7 Attachment(s)
Rangefinder's PC Tumbler Method
All right Guys (and girls??), I've been playing with this PC stuff a bit and have come up with my own variation of the PIGLET method that is both fast and consistent. I use my tumbler. Here's the step-by-step, as requested.
As mentioned in the Piglet method, Lacquer Thinner is working best for me--not Acetone. I'm using the separator bowl of my tumbler, but you can use the large bowl just as well--either will work.
As-dropped Lee TL-401-175's from my 6-cav... There's probably about 70 or so there that I threw real quick for the purposes of this. I've done about 200 at a time with perfect results.
Attachment 84498
Pour about a 1/4 cup Thinner in the tumbler, add the boolits, and turn it on. In a couple minutes they'll be nice and clean. Special note though, Thinner WILL splatter a little. Keep heat sources away. Using a small scoop (I use a Lee .3cc dipper, start sprinkling the 'soup' with PC powder. Add just a little at a time and give things a little jostle between scoops to make sure it spreads evenly. For this batch I used 6 scoops--or just under 2cc of PC paint total.
Attachment 84499
When everything is coated evenly but there's still enough Thinner in the bottom of the bowel to see a slight puddle in the shake, I add a tiny sprinkle of graphite powder.
Attachment 84500
Let things run for about a minute with the graphite to embed, then dump the soup out onto a baking sheet lined with foil.
Attachment 84501
There should still be a little thinner that pours out with the coated boolits. With a little thinner on your fingers, you can stand them up without making a mess of yourself or leaving prints all over the tacky boolits. Once on end, either let them dry for a while or do what I do--spark 'em to burn off the excess thinner.
Attachment 84502
At this point, they're ready to slide in the oven. Bake 'em at the prescribed temp and time for your PC. When the 'ding' happens, pull them out, let 'em cool, and peel 'em off the foil. They're ready to size and load. Here's what this batch turned out to look like.
Attachment 84503
And here's the bases once they're peeled off the foil.
Attachment 84504
From the time I fired up the pot to cast this lot till the time I snapped the photo of the base was just over an hour. Realistically, you could go from ingot to shooting in a little over 2 hours on a small lot. Tough to complain about that. Gimme a day or so and I'll show you accuracy differences between my former LLA and the current PC method. It's down-right scary.