When mine were grainy it was due to not shaking well enough.
Printable View
When mine were grainy it was due to not shaking well enough.
Hi,
I am assuming this is first coat. If not there is other explanations for rougher finish.
Please clarify if this happened with first coat or other?
Would it be possible if you can take a close up photo after coating/drying, & before cooking, and a photo after cooking?
A picture emininates many words.
Not sure, but from limited description, it indicates to me, that shake coating may have been done too long, and this can leave an uneven (lumpy) finish.
When trying to cook these, after drying, & due to skin formations, which may be thicker in some areas, the coating may not flow and level out well and this grainy finish is then expected..
After cook, did it wipe and smash OK?
This does refer to the first coat.
Can't take pictures along the way as they've already been cooked. If it happens again, I'll photograph at each stage.
Shake coating too long is certainly a possibility.
Are there any performance issues with this condition? Or, is it strictly one of appearance?
Have not had an opportunity to wipe and smash yet.
I love this coating...When I melted down 50k bullets I had only one pot full of the old coating! I did not even have to fire them through my gun to get them back. I just made them and melted them right back down. Saved me a lot of time, primers and powder...this is sweet!
Pickett mine were grainy the first time I tried due to not shaking the coating well enough to mix it up before adding to the bullets. I didn't shake the coating well enough before adding the catalyst....didn't shake the catalyst ....and didnt shake well enough to mix all 3....as im sure you know since you've had success you have to shake the snot out of it all the way.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/02/yhupapun.jpg
This is what my grainy one looked like before baking.
rough coating is from swirling the bullets and coating in the bucket too long. Once you can see the shine of the liquid turn to dull semi-dry, dump them out on your tray.
Note that the rough surface does NOT cause any problems with wipe, smash, sizing or firing.
TES. my mother always said "if you have nothing useful to say, say nothing"
Thanks all. Sounds like I need to shake the ingredients thoroughly first, then limit the time spent tumbling - then my coating will be as attractive as it is durable!
in the beginning I had to do that aswell, so your not Robinson Crusoe there... That's the good thing, when you mix or bake them wrong, you get the lead back. Read back you will see pot loads of my mistakes, but now with perciverance and help from Trev and Joe, I finally got it. I even got grainy ones like Pickett has, just means a little too long in the bucket, no big deal.
This system works for many, the problem is we learn from text, and not from someone standing next to you, guiding each step. It makes for a slower learning curve, but its not a race is it.
"Show me a man who makes no mistakes and I will show you a man who does and tries nothing."
When I first started coating, There were numerous failures. So, back into the pot they went.
I still have "return to the pot" failures. these are the experimental coatings that do not bake and wipe off or are horrible colours.
As for the blue/green, red/copper, gold, black, red etc. they all work fine IF....IF process, time and temperature are correct.
Imagine you have a CNC Mill. If the programming isn't right, it's no good blaming the machine when the finished piece is no good.
What I find strangely curious is, why would any one make 50K projectiles without getting the process correct in the first place and then having to melt it all down?
Most logical scenario would be to make small amounts, get process down to a fine art, then start building up volumes after successful process is established.
It is very puzzling.
Showed Whato some of my HP last night, he said you were keen to try it, now I just need to work up some loads for CLAS.
If you need a mainland address for delivery you can always get it delivered to my shop for Whato to pick up. Couriers stop off just about everyday anyway and always someone there to take delivery.
G'Day
Your getting some use out of the mold then? Was a nice boolit but wouldn't feed in the 444 and all my 44mag stuff is lighter.
Juddy
My apologies.
I tend to forget, that because I have been living this stuff for years, I tend to forget that some folk would find it addictive, and things would get out of hand.
Ausglock told me that his missus complained that she became became a coating widow.
He casts and coats every waking minute, and I think he is addicted already, and only in a short time.
Then, he runs down local range and shoots them all, then goes back home and starts again.
What have I done.....lol...lol
Yep. I cast, therefore, I coat.
The missus thinks it is great. I'm always in the shed and not in the house annoying her.
Limited casting/coating today. too hot.
G'Day All
Had a good talk to HI-TEK today and he was very informative. Hopefully he got my email sent through Cast Boolits because for some reason my email kept coming up error. Looking forward to getting rolling and hope to learn from all the stuff ups you blokes had. Going to get the same oven as AusGlock because we know it works. Might need to have some Bundy and Coke to get mixing bottles.
Juddy
Ramrooter.
Where in the south island are ya?
We were down that way last xmas for 3 weeks playing mainland terrorists...
the Heller 48 litre oven is not made anymore. they now do a 28 litre.
Get some popper juice bottles. they work better. mix 5-1-7.
Robins kitchen sell glass shot glass type things with measurements up the side. Great for decanting the colour and the catalyst. I use a plastic cup in mls from a carpaint supplier for the acetone.