Trouble with Eastwood machine gray?

[Guns&Engines]

I'm new to casting and powder coating, so I started off with lots of research. The top foolproof powder seemed to be Eastwood ford light blue, which works great for me. However, I wanted a more traditional looking color and found many people said Eastwood machine gray worked well. I'm using rubber maid #5 containers with air soft bbs to dry tumble, but can't get good coverage with the gray. See attached picture.

Any suggestions or should I give up on the machine gray?

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[1eyedjack]

Has this one been baked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees? Looks to be just coated & not baked yet, some colors have a lot of clear that don't look covered but after baking appear more covered
Some colors just do weird things and tumble lube designs become almost smooth after sizing

[gpidaho]

G&Es In my own experience and I've been powder coating 10+ years Eastwood semi-gloss clear gives the best covering of any powder I've used and is very Shake N Bake friendly. That gives a natural "cast bullet look" I like to add a pinch of blue or green powder for an opaque look. Welcome to the forum! Gp

[Guns&Engines]

Yes, the pictured bullet has been baked, about 5 minutes until they got up to 400 and the powder turned glossy, then 20 minutes more. I tried scratching the areas that didn't look covered, and they easily scratched with my fingernail, so not covered with clear in my opinion.

I was hesitant to go with clear powder for fear of being able to tell if the coverage was good.

Here's a bullet from the same casting batch, baked at the same time, with the ford light blue.
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[charlie b]

Try clear. I was skeptical because I could not really see the coating after baking. But, it worked REALLY well for me. It is also a tad thinner so not as hard to size.

Just make sure the bullet is coated before baking. Easy to do with the white color of the powder before it bakes.

[Guns&Engines]

Any suggestions to try to get the gray I already have to work? Should I try without the air soft bbs? Try adding more powder to the bowl? Try different bowls? Anything like that? Or should I give up on it?

I tried rubbing the bowl on carpet and even my hair, trying to build more static. I'm doing the tumbling in the air conditioned house. Not sure what else to try.

[slim1836]

Have you tried heating the boolits before powder coating for better adhesion? Just guessing, but it may help.

Slim

[oley55]

I use a lot of clear but I always add a little of something, almost always some black. one tablespoon of clear plus a heaping quarter teaspoon of black is my magic formula. do a search for me in the pc’d boolits sticky, post 695.

[Guns&Engines]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I had not tried pre-heating the boolits, so I tried that last night. Unfortunately it didn't work any better. I then tried mixing in some of the blue that works so well, but still didn't get any better. It's like the gray separates instead of flowing together. They look like they might be ok when pulled from the powder, bet then turn splotchy in the oven. I'm giving up on the gray and ordering some different powder.

[mehavey]

I've got some EW Machine Gray on order.
`Will let you know.....

[derek45]

This is Eastwood perriwinkle gray.

My wife and daughters laughed out loud when I said I didn't realize it would have a purple tint.:mrgreen:

It coats well ( tupperwear shake n bake )

https://i.imgur.com/Gvb4GPP.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lQ2tHlP.jpg

[oley55]

what's them pink plastic tabs under the brass caliber buttons for?

[derek45]

what's them pink plastic tabs under the brass caliber buttons for?

Makes them easier to grab, and harder to loose when one drops on the floor.

made them out of an old spiral bound notebook, . . . . in breast cancer awareness color

[mehavey]

`Got the Eastwood_MachineGray PC this AM in the mail.
Some Lyman 452190/30-1 bullets that I cast 2-3 years ago

90sec Shake w/ AirSoft balls gave what appears to the eye as good coverage
https://i.postimg.cc/B6bQ8fsy/East-Coat-Powder-Machine-Gray-sm.jpg
450° Flow/400° bake in PID-controlled toaster oven gave me what -- on close inspection
-- appears to be runny mashed-potato slurry surface effect.

Certainly shootable/no problem. :coffee:
But it ain't no Ford Light Blue.
:evil:

[Guns&Engines]

Thanks for following up with your results! Looks very similar to the results I got. I wonder if they have changed that powder formulation. I saw smoke no longer sells copper vein because they changed it and it no longer works with dry tumble. From the way it was explained, sounds very similar to what is happening with this Eastwood machine gray now.

[KVO]

It would be a shame if they changed the formulation. That's one of my best dry tumble colors...
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[Cosmic_Charlie]

It almost looks like it went on too thick. Maybe try shaking it without the airsoft beads.

[Rapier]

Sure hope no change because I just got in a new container of black. And I immediately found my old container of black, plus my old pellets. I just knew how that story of lost stuff would end.
When you can not find something, after moving, just order a new……..the old will be right where you put it.

[mehavey]

Also tried the acetone-slurry method (leaves a very thin coat after drying/before baking)
Same mashed-potato slurry effect upon baking as Post #14 (https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?444373-Trouble-with-Eastwood-machine-gray&p=5427109&viewfull=1#post5427109)

`tis a puzzlement...:coffeecom

[RKJ]

I can't offer any help with the Eastwood Gray but if you want to try Smoke's powder I mix silver and his Jet black and get a very nice gray color that (to me) looks like lead. Just a thought.