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View Full Version : Is dry coating in a small container an indoor sport?



Walter Laich
01-24-2014, 05:32 PM
While some of you are literally knee deep in snow with temps below 0* and winds at gale force, it's 35* here and I really don't feel like trying dry coating in the garage. Just got all the stuff and ready to give it a try.
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If I'm going to use a small Tupperware container to try out the process is that something I can do inside and not die by my wife's hand?
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Mainly thinking about dust and
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any smell the bullets in the toaster oven might give off.
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using HF red

deadarrow
01-24-2014, 05:43 PM
I'm up here in the frozen state of Minnesota. I shake & bake right in my gun room upstairs. I open a window and put a box fan in it. Crank up the fan and toster oven and go to it. My woman says she dosn't smell a thing. Believe me that woman can smell it if I fart in the garage. There is really not much of a smell from baking the powder coat. So you go right ahead and powder coat till the long horn steers come home. Hope we don't read here where there was a domestic in Texas.....

bangerjim
01-24-2014, 07:24 PM
There IS a smell from baking. I do it outside, but here in AZ we are in the mid 70'S! Sorry about that!

Just use ventilation. I am an avid electrostatic gun guy, but this week tried the dry method again, but using a coolwhip container and NOT Tupperware. It seems to make a big difference for some reason! Coolwhip is a "5" on the recycle plastic scale. I don't even use the lid...just swirl and shake it around and keep adding only a TINY bit of powder until the boolits quit holding anymore of the coat. That was my big problem early on---------------- way too much powder! And the square Tupperware plastic container

I like the DT idea because I can do a fairly good coat at night (my oven is outside my loading shop) where with the gun, I cannot see to coat! It is not as perfect a coat, but lots on here use and like it. I have yet to shoot any, but many reports are very positive. ESPC is proven on the range by lots of us.

I will still use ESPC as my main coating method, but having a viable option like DT is always nice!!!!!!!!

Good luck in your coating adventures! And keep warm.

bangerjim

Beagle333
01-24-2014, 08:24 PM
I sometimes tumble mine (I use a CoolWhip bowl too) and if I wanted, I could do it indoors if I had the toaster oven under the vent hood or near a window with a fan in it. Mine smells quite a bit when cooking and I wouldn't want to just sit the toaster oven on the counter in the middle of the kitchen and just let 'er rip. 8-)

oldpapps
01-24-2014, 08:48 PM
I tried it one time in the house.... That was the last time for that. I opened a bottle of Butch's Bore Shine to cover the smell and got in more hot water.
Good ventilation or out side.
We've still got wind advisories.... But it is above zero again.

Enjoy,

OSOK

Walter Laich
01-24-2014, 09:20 PM
Thanks--you may have saved my life
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did learn the container needs a smooth bottom. Tried one with a pronounced bump in the bottom and kept the powder from sticking. Went to a smooth bottom and solved the problem
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Off to cook some bullets

kbstenberg
01-24-2014, 09:37 PM
Walter I got my powder tonight. A fella can't let a new toy sit too long. I went out to my unheater well shed to coat 1 batch. My oven was too cold and would not turn on. So I just tried tumbling a small batch to see how things came out. Kevin

Beetmagnet
01-24-2014, 09:40 PM
There IS a smell from baking. I do it outside, but here in AZ we are in the mid 70'S! Sorry about that!

Just use ventilation. I am an avid electrostatic gun guy, but this week tried the dry method again, but using a coolwhip container and NOT Tupperware. It seems to make a big difference for some reason! Coolwhip is a "5" on the recycle plastic scale. I don't even use the lid...just swirl and shake it around and keep adding only a TINY bit of powder until the boolits quit holding anymore of the coat. That was my big problem early on---------------- way too much powder! And the square Tupperware plastic container

I like the DT idea because I can do a fairly good coat at night (my oven is outside my loading shop) where with the gun, I cannot see to coat! It is not as perfect a coat, but lots on here use and like it. I have yet to shoot any, but many reports are very positive. ESPC is proven on the range by lots of us.

I will still use ESPC as my main coating method, but having a viable option like DT is always nice!!!!!!!!

Good luck in your coating adventures! And keep warm.

bangerjim

Are you using powder only and no solvent?

Walter Laich
01-24-2014, 11:54 PM
Cooked first batch
Two coats needed
Was using some that I cast but didn't lube from about a year ago--those had to be clean-yea, sure.
Someone mentioned not to trust toaster oven's thermostat, boy was he right. When I bought the oven I also bought a oven thermometer and mine was 50* higher than what was indicated. Got the correct setting finally about half way through the first batch--they turned out dark red which is fine with me.
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No smell so I will live through the night.
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haven't sized them, now 31*, but am going to go to the range tomorrow and show them off.
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Will get some pics up after practice day--be up the afternoon tomorrow

sparky45
01-25-2014, 12:13 AM
Go going Walt, have fun at the range.
Sparky

Walter Laich
01-25-2014, 08:22 AM
Are you using powder only and no solvent?

yes, just the powder hand shaken. May try an electric tumbler as the powder doesn't seem to coat as well as what I see on the other threads

Beetmagnet
01-25-2014, 09:41 AM
yes, just the powder hand shaken. May try an electric tumbler as the powder doesn't seem to coat as well as what I see on the other threads

Hmmm. I haven't tried that yet and the tinkerer in me is asking why not.

TheDoctor
01-25-2014, 09:55 AM
I have found that the plastic frozen orange juice containers that have a screw on lid work great. Will easily do about 50 45s or 75 9mms easily. Smooth all over on the inside, small enough to be handy. Roll it like a rotary tumbler, with a little side to side action, gives a good coat in less than 2 minutes. Its small enough that the bullets don't knock the coating off each other, an issue I had using bowls.

popper
01-25-2014, 11:38 AM
Ah, Walt, you got the ice this time. Use a container with a lid, inside, then cook in the garage or where ever. Doc, I was thinking along that line also, but rolling between 2 plates to force the powder into the lead. Too cold here to try it so far. Experimenting is fun but 19F is below my tolerance.

bangerjim
01-25-2014, 02:13 PM
Are you using powder only and no solvent?

NEVER any solvent!!!!!!!!!!!

banger

Walter Laich
01-25-2014, 05:45 PM
Got to the range, it was 26*--in a word "fresh"

Figured where to aim to him the SASS rifle targets with my derringer. There is a difference in aim points with each barrel.
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Pictures aren't showing here to go to http://home.comcast.net/~walterlaich/powder_coating.htm
for photos of my progress

Walter Laich
01-26-2014, 03:06 PM
Pictures aren't showing here to go to http://home.comcast.net/~walterlaich/powder_coating.htm
for photos of my progress

Walter Laich
01-26-2014, 03:08 PM
My tumbler with three smaller PC containers. Put the powder and the bullets in the smaller ones and let it run for 10-15 seconds. Quick and not too dirty
Pictures aren't showing here to go to http://home.comcast.net/~walterlaich/powder_coating.htm
for photos of my progress

Walter Laich
01-26-2014, 03:10 PM
Shot of one of the containers outside the tumbler. Store brand of Ziploc's small set of 3.
Pictures aren't showing here to go to http://home.comcast.net/~walterlaich/powder_coating.htm
for photos of my progress

acguy45
01-26-2014, 03:10 PM
The pic didn't show. I can't wait to get back home from school. I got all the stuff assembled to try it out now I'm just waiting.

Walter Laich
01-26-2014, 03:29 PM
Here are the three colors I've used so far
red in the back
yellow in middle row (learned you have to let them completely cool before sizing--learning experience
"orange" in front--yea, right. Mixed yellow and red powder and got speckles. It is the best so far in covering in just one coat/baking.
Pictures aren't showing here to go to http://home.comcast.net/~walterlaich/powder_coating.htm
for photos of my progress

Going to recoat the yellow ones and wait till tomorrow to resize.
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now have to cast some more and see if brand new ones do better than these that are over a year old.

Walter Laich
01-28-2014, 01:25 PM
Found I wasn't tumbling long enough.
Tried 10 minutes and worked great
Now I'll start working backwards to see how little time is really needed