Sucess at last

[technojock]

My first attempt was pitiful. I used the cheapest powder I could get off eBay and it wouldn't stick. Then I got some good advice and ordered some Eastwood powder. I bought chrome, red and blue. The three from Eastwood that were supposed to be the best for shake and bake. The next think I got was COVID for the second time. Thank God it wasn't nearly as bad as the first but it sucked the energy out of my for a long while.

Now that I'm back to it, my first batch of 86g .310 boolits (it's a Lee mold that supposed to make 92g .311) coated in the chrome colored powder came out great. I set the toaster oven for 450 degrees for 25 minutes then watched a video until the timer dinged.

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24 hours later I tossed in some blue with the remaining chrome powder and coated some .457 boolits for my .45-70.

These came out more chrome than blue. I'm not sure if I did any thing wrong... To me they look more like they were chromed then dusted with blue. They're still too hot to handle. If they're coated as well as the smaller bullets, I'll be happy...

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Tony

[mehavey]

Different colored powders don't "necessarily" mix homogeneously when baked.
But the (oft-time "speckled") result is still just fine for shooting purposes.

[charlie b]

Lt Blue and Red.

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I suspect if you mix them with something like a blender they will become more uniform. I just shook these in a baggie.

[technojock]

I can't say I'm unhappy with the look but I was expecting more blue... Maybe I didn't shake them long enough. When I added the blue, the BB's were already coated with chrome. I'll try shaking the BB's next time by themselves for awhile before adding in the boolits.

I'm using an old cottage cheese container. I'd like to have some of the coolwhip containers with the rounded bottom but I can't stand the stuff and no one in my family likes it either...

I sized the .310" boolits down to .309" last night. I didn't think to measure them again after the coating process but they went through the sizer very easy and there was no sign of damage to the PC... After I scrounge up another container, I'm going to try some in red. My .452 and .430 RN molds both drop boollits quick and easy...

Tony

[gmfowler2]

I'm using Ziploc screwtop storage containers to shake in , and I'm getting great results, and no low spots around the edges to trap boolets. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230920/7262d3d674f38c52d9c3e8a4184e2606.jpg

Sent from my moto g stylus 5G (2022) using Tapatalk

[technojock]

I'll look for some of those. I'd like to have one each for my 3 colors and a couple more for mixed colors. I don't really need more colors but not needing something has never stopped me before...

Tony

[mehavey]

Ditto these:
https://www.safeway.com/shop/product-details.960458533.html

Four bu

[45workhorse]

Be careful with them chrome boolits, the flash from the sun hitting them will scare the game.:bigsmyl2:

Those 45-70 boolits should do the trick.

[fredj338]

I can't say I'm unhappy with the look but I was expecting more blue... Maybe I didn't shake them long enough. When I added the blue, the BB's were already coated with chrome. I'll try shaking the BB's next time by themselves for awhile before adding in the boolits.

I'm using an old cottage cheese container. I'd like to have some of the coolwhip containers with the rounded bottom but I can't stand the stuff and no one in my family likes it either...

I sized the .310" boolits down to .309" last night. I didn't think to measure them again after the coating process but they went through the sizer very easy and there was no sign of damage to the PC... After I scrounge up another container, I'm going to try some in red. My .452 and .430 RN molds both drop boollits quick and easy...

Tony

I have often mixed powders. It takes a bit to get all the old powder color out. So I keep them separate for teh most part. I am still trying to get rid of the # of HF red I bought, terrible powder for shake & bake. So I mix it with Eastwood. BTW, plenty of Eastwood colors shake & bake just fine.

[technojock]

Be careful with them chrome boolits, the flash from the sun hitting them will scare the game.:bigsmyl2:


There will be a glint in their eye just before I blow their brains out. I took my last deer with a head shot...

BTW, I went though some old boxes of kitchen stuff from my last move and I think I have some containers that would work. Also has anyone had any success with Tupperware bowls?

I'd give away that gray powder that doesn't shake and bake if I had someone to give it to...

Tony

[gmfowler2]

Look on the bottom for a number 5 in a triangle. That is polypropylene, which induces static.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230924/a7cffeb2447acf33976e576b25597f0f.jpg

Sent from my moto g stylus 5G (2022) using Tapatalk

[gumbo333]

Those chrome boolits dusted in blue are pretty darned cool in my eye! Has to improve accuracy and deadliness.

[Sig556r]

It’s really hard to have homogenous mix with shake & bake…probably wet spray

[Txcowboy52]

Nice job techno!!

[technojock]

While I didn't get as much blue as I was hoping for, I agree they look much nicer than I was expecting. I haven't been out shopping for awhile but I'll look for some of those Ziplock bowls. I like the shape better than what I'm using...

Now I need to cast more boolits to powder coat...

Tony

[Beerd]

I'm using an old cottage cheese container. I'd like to have some of the coolwhip containers with the rounded bottom but I can't stand the stuff and no one in my family likes it either...



the store brand stuff is less than a buck on sale.
feed the garbage disposal and save the container :)
..

[Dom]

.458 422gr & 44cal 280. Different mixtures. These plastic ice cream containers have worked great for me.The lids snap back on quite securely.

[hc18flyer]

Now I need to cast more boolits to powder coat...
Ain't that the truth! Casting and powder coating is my 'CRACK'!
hc18flyer

[ebb]

Save the buck, hit the neighbors recycle bin

[pworley1]

I use empty 1 pound powder bottles. They have worked well.

[technojock]

I've managed to scrounge up a couple more suitable containers. I'm going to cast some .430 and .452 boolits to coat soon...

Tony

[technojock]

I cast up a hundred or so .430 boolits for my old Super Blackhawk and tossed them in the container with the blue and chrome mix and they coated great. With this success behind me, I tried to coat some more of the 87g .310 boolits with mirror red Eastwood powder. I'm glad I didn't start with this because they came out blotchy.

I don't know if I did any thing wrong or if it's the powder. I'll post pix later on. I'm beat right now and my back is killing me...

[technojock]

Here's my first attempt with Eastwood Mirror Red.
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At first I wasn't sure if I had done something wrong or if the problem was in the powder. So I took a handful of them and dumped them in the container that still had some blue/chrome powder mix and got this result.

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The pic is a bit dark, but the coverage can't be mistaken. This powder just sticks and coats great.

Next, I tried cleaning the red out of the container and most of it off the BB's. I then added a spoon full of the chrome powder to see how it would work. I tossed in the rest of the blotchy coated red ones and the rest of the ones I had cast up that were still uncoated. This is the result I got...
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So am I doing something wrong with the red/chrome? It doesn't look like it's coating down in the lube grooves.

[charlie b]

Some colors just won't work for you. I got some red from Smoke that leaves a 'rough' finish. The pictures above of the red and blue show how it worked fine when mixed with the Lt Blue.

I would stop coating one color over another until you get good results with one coat of that color.

[technojock]

I got around to trying some more boolits with the E.W. mirror red. This time I preheated the boolits to around 80 degrees and had much better coverage. I got some more BB's and another tub and I'll try again. I think the mirror red is not the best choice for this type of coating but it can be made to work.

[45workhorse]

Here's my first attempt with Eastwood Mirror Red.
319023

At first I wasn't sure if I had done something wrong or if the problem was in the powder. So I took a handful of them and dumped them in the container that still had some blue/chrome powder mix and got this result.

319024

The pic is a bit dark, but the coverage can't be mistaken. This powder just sticks and coats great.

Next, I tried cleaning the red out of the container and most of it off the BB's. I then added a spoon full of the chrome powder to see how it would work. I tossed in the rest of the blotchy coated red ones and the rest of the ones I had cast up that were still uncoated. This is the result I got...
319025

So am I doing something wrong with the red/chrome? It doesn't look like it's coating down in the lube grooves.

They look like they got a sun burn!

[mehavey]

Eastwood Mirror Red is one the most dependable Coatings there is....
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?406076-Some-Eastwood-combo-colors&p=4953215&viewfull=1#post4953215
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?425807-50-Beowulf&p=5268624&viewfull=1#post5268624

Tell us a little more about your bullet condition/coating process.

[technojock]

I'm not sure what I did wrong on my first attempt with mirror red. Like with Ford light blue and chrome, I used a repurposed cottage cheese container (with a #5 recycling label) and black BB's. I put in a teaspoon of mirror red, closed the container and shook it like crazy to get the BB's coated. Then I put in around 50 or so boolits, again shook it like crazy, then one by one with forceps, I put the boolits on the baking tray base down and baked. Just like every other time. They came out very spotty but when given a second coat of mixed FLB and chrome, the came out looking great.

This last time with mirror red, I did it the usual way other than preheating the boolits. The coverage looks to be around 98% and I think they'll probably shoot OK.

The problem batches of .30 caliber boolits were all from the same casting session as all the ones that coated well. I coated the remaining boolits from that session with chrome and even in a cold shop, the coated perfectly.

I bought some new BB's and I'll see if they help after I cast some more boolits. Right now I'm out of boolits to powder coat...

BTW, I looked at the pix in your links. They look great. Hopefully I can get mirror red to work like that for me...

[mehavey]

For BBs, I recommend these:
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/crosman-airsoft-camo-ammo

For Containers, I recommend these:
https://www.safeway.com/shop/product-details.960458534.html

Both are (darn near[smilie=w:) foolproof and take no longer than 60 sec shake/swirl to produce these before baking:
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?438834-problem-with-eastwood-powder-coat&p=5363150&viewfull=1#post5363150

and these after same:
https://i.postimg.cc/J7xxrJnF/45-ACP-ACC-45-200-M-200-H-Lead.jpg


Good luck.. :drinks:

[technojock]

I just bought these from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IVKB72Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm going to give them a try before buying any others. I'll look for the containers you suggest. I'm hoping to find some round bottom ones as I think that would make it easier to agitate the boolits. I still find it odd that only the red gives me problems. The other 2 colors work great.

I was considering other colors from Eastwood but I hadn't heard anything about them. Until your input, I hadn't heard anything about mirror red and all the YouTube videos I watched that mentioned EW red powder, used ruby red. I was seriously thinking I bought the wrong red. Anyway they have a cool looking bronze like color but I don't want to be the one to find out it doesn't work on boolits...

[Finster101]

I don't even bother with BBs anymore.

[mehavey]

I do use BBs -- (the tan & brown "Camo" (https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/crosman-airsoft-camo-ammo) colors* vs black.)
I find they produce considerably *more static, and cushion the relatively
soft lead bullets from beating themselves (and their edges) to death

The rectangular containers do just fine on agitating the BB/Bullets combo.
Just Shake'N Swirl like a Coconut Maraca (literally)

I'd shy away from bronze/copper colors. (Ask me how I know [smilie=f:)
But Extreme Chrome, Single-Stage Chrome are unbelievable.
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?445117-Eastwood-Chrome&p=5432610&viewfull=1#post5432610
...and static-coat upon shaking in not much more than 30 seconds

[technojock]

If I had it to do it over, I would only get the chrome. However, I really like red...

[technojock]

I took another stab at trying the mirror red. They came out blotchy again so I did a second coat and they came out not perfect, but very usable. It could be that it's much more humid than after my earlier successes. For now, I'm going to give up on red boolits...