Zinc plating cast boolits.

[Bigtravoz]

Has anyone tried zinc plating cast boolits? Did it work? Did it provide any beneficial results? What were the results?

I have quite a bit of zinc kicking around and am considering giving it a go. Would it work as a pre plating process to copper?

TIA Trav.

[Rcmaveric]

Just cast some zinc bullets.

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[bangerjim]

Yup! If you want Zn boolits just cast them, weight them, and adjust the powder load. I am working on that right now for 38SP and 45LC cals, since the weather has cooled off here in AZ! LOts of Zn out there!

If you must "coat" your boolits with something, use the PC technology to prevent barrel leading, eliminate greasy smoke and sticky boolits and rarely ever cleaning your barrels. It REALLY works, as thousands on here will testify to.

banger :Fire:

[Bigtravoz]

Yup! If you want Zn boolits just cast them, weight them, and adjust the powder load. I am working on that right now for 38SP and 45LC cals, since the weather has cooled off here in AZ! LOts of Zn out there!

If you must "coat" your boolits with something, use the PC technology to prevent barrel leading, eliminate greasy smoke and sticky boolits and rarely ever cleaning your barrels. It REALLY works, as thousands on here will testify to.

banger :Fire:

Thanks but that doesn’t answer my question.

I am looking at plating for a reason and pc doesn’t give the solution to what I am trying to achieve.

[bangerjim]

Explain exactly WHAT you are "trying to achieve." That would help us answer your query rather than us stabbing in the dark with suggestions.......

banger :coffeecom

[Rcmaveric]

Plated bullets can't be pushed that much harder from my understanding. That plating is thinner than gilding.

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[Bigtravoz]

Explain exactly WHAT you are "trying to achieve." That would help us answer your query rather than us stabbing in the dark with suggestions.......

banger :coffeecom
Not asking anyone to stab at anything in the dark, I think that the question was fairly specific. Asking if anyone had done it and what resulting effects that they had found.

[Rcmaveric]

I dont think any of us have. Plating isn't really attempted due to its high technical skill and dangers with little return. Specially now that PC has proved so easy and with great results.

I know some have electro plated with copper. I tried searching for electro plating lead with zinc. Found info on electro plating but nothing specific.

I say give it a whirl, document it and let's see what happens.

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[Hossfly]

I would also be interested in a process of zinc plating a boolit. Another way of coating or putting on a jacket, is like getting another tool in your reloading room. Don’t be closed minded about this, took a while for a lot of folks to get on board with powder coating.

[Rcmaveric]

Same from what I read its the same way copper plate things. A zinc solution, zinc anode and clip the cathode to a matel tray of bullets. Then circuitulate solution and agitate bullets for good coverage. That's a very specific over simplification.

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[Bigtravoz]

Same from what I read its the same way copper plate things. A zinc solution, zinc anode and clip the cathode to a matel tray of bullets. Then circuitulate solution and agitate bullets for good coverage. That's a very specific over simplification.

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Pretty much.

[la5676]

Brought to you by the same people that sell powder coating too

https://www.eastwood.com/ew-electroplating-system-tin-zinc.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwreT8BRDTARIsAJLI0KKOrj-lw68BQo2ovShue0n1iCJizMjL7WBijzPyS0WHLRluThoirs8aA t3CEALw_wcB

ebay even sells them

-Mod note: ebay links are disallowed here so link removed-

and a how-to video

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=zinc+plating+at+home#kpvalbx=_t9mZX76_N9D0tAWln6 6wDw13

But the question everyone wants to ask - - - - -WHY. Lead doesn't rust.

[Skipper]

You could always use a zinc-lead alloy.

[elmacgyver0]

Thanks but that doesn’t answer my question.

I am looking at plating for a reason and pc doesn’t give the solution to what I am trying to achieve.

Why don't you do it ? Somebody has to be first. Perhaps you will come up with something that will be a paradigm shift in cast bullets.
Then you can say "I did that!"

Sounds interesting but I have no inclination.
I hope you do it and it works!
Good Luck!

[NoZombies]

I tried and couldn't get any adhesion. So I did some research and found that the lead creates a chlorate barrier in the solution that the zinc can't adhere to, and inhibits the process.

When I had a really good copper plate on the bullets first, I was able to get adhesion, but it did literally nothing more than adding work and expense to the process for me, and I abandoned the project quickly.

There are probably ways of doing it that would work, (different solutions/methods/etc.) but I don't know how much investment would be involved, and I didn't think it was worth finding out for my own purposes.

[Bigtravoz]

I tried and couldn't get any adhesion. So I did some research and found that the lead creates a chlorate barrier in the solution that the zinc can't adhere to, and inhibits the process.

When I had a really good copper plate on the bullets first, I was able to get adhesion, but it did literally nothing more than adding work and expense to the process for me, and I abandoned the project quickly.

There are probably ways of doing it that would work, (different solutions/methods/etc.) but I don't know how much investment would be involved, and I didn't think it was worth finding out for my own purposes.

Thanks. That’s the answer I was looking for. I had a feeling that it might be the case.

[Bigtravoz]

I would also be interested in a process of zinc plating a boolit. Another way of coating or putting on a jacket, is like getting another tool in your reloading room. Don’t be closed minded about this, took a while for a lot of folks to get on board with powder coating.

Speer makes some very good bullets by plating. I am interested in plating to see if I can create a boolit with variable density/hardness and possibly give a more controlled expansion with a harder “jacket” so to speak to help hold it together when it hits a deer. There are also a couple of other reasons I want to try it also but that’s one of the primaries.

[Rcmaveric]

You could always use a zinc-lead alloy.I play with zinc/copper lead alloys..... its not for the faint of heart and yall can call me a heathen for it. Copper makes tough bullets so I hope zinc does also. Lol I have no way to definitely prove it thougj.

Lead only alloys with a single digit though of zinc [I want to say around 3%] then then the excess floats on top. I can tell you at 1% your not casting good bullets... you can start casting usable bullets .33% with a 50% rejection rate. At around .15% I could cast consistent good bullets. It was easy though.

I cant prove it helped anything but if copper is grain refiner and both are the same size atom then it should work then same.

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