying to fill HP holes. I poured approx. 3 ml metho first,swirled for ten seconds. Then added 4 ml (measured) of full strength, swirled half a minute,still wet. First coat baked,looking good.

I used to have separate, diluted bottles for many colours but this way it goes without an expanding multitude of bottles.

[T-Bird]

LOL! I don't know "dropbear" language. I'm from Ala

[T-Bird]

I appreciate your responses and information.

[Ausglock]

No worries... I keep forgetting that you lot the other side of the Equator speak a different English to we Aussies..

[kevin c]

I find a dilute solution, about half the concentration of the standard mix, but one and a half the volume (so three quarters the amount of HiTek) applied as a first coat, covers the lube groove of my favorite boolit. A second regular strength application with the regular volume is the finish coat. I should note that the lube groove of this particular style has a rounded profile, not sharp right angled edges, so maybe it gets coated more easily.

Something I do to increase swirl time is to cover the container. I use a plastic Costo nut container with a screw on lid. The lid doesn't need to be tight. There'll be some initial evaporation, but the lid keeps the vapors in and gives me around twenty seconds to swirl wet before I take the lid off to swirl for a few more seconds as the rest of the acetone evaporates and then dump.

ETA: and yes, I now have two bottles of each color, but I only have two colors (one metallic, one non metallic), so it's manageable.

[T-Bird]

Yeah Kevin, I cover too. That's a good idea with the dilute suspension. I've always thought a larger vol would cover better.

[Petander]

LOL! I don't know "dropbear" language. I'm from Ala

Metho is Tenu in finnish. Same but different.

Oven temperature is such an interesting thing and unnecessarily hot gives darker color. I'm doing minor tweaks right now because of summer.

My wall-style household oven has two fans. I dial it to 190°C and an old-fashioned mechanical oven thermometer reads the same 190°C. I also have a digital steak-o-meter probe in the oven,it reads 170°C.

When I load the oven with 6-8 lbs of boolits they read 199-203 °C @ 5 minutes when shot with an IR thermometer, I have two and they read the same. I let them boolits bake 9 min total. They read 200 @9 min,too.

When I shoot the mechanical meter with IR it shows the same 190. The tiles in the bottom read 200 with IR.

But,if I trust the mechanical and dial heat up to 200, I get darker colours. Not to mention trusting the digital meter, I then bake at 230 or so. Even though the meter says 200.

Just my observations about temperatures and meters vs. colours. IR:s are handy.