simple Hi-Tek coating

[Ausglock]

Hell, mine usually only sit long enough to cool to ambient temp before I recoat.

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Same here... 3 minutes under the fan and back into the coating mixer they go.
Who has time to sit around waiting for an hour??

[DDriller]

I did some .60 cal balls today and waited long enough so I could handle them by hand before recoating.
The buckshot I did was tumbled 8 hours, dried, and then coated. They were very smooth before I coated them and only 1 coat was needed. The next .60 cal I do will be tumbled first. BTW I am still using the original 2 part Hi-Tek in copper and gold. One of these years I may use it up so I can try the new stuff.

[HI-TEK]

I did some .60 cal balls today and waited long enough so I could handle them by hand before recoating.
The buckshot I did was tumbled 8 hours, dried, and then coated. They were very smooth before I coated them and only 1 coat was needed. The next .60 cal I do will be tumbled first. BTW I am still using the original 2 part Hi-Tek in copper and gold. One of these years I may use it up so I can try the new stuff.

You deserve a trade in for some new stuff. You must have had these liquids for a long time. I have not made the liquid version for years.
You could have Red Copper and Old Gold or Gold 1035 liquids and catalyst liquid.
Please post pictures of finished coated shot.
We have had various shot pellets coated with various colors. The coated pellets are used for Ballast in ships. They used the coatings, (3 coats) to prevent Water contact of the Lead, and for the pellets to be able to flow and run easily and level out in Ballast areas.
It worked well. Pellets flowed like water, through nozzles, when it was fed into the required areas.

[Avenger442]

470 Nitro Express.

Hi Tek TMG Gold coating, Lee 400 grain plain base plinker load @ 2050 fps. Yes plinker, compared to full house 500 grain 2250 fps load, this is very easy to shoot. A heavy rifle.

Shoots clean.

That's a nice looking gun. Side by side always makes me think of the old safari movies I watched as a boy.

Joe:
I still have some of the liquid 1035 Gold Hi Tek along with several of the powders. As far as function it worked fine last time I used it. No lead in the barrel. It's a little darker after baking than it was when I first got it. I've had it about seven years.

DDriller
I'd like to see some photos, too.
Thanks

[sierra1911]

I too am still using liquid gold. Back when I bought it there were only two colors available from Donnie, gold and red copper. Was before there were multiple golds. Mine comes out a nice dark bronze color, but I bake it a little long and a little hot - ensuring it's cured. I no longer bother to wipe or smash test as it's always passed both tests.

[DDriller]

The .60 balls are the gold, over cooked these on the second coat not paying attention. The copper is .36 cal 000 buckshot
The liquid coating has always worked well for me, still does even though it is old.

After seeing Jatz357 pics I had to do a second coat to 10 pounds of 000

[Jatz357]

This is some lead shot I coated with 1, 2 & 3 coats of Candy Apple. Tests completed for a US. company.

Shot coats exceptionally well and can be layered when baked in my infrared conveyor oven. No need for air flow around all the shot. This shot also had a dusting of graphite and the coating still adhered perfectly.

More tests to be completed soon. Testing for coating ability to reduce / eliminate lead leaching when used in a marine environment.

[Petander]

325 grain plinker:



Even at this 2300 fps I'm only getting some gray tint in the barrel, wipes off easily with Bore Tech Eliminator. No "lead streaks" or anything.

[Jatz357]

The .60 balls are the gold, over cooked these on the second coat not paying attention. The copper is .36 cal 000 buckshot
The liquid coating has always worked well for me, still does even though it is old.

After seeing Jatz357 pics I had to do a second coat to 10 pounds of 000

They look pretty good, DDriller

[HI-TEK]

The .60 balls are the gold, over cooked these on the second coat not paying attention. The copper is .36 cal 000 buckshot
The liquid coating has always worked well for me, still does even though it is old.

After seeing Jatz357 pics I had to do a second coat to 10 pounds of 000

DDriller
They look absolutely great. The second coat of Red Copper certainly made it very pleasing final colour.
You did well.
With Red Copper, Bronze types, in fact with most of the "metallic modified types", when mixing them up with solvent, various components can settle quickly afterwards. So when coating with these mixtures, you really have to make sure that it is very well mixed before sucking up the mixture with a Syringe.
Many use one cast as a rattle mixer, like they have/use in aerosol paint cans to mix up contents before spraying it.
I have had 5 liter plastic bottles, with the liquid coating concentrate in them, and they all had a sludge settled on the bottom. It took quite an effort to re-mix the sediment.
For quality control purposes, these had been kept as retention stock from previous batches, and were some years old.
After re-mixing, they all worked well, and as you said, they turned out a little darker to original colors.

[Woodcarver]

470 Nitro Express.

Hi Tek TMG Gold coating, Lee 400 grain plain base plinker load @ 2050 fps. Yes plinker, compared to full house 500 grain 2250 fps load, this is very easy to shoot. A heavy rifle.

Shoots clean.

This is as close to an answer as I've found after spending a day reading (most) of this thread. With plain base, how fast have you pushed this Hi-Tek in big bores? Is this 2050fps load it, or just where your gun regulated well? I am looking at trying to get to 2100-2150 in 350gr .458. Working on a load that will regulate in a 45-70 DR, and that is where it looks like I need to be.
I also notice you had a pic of a 470NE shooting 325gr at 2300fps, but it looked like those might be gas checked. That should be a sweet load to plink with.

[Petander]

This is as close to an answer as I've found after spending a day reading (most) of this thread. With plain base, how fast have you pushed this Hi-Tek in big bores? Is this 2050fps load it, or just where your gun regulated well? I am looking at trying to get to 2100-2150 in 350gr .458. Working on a load that will regulate in a 45-70 DR, and that is where it looks like I need to be.
I also notice you had a pic of a 470NE shooting 325gr at 2300fps, but it looked like those might be gas checked. That should be a sweet load to plink with.

Hello Woodcarver,

I'm just starting out with 470 NE, this is a friends rifle I'm loading light cast for. The gun is screaming my name though...

These are safe minimum loads for certain (N120 & N135) Vihtavuori powders, I got the data from a friendly factory rep. He listened and called me back the next day with data for these bullets.

I think these velocities are the highest that I've pushed any rifles / Hi Tek. And that 325 does have a GC by design.

I have had a 325 grain 45-70 plinker load for a few years, the same TMG Gold -coating @ 1950 fps. N130.

470 regulation with the 400 Lee is surprisingly good, I was on a standard pistol target black for my first ten rounds @ 50 meters. I had a separate target for each barrel.

Others have pushed (smaller calibers) faster. I think it's also the low pressure that helps with big bores. 470 max is 2700 bar, these loads are only 2000 bar according to Quick Load.

[Woodcarver]

Hello Woodcarver,

I'm just starting out with 470 NE, this is a friends rifle I'm loading light cast for. The gun is screaming my name though...

These are safe minimum loads for certain (N120 & N135) Vihtavuori powders, I got the data from a friendly factory rep. He listened and called me back the next day with data for these bullets.

I think these velocities are the highest that I've pushed any rifles / Hi Tek. And that 325 does have a GC by design.

I have had a 325 grain 45-70 plinker load for a few years, the same TMG Gold -coating @ 1950 fps. N130.

470 regulation with the 400 Lee is surprisingly good, I was on a standard pistol target black for my first ten rounds @ 50 meters. I had a separate target for each barrel.

Others have pushed (smaller calibers) faster. I think it's also the low pressure that helps with big bores. 470 max is 2700 bar, these loads are only 2000 bar according to Quick Load.

Thanks. I thought the bigger bores could handle more velocity before a GC became required, but it has been really hard to find any specifics. Have some 300gr & 350gr, Hi-Tek coated, PB bullets headed my way and am hoping to be able to push them around 2100fps+-. I've not used any coated bullets before, and wanted to test drive before I jumped into coating them myself. With a lot of shooters using GCs in addition to a coating, either PC or Hi-Tek, the question of when the GC is required seems to be a little arbitrary or subject to too many variables to have a direct answer.

Beautiful double. I can see why it calls to you! They are great fun to shoot, but often a real challenge to find a good load for them that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, or have what some consider to be excessive recoil.

[Petander]

Yes,there are so many variables. Barrel quality etc. This Merkel has had some 500 j-bullets through it. Full power 500's. Barrel looks fine with a borescope.

For whatever reason, I have had the best Hi Tek coating luck with big calibers like 45-70, 500 S&W and now this 470 started nice right away. Maybe my sizes are just right or my coating technique favors big bullets...?

I had some problems but when I got my alloy tested there was a contaminant, Niobium. No idea how.

Beautiful double. I can see why it calls to you! They are great fun to shoot, but often a real challenge to find a good load for them that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, or have what some consider to be excessive recoil.

This shoots 500 Woodleighs just dead on (75 m without crossing) @ 2150 fps. Cast 400 is much lighter , recoil-wise, and already regulates good enough for 50 m practise. Maybe add a bit more velocity to tweak spread. 400's hit 2" low @50.

I have a 400 GC mold coming because ... well, just because I can. A 500 grain mold may follow one day, depending on my shoulder. I went overboard with shooting too heavy bows, forgetting my age... 58 now.

I also PC, it is easy. But I prefer Hi Tek for these big calibers. It's a more professional , repeatable process, designed for bullets. My Marlin shoots 325 PB @ 1950 fps completely clean all day.

[Tazza]

I coated about 1,000 projectiles in Tru Blue today, i wasn't off to a very good start. I mixed K15 and Tru blue, 10 grams to 100ml of acetone for Tru Blue, then 40 grams to 400ml of K15, sucked up the tru blue and as soon as i squirted it into the mixing bucket with projectiles i let out a few choice words. Yep you read my mixing ratios, i was at half strength, dunno why i did it, but yep. Fix that mistake with the addition of the magical powder to each bottle.

I proceeded to coat, well, re-coat the ones i messed up and cooked them at 200c like i do with K15 and 122 red, both give great results. This time, the timer didn't let off it's beep to tell me it's done (i was busy with other projects while the oven was going), half an hour or so later out comes green cast. I dropped the temperature to 185c according to the dial, not tested with a thermometer, so it's my own fault colours aren't spot on. I applied another coat and cooked, and another. The final results are green, no doubt due to me getting them too hot, i'll have to have another go when i cast more that i can spare some to make blue. I'll try smaller batches, lower temperatures and cook for less time.

Currently i do everything at 200c for 15 minutes, each tray has 1,000 - 1,500. They are not a single layer, but come out 100% every time. I have a plastic container that no matter the calibre or weight, i scoop up two full loads and put them on a tray and cook for 15 minutes. Works for everything from 100 grains to 730 grain fiddy cal monsters, but all black and 122 red.

The next fun project will be working out a process for tru blue, when un-cooked, it's a really awesome colour, if i can keep it even close to the correct colour after cooking, it's well worth the effort to get a process that will work for me. I do have a few PIDs, i'll need to use one and then calibrate it with a thermometer, as my casting machine PID is out by around 10c.

These green beauties will still be shot, they are super smooth like the 122 red, i find the K15 doesn't have the same shine, unsure why, but it works super well.

[Ausglock]

Yep. K15 is not as shiny as the rest.
TruBlu really needs it's own settings.

[Tazza]

Yep. K15 is not as shiny as the rest.
TruBlu really needs it's own settings.

Glad it's not just me and that k15 isn't as shiny.

Getting TruBlue may be an adventure to get right, i do have an oven from my brother, it may be the dedicated blue oven

[ryanmattes]

The directions I follow that work for me are:

Put the probe inside a drilled test bullet. When the probe hits 180C, start a timer for 3 minutes. Take them out when the timer goes off.

That's the simplest directions I've found, and it works great. But the blue is not the same as the color during coating.

First pic is before baking, the others are all done.


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[HI-TEK]

Glad it's not just me and that k15 isn't as shiny.

Getting TruBlue may be an adventure to get right, i do have an oven from my brother, it may be the dedicated blue oven

Tazza
Can you advise location of heating element and your tray of coated cast? Picture of oven internals will help.
How far is heating element from surface of the tray of coated cast?
Is your oven fan forced?
I am suspecting that you may be getting radiation burned coating that will change the colour.

[HI-TEK]

The directions I follow that work for me are:

Put the probe inside a drilled test bullet. When the probe hits 180C, start a timer for 3 minutes. Take them out when the timer goes off.

That's the simplest directions I've found, and it works great. But the blue is not the same as the color during coating.

First pic is before baking, the others are all done.


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Thank you for your post. They look great.
Your results are exactly what has been found by many others.
I suspect that some ovens, are not suitable for various reasons.
Majority of reasons relate to temperature controls, radiant heat from heating elements being too close to product, no fan forced heating & air circulation , poor quality thermostats having too much heat swings plus and minus.
With the various colors, all of these areas can affect final colors.
It is really up to each user to determine optimum conditions using their equipment to produce satisfactory results.
You obviously had found that what was recommended was adequate to produce what you posted.
Good job.