PC leaves rim around boolit base

Extreme newbie here, both to casting and powder coating. I cast some 200 gn round nose flat point in 45LC. I'm using Eastwood clear PC. It coats very easily and thoroughly and bakes on perfectly, well almost. Where the base contacts the silicone baking sheet, it leaves a slight "rim" that is just a bit larger the the base. When I run it through the sizing die, it just folds down rather than shearing off. The rim is exactly the size of my expanded brass, so seating is a chore. I can trim the excess off with a razor knife, but surely there is an easier way. Maybe try baking nose-down? Any ideas? Thanks!

Are you shaking excess powder off with a strainer before you bake 'em? If not try that and your issue will go away....at least mine did!

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Originally Posted by Shuz

Are you shaking excess powder off with a strainer before you bake 'em? If not try that and your issue will go away....at least mine did!

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+1 on what Shuz said. If that doesn't completely take care of the issue, NOE makes some very good 'Bullet Base Chamfer Tools' that will get rid of that 'rim' with just a flick of the wrist.

Bill

Thanks, guys, for the tip; it works great! I was afraid of removing too much powder, but it worked just fine.

Ta Da another newbie helped out nice job guys no insults no go read the post just good helpful post this is what makes this site better then most.

Yo can never shake off to much powder from what I have experienced,

How do you like the clear? I’ve been thinking about buying a pound

It’s amazing how the powder coat stays on. This is after a watermelon and 2 gallons of water

Attachment 262954

Thumbs up on the thread. This helps me. I had some “flash” on some of my boolits after sizing last time. Sounds like I probably got a little lazy shaking off excess. Will be casting this weekend hopefully so will shake harder. ��.
Follow up question: if the flash/fins are small enough to easily fit in the case, are they a problem or accuracy?

I put my bullets before I size them into a stainless mesh strainer and swirl around it takes off those annoying edges very well

Eastwood clear is awesome. It will literally coat completely in 10 seconds of tumbling. I lucked into a good one to start with. BTW, I just ordered three colors from Smoke to experiment with. This PC stuff is fun.

Crowley,
No it should not affect accuracy.

I don't get the flashing mentioned in this thread and never have. I have always used BB's and not too much powder in the tub. Not sure why I've never seen any flashing, but I haven't. That said, as long as you aren't shaving PC and the bullets fit the cases (properly sized bullets and expander) you should be fine.

The NOE tool works if needed but I would think after running through the sizing die, the PC flashing would be broken and a finger nail would wipe it off.

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Originally Posted by lbrowning

Eastwood clear is awesome. It will literally coat completely in 10 seconds of tumbling. I lucked into a good one to start with. BTW, I just ordered three colors from Smoke to experiment with. This PC stuff is fun.

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If you don't get good coverage with any of the colors (unlikely with Smoke's colors) mix a little clear in and you'll be amazed. I probably mix 50/50 clear and color and get easy and consistent coating every time. Fun ain't it!

You can also gently blow off excess after placing them for baking. Scrambled a batch one time and did not want to start over from all the loose powder on the parchment. Been using this method ever since.

Smoke's advice to shake the container up and down a few times after swirling is sound. It shakes off the excess. A little experimenting will show how many shakes is enough but not too much. Too many and the bullets bounce into each other and rub some bare spots.

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Originally Posted by WinchesterM1

Yo can never shake off to much powder from what I have experienced,

How do you like the clear? I’ve been thinking about buying a pound

It’s amazing how the powder coat stays on. This is after a watermelon and 2 gallons of water

Attachment 262954

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You're not kidding! Here are a few 9mms after impacting the plate rack. Smoke's Signal Blue. Not flaking off at all. Amazing stuff!

https://i.postimg.cc/Bv3Tp52D/20200603-214122.jpg

Noe makes a handy little tool that removes the lead flash that sometimes makes it hard to seat a gas check. Don't take off any more of the PC than just the flash and you should have no problem with just a very slight bevel base. Gp

DONT BE AFRAID to sift off excess powder!! It makes for a more uniform coating. If ya feel you want more coat and bake a second time!

CW

Sooooooo, my $.02: I was getting these base ridges too and used one of NOE's base reamers. But that bugged me because most of the time I would get a ring of open lead right at the base edge...where you want the bullet to be pristine. Kinda like making a bevel base bullet. And when I seated a gas check and then coated, the ridge was doubly annoying. I've always felt and have read that the bottom edge of the bullet is the steering wheel, it needs to be perfect. The entire base edge needs to exit the muzzle at the same instant.

So, with this in mind, what I do now is to powder coat as normal in a plastic bowl with a lid, pick the bullets out one at a time with a tweezers and tap off the excess, then just before I place the bullet on the silicone mat, I wipe it's base across a paper towel. Fidgety and fumbly? You bet, just get good with a tweezers or hemostats and you'll be baking better bullets in no time. After the wipe off, I get none of that base ring at all, plus my silicone mat is no longer spattered with the remnants of bullet batches past.

Chris

Why I prefer a thin gage wire baskets for baking.

I tried a wire basket, just too darned random for me. I'd get non-uniform coats, boolits that stuck together, all kinds of non-desirable (to me anyway) results. So, I pick out each one, do as I said above and put them on the mat right side up in nice uniform lines. Yup, it's a pain in the butt, but not so much as the pan lubing I was doing before, so, win win in my eyes.

Chris

Chris try different colors and even different brands of powders.

https://youtu.be/U-rIIon5c4E

Here is two colors I just used. You can see how well they come out. Eastwoods Ford Light Blue coats and flows very well... BUT CAN STICK like the dickens!! Adjust the amount on the bullet and be sure you have proper temp and time and much of that changes. I have a couple cideos up showing how and what I do. Hope it can help ya.

CW

First, I live in an area with really low humidity (high static), so my method may not work for some. I also do smaller batches, 20 or 30 rifle bullets at a time, with a suitable amount of poly beads and Eastwwod's Ford Light Blue.

After shaking I pour the bullets and beads into a plastic colander. Shake until all the excess powder is through. When I pick up the bullet with tweezers I wipe the bottom of the bullet. Then stand up on the pan and bake. Yes, every now and then I still get a little bit of build up on the base, but, it comes right off when I size it.

Yes, I take a lot of time when making bullets for my rifles. I want them to shoot into little groups :)

If I coated for pistol I'd dump them in a large can, shake, put in a wire basket and bake. Probably not even size them if I could get away with it.

Hey CW

I AM using exactly that powder Eastwood Ford light blue, great stuff. Also their maroon and a green. Those take a bit more heat for a bit longer to get good flow.

Chris

I cast some 95 grain Makarov bullets yesterday. Had to PC them red, right? I used Smoke's Flame Red and it worked very well. I tried wiping some of them on a towel before baking, but the ones I just placed on the baking sheet seemed to fit my brass better. Looks like a learning curve with each caliber being a bit different. Hoping I can hit the range later this week after the hurricane gets through here.

Size base up & see ; )
H/D

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Originally Posted by Chris S

Hey CW

I AM using exactly that powder Eastwood Ford light blue, great stuff. Also their maroon and a green. Those take a bit more heat for a bit longer to get good flow.

Chris

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. Hello Chris!!

I like that maroon. Yea I agree!! You can try a addition of clear or white. Sometimes it makes all the difference.

CW

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Originally Posted by Chris S

I tried a wire basket, just too darned random for me. I'd get non-uniform coats, boolits that stuck together, all kinds of non-desirable (to me anyway) results. So, I pick out each one, do as I said above and put them on the mat right side up in nice uniform lines. Yup, it's a pain in the butt, but not so much as the pan lubing I was doing before, so, win win in my eyes.

Chris

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I stand my bullets up in the small gage wire baskets, no issues. Use an old plastic ammo box liner as a jig, nose first then invert onto the tray.