Drop from mold into powder coating?

[motorcycle_dan]

I'm considering doing some PC bullets for a 300AAC blackout project. I'm a long time caster but never done powder coating. Been reading and trying to get an idea of what works best with the simplest process. My goal would be accuracy over pretty. Not interested in perfect lipstick bullets. I want them to go down the bore without issues and striking the intended target out to 150yd within +/- 2 moa.
Saw a method of using a bucket to shake and bake the bullets which evolved from using a vibrating tumbler to distribute the powder. So.....

What would happen if I dropped bullets directly out of the mold into a vibrating tumbler with powder coating. My thinking is the dropped bullets would slowly quench while melting some of the coating onto the surface. I'm assuming the powder coating would need to be moving in the tumbler otherwise they would not be coated evenly in the drop.

has anyone tried this? I can see possible issues with the hot bullet melting holes into my tumbler but I "think" it would keep moving and not get any one spot past the melting temp.

[454PB]

I doubt it would work. I've used a vibratory tumbler to powder coat.....boolits don't move very freely in the tumbler and I'm guessing they would begin to melt into the plastic. Sounds like a potential mess to me.

[jcren]

Way too hot=huge clumpy mess. I played with using the wifes hair dryer to warm bullets and even though I could still hold (briefly) in hand, they picked up close to.030 or more and not evenly. Btw, tumblers aren't needed to get started, main benefit seems to come for serious volume shooters.

[OS OK]

Oh my Gosh…how many of these 'other ideas' must we suffer through before everyone gets it…it's an already worked out and proven method, two ways to do it, take your choice…

"If it ain't squeaking…don't oil it!"

Don't think I'm harsh…there's another comment on its way shortly…he usually looses it on this subject!

OS OK

[motorcycle_dan]

Ok, as posted I've not done it and was wondering if someone else had tried this. So pre-heating is not required to get the dry powder shake and bake coating to stick.

[popper]

150yd within +/- 2 moa Sub or super? If under 1200 fps, HiTek is the easiest way to go, ~ same cost as PC. If super, size then ESPC, size again if needed. Shake & bake may work but controlling thickness is a problem (for accuracy) as well as humidity. For me it's a PITA. Decent ES guns run $50-200.

[Dragonheart]

If you drop the bullets directly from the mold into powder you are dropping lead that has cooled just enough from the approximately 650 degree melting point into a polymer that will melt around 250 degrees, the end result will be a ball of bullets fused into a sticky mess that will be hardening as soon as it cools off. It might pass for a unique work of art, but will be a total waste of time and materials if you want coated bullets to shoot.

Since I have to deal with very high humidity on a regular basis I preheat my bullets most of the time to get a good single coat coverage when I tumble coat. If you need to preheat, then put the bullets in a metal pan and heat in your toaster oven confirming the bullets don't go much over 200 degrees.

I drop the hot bullets into my running tumbler, sprinkle in the powder and the powder bonds to the bullet quickly. I say again "confirm"with a good thermometer the temperature of your oven and that the bullets are at or not much over 200 degrees or you will end up with the sticky mess of a bonded ball.

[Phantom30]

The temperature Idea has promise but with limitations, the link to Elvis Ammo will talk about the limits and process which is the shortest that I have found that works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRVXic3-ztE

His process uses the least amount of gear

[OS OK]

That was a good presentation, good link thanks. Always like to take in more info on ways to do things.
It leaves me with one question though…"How long is his bench going to stay there with all that lead on it?"
As best as I could count, in the long back row alone I see aprox. 84 ingots and they look heavy, 5 to 10 lbs. ea., say 8 lbs. ea. X 84 = 672 lbs. That doesn't include the short side row to his right…I sure hope that he put cripples under the back ledger on that bench!

OS OK

[bangerjim]

WAAAAAAAY too hot! Just do the BBDT or ESPC that has been proven to work!

I have tried that years ago and the powder goes on too thick and to uneven to even be usable and many times even fit in the sizing die. AND........they look like total CARP!

Don't even waste your time. 5-600F is way too hot for PC'ing!!!!!!

Just do what the rest of us do with excellent success.

bangerjim

[RP]

Ok how long before someone takes a old vaccum the bag less that you can see the dirt spinning around and coat some bullets ? Hey laugh if you want but it may just work mount load the bullets in the bin the just suck up some powder and shut it down.

[dryflash3]

Ok how long before someone takes a old vaccum the bag less that you can see the dirt spinning around and coat some bullets ? Hey laugh if you want but it may just work mount load the bullets in the bin the just suck up some powder and shut it down.

Now that's thinking out of the box.

[bangerjim]

"I'll retire to Bedlam"........E. Scrooge, from A Christmas Carol

[500MAG]

Oh my Gosh…how many of these 'other ideas' must we suffer through before everyone gets it…it's an already worked out and proven method, two ways to do it, take your choice…

"If it ain't squeaking…don't oil it!"

Don't think I'm harsh…there's another comment on its way shortly…he usually looses it on this subject!

OS OK
If someone didn't attempt the "cool whip" bowl we would all still be spraying the powder. I still use the tried and true methods but am always thinking about other ways.

[Spector]

I believe it will be way too much heat to give good even results. It would be worth a try I guess unless it harms your tumbler bowl.

Experimentation got us to where we are today. Seems like there are different methods to accomplish roughly the same effect.

Just be sure to report back and let us know how it turns out and whether or not it damages your tumbler bowl.

The bowl on my old Vibra-Shine is very heavy duty and completely smooth inside and out. Some tumblers I have seen have thin bowls that are not smooth by design. Hot boolits may not keep moving around the bowl as fast in those.

Mike

[OS OK]

If someone didn't attempt the "cool whip" bowl we would all still be spraying the powder. I still use the tried and true methods but am always thinking about other ways.

The tried and true methods are a metamorphosis of all these other ways currently being suggested..well…except for the vacuum idea…:killingpc…it is just that some of these new to PC fellas haven't reviewed the stickies and done their due diligence before spit wadding new ideas.

[popper]

RP - doesn't work. Bama uses heated boolits, I use ES to get it to stick. Some powder will settle but won't stick.

[fredj338]

Ok, as posted I've not done it and was wondering if someone else had tried this. So pre-heating is not required to get the dry powder shake and bake coating to stick.

Preheating isn't a bad idea, but 500deg bullets is not preheating. The PC cures at 400deg, so you are going to make a mess. I doesn't get any easier than what the guys here have offered; shake in a food grade plastic, #5, container with some airsoft BB. If you want to be in a hurry, just pluck them out with your fingers covered in a bit of powder, place them on some non stick alum foil & bake. If you are sizing, any flat spots in the finish will size out.

[bangerjim]

I have NEVER needed (or seen the need) to preheat boolits. The ESPC and BBDT methods give me perfect coats every time. Remember, I live in the SW desert with normally rock bottom humidity. I have read some must resort to slight (important) pre-heating if coating in a swamp, do to poor BBDT powder attraction from high humitity. Most do not need to go there.

Dropping from a mold is totally out of the question as stated in #18. Read the stickies, you will learn a lot about what has been tried and has failed. I could write a book on what I have done that does NOT work!

Take you time......do not get in a hurry........enjoy your hobby.

[wrinkles]

If someone didn't attempt the "cool whip" bowl we would all still be spraying the powder. I still use the tried and true methods but am always thinking about other ways.

Totally agree. Even back further we would still be using wax lubes -> animal fat ->
There would be no advances if we didn't try "oiling something that's not squeaking.".

[RP]

RP - doesn't work. Bama uses heated boolits, I use ES to get it to stick. Some powder will settle but won't stick.

lol If anyone here would know I would think it would be you by the way have you tested this or just going off the rules of static and powder.

[popper]

Doesn't stick with ES gun, no ES so no won't stick. Fluid bed with no heat or ES, won't stick. Now whirling the powder around a lot makes a tribo gun effect, positive charge and could stick. Creates frictional static.

[Don Fischer]

RP - doesn't work. Bama uses heated boolits, I use ES to get it to stick. Some powder will settle but won't stick.

What is ES?

[Dragonheart]

Preheating large objects to 400 degrees then spraying will cause the powder to adhere, melt and flow on contact. The good thing about this method is you can immediately see what you are going to get. Then cure the object in the usual way.
I have successfully used this process several times and this is a common practice in professional PC shops, but I can see no practical way to apply this technique to bullets.

[Drew P]

Oh my Gosh…how many of these 'other ideas' must we suffer through before everyone gets it…it's an already worked out and proven method, two ways to do it, take your choice…

"If it ain't squeaking…don't oil it!"

Don't think I'm harsh…there's another comment on its way shortly…he usually looses it on this subject!

OS OK
Maybe because shaking the carp out of a tub with 50 bullets in it is hard work and not very productive. I've already improved my setup from the tried and true methods that frankly didn't even work at all, for me. This hobby is rife with experimentation. If you haven't done any then consider yourself a follower. Nothing wrong with it.

[bangerjim]

What is ES?


ES......as in ESPC gun.