Powder Coating 101 - Electrostatic Method

[Russel Nash]

What are you guys using to make gas checks (out of aluminum soda cans)?

[Russel Nash]

maybe one of the distributors for Cardinal Paint is near you:

http://www.cardinalpaint.com/a_img/PowderBrochure.pdf

try to save you some money versus Powder Buy The Pound.

[fcvan]

Russell Nash, I make 30 cal checks using Amerimax Aluminum flashing. My Lee C309-155 2R likes 68006 which is supposed to be .0092 thick but measures closer to .0105 thick. The roll is 6" x 50' which makes a lot of checks. When I need thicker checks (smaller shank on boolit) I use 68104 which is .014 thick, 4" x 50' in length. My plain based CheckMakers (35 and 45 cal) uses soda can which measures about .004 thick. I have one mold that I use likes slightly thicker than .004 and so I use 66006 which is .0078 thick, 6" x 50'. I was using a lot of plain based checks until I started powder coating boolits for 9mm and 45. I still use PB checks for some powder coating boolits for use in .357 loads. Personally, I think that checks aren't needed as PCd boolits are performing quite well without checks. But, a shiny aluminum check on a flat black PCd Boolit looks really cool.

[Russel Nash]

Thanks!

I do have some flashing somewhere. I'll have to check to make sure it is aluminun.

I still haven't bought a .30 cal mould yet.

[Maximumbob54]

What are you guys using to make gas checks (out of aluminum soda cans)?

I think that only works for plain base molds. If your mold is for gas checks then you need to try the various thickness of roof flashing to see what works for you.

[Mbedwell1971]

Powder coated my first bullets today. Easier than I thought it would be. From opening my HF gun and black and Decker toaster oven to my first batch of PC bullets was about 45 minutes. These are some 135gr 9mm from an NOE mould.

[Beagle333]

Awesome! I just got that mold in HP and am going to try it out tomorrow.
Good looking boolits..... now that you got the technique down, you can load up that pan!
Happy Shooting!

[el34]

Wow you must have been well prepared with knowledge, looks like you were able to skip right over the guessing part. Really nice, those loaded rounds look like decorative pieces on a glossy piece of furniture.

[bangerjim]

Excellent! nice looking work. Glad you went the ES gun process right off. You will NOT be sorry. I crank out hundreds of perfect slugs EVERY time I spray the powder in. So many try to do it on the cheap with liquids and tumbling. I have never seen pictures of any of those methods that even come close to yours or mine!!!!!!! The gun is only $59 -25%.........not much to spend at all.....for perfect boolits in large quantities.

Keep up the good work!

bangerjim

[Mbedwell1971]

I agree that this is the best method. I have spent the last week reading as much info as I could find on PCing to get ready. Now I will work on larger batches. I cast a bunch of 150gr 40 S&W HP tonight that I am going to coat tomorrow.

[Beagle333]

I played with the ES gun today a bit. Here's some 45-270SAA slugs done in Terra Cotta color.

[el34]

I played with the ES gun today a bit.

Cool Beagle! Two-tone PC, glossy silver with terra cotta in the loob grooves!

[Beagle333]

You like it?

I want to do some side-by-side testing..... CR vs ESPC.

[C. Latch]

You like it?

I want to do some side-by-side testing..... CR vs ESPC.

I don't shoot much during the winter (if I'm away from the house, it's to hunt) but I loaded up 6 rounds tonight with a PC'ed Lee 358-158 (once-fired federal brass, tula SPP, 14.0 of N110) and 6 rounds with the same bullet lubed with alox and beeswax.

Hoping to shoot them side by side tomorrow or sometime soon.

If it was summer I'd try to load 30 rounds of each and do a statistically meaningful test, but this should give a clue, at least.

[JASON4X4]

I think you will be happy with your test. I didn't notice any issues.

[C. Latch]

I think you will be happy with your test. I didn't notice any issues.

Was very Unpleased with my .45 colt test in the thread I started the other day. Very curious how this will go.

[Mbedwell1971]

Just returned from the range. have attached photos of my targets. I shot 5 shot groups of factory FMJs, conventional lube lead, and Powder coated 9mm. The lead and the PCs were loaded over 4.3gr of HP-38. My best group was from the PC bullets. These were all from 15yds.

[bangerjim]

That is good evidence!!!!!!!!!! I am seeing the same, as many others are.

Thanks for taking the time to photo & post.

banger

[C. Latch]

I shot the aforementioned 357's today at 25 yards. Six of the alox/beeswax bullets went into 3.1" or so. Six with red HF PC went into 1.8" or so, and the latter group was more center-dense; had I measure mean radius (more meaningful that total group size) it would have been close to .6" or .7". The former was probably 1.2" or so. Not conclusive, but very promising.

Also, earlier in another thread I mentioned that my .45 Colt PC'ed ammo showed a drop in velocity (~1020 when I was expecting ~1150) so I loaded up some more - same bullet, but a softer alloy, and a much firmer crimp. I shot four rounds over the chronograph, they averaged ~1135'. That is MUCH better. I strongly suspect that slow-burning powders will require more crimp for PC than conventional lube as a general rule, though obviously one little test doesn't prove that.

[kryogen]

I am looking at PC and hi-tek. What would be the advantage of PC over hi-tek?