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Hello, I powder coated several hundred bullets last year. Most came out perfect. Used the shake and bake method. Just tried to coat some freshly cast bullets and the powder coating did not stick. Do the cool whip containers lose there static charge after time? I used the same powder as before. Thanks for any help, john
If that's the case, the static may come and go with high or low humidity. My plastic powder measure tube sort of does that.
I'd think you could somehow 'recharge' them like when you rub a kid's balloon on your head and stick it to the wall.
On the other hand, I really don't think that's an acceptable re-purpose use for red neck salad bowls.
I have a set myself and would never think of using like you are doing.
I cannot with all certainty, either confirm or deny this.
But I will tell you Nes QUICK LARGE containers have mot lost anything in nearly five years.
CW
Containers don't have static charge. The charge comes from friction when swirling them. #5 is best as it doesn't allow static to bleed off as fast. After much use, the walls get shredded and hard to develop static by friction. Powder absorbs moisture so use fresh powder.
I use those Coffee Mate containers. I've used them in all kinds of weather with no problems. They're #2's.
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I wonder if cleaning the containers good would help. Maybe wiping them down with acetone or other solvent. If the sides of the container are coated with fine particles of the powder, perhaps it is insulating the surface of the container from the contents as you're shaking.
I washed one with water. Did not make any difference. My powder is from last year. It is in the zip lock bags it came in. Powder is from the fellow on this site. It did a super job the last time I used it. Thanks for your help, john
Try those large red plastic containers maybe designed for casserole? I find them in the grocery store in the aisle with the other different plastic containers and Ziploc bags. You can powder coat several hundred bullets at once with that and have excellent even coating.
I use empty 1 lb gunpowder bottles and have had good results.
I'm confused, are you saying the powder is not covering the boolits prior to baking or are you saying the powder is not sticking to the boolits after baking.
If it is the latter, the static has nothing to do with it.
I use the AirSoft black plastic BBs in mine.
I have a plastic Wally World colander that I have drilled out the holes to larger than the BBs and less than my smallest cast bullets: 32s
after swirling, I have my #5 container a couple of shakes and pour the powder/bullets/BBs into the colander.
rocking it back and forth and swirling the bullets will allow the powder and BBs to drop out
I then just pour the bullets onto a wire rack.
they are only one layer deep, move them around so there are none on top of one another
bake then dump bullets into a nonstick sq metal baking pan from wally world
shake them up in the pan to keep them from sticking to one another as they cool
once cool, through the Lee push-through sizer and done.
fully coated with no bare spots
can cast 15 lbs of lead into bullets, PC, and size them in 3 hours start to finish
Humidity does make a difference in the Static Charge and Coating. When I see the Boolits are not coating well; I rub the container back and forth 40 to 50 times on a wool blend carpet and it seems to help generate that static charge.
Blue Bunny plastic ice cream containers have worked great for me. They have great capacity, & a very snug fitting lid. Plus you get to eat the ice cream .
Something else that greatly effects powders ability to adhear to your bullets. POWDER QUANTITY.
DONT USE TOO MUCH!! A lil goes a long way. If you dont have enough, after swirl there will be NONE remaining and bullets will not be completely evenly coated. As a 1/4 - 1/2 tsp more and swirl again.
If TOO MUCH it will never be able to generate static in quantity to make proper even coating.
CW
Pre heat those boolits too. Really helps coverage.
Age of the powder isn't factor for me. I'm using smokes powder from this site, its probably 6 years old, and works fine for me. It gets stored in the zip lock bags it came in, and spends Alabama summers in the garage. If that won't kill the stuff, nothing will. I use the ZipLock containers with the screw on lids for shaking, picked them up at WalMart.
Hello again, I think the problem is solved. I got another cool whip container from wife. I purchased some new air soft bbs. Old powder worked just as before. Bullets are in oven as I type. I do this in shed heated with sunflower heater. I am doing a small batch for now. My Lyman bullet sizer broke a bolt, had to order new bolt from lyman. Thanks for all your help, john
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I pick these up with Chinese food at the local grocery store.