Anyone else have problems with Hi-Tek coating?

[TonyN]

I can't get this stuff to bond with WW . I got it to bond on pure lead but i can't get it to bond on WW.

[Ausglock]

Good chance your WW is contaminated with something and preventing bonding.
Check your alloy and process.

[lsippell]

I've been using the Hi-Tek for about 3 years now and have about 4 different alloys of lead from a real hard mixture with a lot of Linotype in it to to my most recent batch which is mostly WW with some pure lead (maybe 5%) and a small amount of zinc (I know, I should have caught it but didn't) that cast's and shoots fine though.
I use the powdered Hi-Tek and have never had a problem with it sticking an any thing (I think it would make a good glue). I do wash all that I cast with Dawn dish washing detergent and rinse well before coating. I've even sized them and then coated and resized and have never had a problem.
I am meticulous about the amount I mix for a set weight of bullets though. 2g of powder, 10ml acetone for each coat on 8# of bullets.
Let then dry after 20 seconds of shaking in a plastic coffee can, warm up convection oven that has a PID temp controller on it to 385 degrees and bake for 8 minutes.

[Grmps]

lsippell It's not recommended to size boolits before applying the first layer of Hi-Tek. Hi-Tek is technically a stain and needs a porous surface to adhere properly.

There are members using a little zinc to help harden an alloy.

Tony make sure your lead is well fluxed in the smelting process. Like Trevor said, it sounds like a contamination problem.

[dikman]

If it's bonding to pure lead then your processes are working fine. If it won't bond to the WW then it must be contaminated with something.

[ioon44]

I have been casting .45 200 gr SWC out of straight coww and using HI-tek Gun Metal coating with no problems with bonding or leading.

I drop my cast bullets in to a clean box so they don't get any contamination before coating.

[lsippell]

lsippell It's not recommended to size boolits before applying the first layer of Hi-Tek. Hi-Tek is technically a stain and needs a porous surface to adhere properly.

There are members using a little zinc to help harden an alloy.

Tony make sure your lead is well fluxed in the smelting process. Like Trevor said, it sounds like a contamination problem.

When I first started using Hi-Tek I didn't realize I wasn't supposed to size them first. What I did was size using a water based lubricant ( Freds personnel lube, warming). Rinsed, 2 coats of Hi-Tec and then sized again. Every time I tested them with acetone and the hammer test they passed fine.
Nowadays I coat then size. Still use the personal lube though.

[Slick Pilot]

Coat, then size.

The only reason to size twice would be if a shooter could show through testing that sized-coated-sized bullets demonstrated better accuracy over bullets that are coated-sized.

[bstone5]

Only problem I have is too thick of a first coat. Started using a very thin mixture and shaking for a short time. This solved the thick coating problem, use the thin mixture for the second coat after letting the first baked bullets cool to ambinent temperature. The bullets do not have a very thick total coating but shoot fine. I always install a home made gas check on the coated bullets. I make the gas checks from cola can material.