I tried to powder coat some 30 cal 120 gr boolits tonight. I'm using harbor freight red. Some of them fully melted. I had some 120 gr 9mm's on the same tray. The 30's were gas checked with aluminum checks. None of the 9mm's slumped or anything. Just some of the 30's. the 9's are from wheel CCOW. The 30's were solid Lino. Any ideas?
Yep. My idea is that it was hotter than 460 but less than 560.
'Might wanna get an oven thermometer and check that one.
KE4GWE - - - - - - Colt 1860, it just feels right.
Thats the plan. the oven is set on 375, I had heard of them being wrong but I didnt expect it to be THAT wrong.
If you have any bullets left over, drop the oven another ~50 degrees and try again. Chances are you'll very quickly find a setting that reliably bakes the coating without melting your bullets.
You have a PERFECT example of why a standard oven will NOT work in many situations! A few are lucky, most are not. And your trusty PID controller will NOT solve your problem. You have severe hot spots over the elements.
I had 2 of them that did that until I bought a $100+ convection oven. Temp is now EXCTLY at 400 when knob set at 400. No hot/cold spots....perfect boolits every time!
Ya gets whats ya pays for.
banger
yeah, I'll make this one work till I'm happy with how they shoot. then I'll find a better oven. only my 30 cal's (had some slump just a little) 120's and 200's have had any issues. 9s and 45 have coated/cooked awesome.
Don't feel bad, you're not the first fellow to do such a thing. Made me mad, all those pretty little bullets transformed into blobs. Positive side to it was that when I remelted those little blobs, all the gaschecks disappeared into the melt, coppered alloy!
"If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny."
-Thomas Jefferson
Hah! That gives me something to do with this bag of Freechex gas checks that I stupidly bought on line.!!!Originally Posted by madsenshooter
Don't feel bad, you're not the first fellow to do such a thing. Made me mad, all those pretty little bullets transformed into blobs. Positive side to it was that when I remelted those little blobs, all the gaschecks disappeared into the melt, coppered alloy!
Phil
Cognitive Dissident
I thought that copper melted at 1900 degrees or something like that. My j-word jackets and gas checks just float.
'Mebbe I ain't doin' it right!
KE4GWE - - - - - - Colt 1860, it just feels right.
Yep. My idea is that it was hotter than 460 but less than 560.
'Might wanna get an oven thermometer and check that one.
Impressive! the little thermo from walmart showed it got up to 525.
Make sure you let the oven temp settle down for at least 20 minutes before you use it for the day. If my oven is set on 400 it'll hit 475+ when I first turn it on. After 20 minutes, or so, it'll be where I need it.
I use an oven thermometer and re-marked the knob on the oven to match. Seems right for all the different powders I've tried.
My $100 convection oven it turned on 5 minutes B4 I need it. Set to 400F on the dial. When I pop the bad guys in, the oven is ready to go at 400! And maintains that EXACT temp constantly during the entire cook cycle.....I have checked it!
bangerjim
yes, i'll have a better oven soon if these shoot. then I'll probably run them both!
I think the reason they disappeared in mine is that I was using a high tin alloy, a babbitt that contained 10%. Might also be the reason the bullets melted in the oven.I thought that copper melted at 1900 degrees or something like that. My j-word jackets and gas checks just float.
'Mebbe I ain't doin' it right!
"If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny."
-Thomas Jefferson
Mine takes 20 minutes to settle in. When I hit the shop I turn the oven on first and by the time I've gotten everything else fired up and the first batches of bullets ready to cook it's good to go all day long if I need it. 50 bucks and no PID, I haven't needed to scrap a bullet because of it yet.
Me neither, no scrappers with a $10 thrift store oven, and no preheat.
I put the tray of boolits in and close the door,
that turns on the oven. 10 or 12 min bakes 'em all just fine.
Wonder if the tray helps even out the temp in the oven?
I measured 400f with my lead thermometer.
It does have heat elements above and below the grill.
Maybe I got lucky...
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| BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
| BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
| BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
| C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
| HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
| PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
| LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
| GC | Gas Check |
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