Standing up coated 22 caliber bullets

[slide]

This is another way to stand up powder coated 22 caliber bullets. Also a photo of a few coated bullets. No bb's,no tweezers. If anybody is interested I will tell you how to do it.

[Conditor22]

You are getting that matte finish down.

Ever try checking the velocity difference between matte and gloss?

I'm pretty sure how you do it --- I'll leave that to others to guess .

[slide]

No, I haven't tested that yet. It is on the list. That black one on the lower right is a hi-tek bullet. Snuck in on me somehow. Except for the hi-tek bullet those are all one coat.

[RogerDat]

I'm a bit interested. I don't bother to stand them up but then I shake-n-bake so I only have to worry about baking not coating. I lay them on their side in non-stick aluminum foil pressed into the openings between the wires of a wire cake cooling rack. Legs on one side are cut short so the rack is sitting at an angle. Which doesn't help them bake but does make it a bit easier to set them in.

Think of how you might press foil down between the grate of a a BBQ grill. I do that so the bullets don't roll but are only touching in a thin line of contact.

So if there is a good way to stand them up I would surely like to examine it. May not use it today since I don't spray apply but then again I might. Also have to wonder if it works for 30 caliber. They tend to stand up ok up to a point. Heavy 220 grain .303 Brit are pretty tall and none to stable.

[slide]

RogerDat, if you can hang on until tommorrow I will let everybody know if there is enough interest. If not I will send you a pm with the info. I just got a call and am going to have to leave shortly and probably won't be back til tommorrow.

[CraigOK]

More knowledge and options is always better, I'd like to know

[BamaNapper]

Sure, put the tease out there then say 'maybe I'll tell you tomorrow, maybe I won't'. That's like telling the best joke ever and not remembering the punch line.

Just putting it out there, I'm sure somebody here knows how to figure out where you live. If you leave us hanging there could be serious consequences.

[Minerat]

Count me in on the secret handshake cause standing those little boogers is a pain.

[Gtrubicon]

C,mon, I just received my mp hornet mold. I plan to cast this weekend. I’m all ears on these little guys

[mrmachinist]

I’d like to know. I plan on trying to coat my first batch soon.


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[mcornell]

This topic interests me...

Please, tell us more.

[slide]

You are going to need a small hammer, a couple of pieces of 300 blackout brass. Lay the silicon tray squares up on a board and use the brass to cut your holes. 223 brass is too small, you will scrape off your powder coat. Tap don't beat. You will probably need to clean out your brass every once in a while. I used a paper clip straightened with a hook bent in it. You guys may come up with a better way. I tried a drill press but kept catching the side of the squares and cutting them. I stacked the bullets in by hand using nitrile gloves. This next part a lot of the guys won't agree with. Coating the bullets I used what me and AndyC call the vtb method. It is simply two containers laid in a vibratory tumbler on their sides with powder and bullets in them. I use empty powder bottles and AndyC uses other types of containers. The bottles will slowly turn while vibrating. I think that the bullets sliding on the plastic while vibrating and turning create more static thus a better coat and being able to handle the bullets. Besides that I hate having a tumbler full of powder to clean out if you want to change colors. I posted above a photo of some coated bullets. Those are all one coat. Time wise that seems to vary. Usually around five to twenty minutes depending on the humidity just like with other methods. It is a simple matter to open the lid and look. In the small powder bottles or containers I can usually put 150 bullets and two level tablespoons of powder. This is with 22 bullets. If you coat bigger bullets you may have to cut down on the number. You will have to experiment and see what works best for you. The bullets are poured in a wire screen and shaken good to remove excess powder. I used one of those door guards that go on storm doors to keep pets from pushing out the screen. The mesh is small enough that the little bullets won't fall thru. Using gloved hands I pickup a bullet in each hand and start putting them in the holes. The powder is put back in the bottle using a funnel.My granddaughter has timed me and it takes seven minutes for me to put in 160 bullets.That is at an old mans pace.When you first start doing it you will be slow but you will get faster. I would suggest that you use one tray for one color because the powder coat will build up on the trays over time. If you have a powder that won't coat this method will not make it coat. That's about it. If anyone has questions fire away. I hope this helps someone. Good luck! Almost forgot,I put parchment paper under the trays and I use a pan to set the tray in (check photo). If I want to do a bunch I have a flat pan that I can set three of the silicone trays on. All these bullets were cured using my thermocouple bullet method.

[Budzilla 19]

Ingenious!!! Thank you, I got a batch to do myself!

[Dragonheart]

I use a simple stainless bakers cooking rack with a small grid for 22's and larger grids for 30, 9mm & 45.

[Dimner]

Slide, if I am understanding this process correctly. You are cutting holes on the bottom of those silicone square ice cube trays?

Like this one:

So you, for lack of a better term, cut a guiding hole (30 cal) in the bottom of each square, then when it comes time to use the tray... you are using them upside down and as a guide. Do I have that right? I like it. That would be a big help with PC bake when not installing GCs first. I find these trays perfect for baking 22 bullets with GCs pre fit. My hands are steady enough to keep them upright on the trip to the oven. However, when I do a PC coat first, and apply GCs afterward, i'm always cooking my hands trying to use my tweezers to get the fallen bullets back upright when they are in the oven.


Also, what is a thermocouple bullet cure method?

[slide]

Dimner,you got it. A thermocouple bullet is simple. You take a digital thermometer with a thermocouple that you can buy on Amazon for around twenty bucks. You can use a multi meter if it has a thermocouple and will measure the necessary heat. Drill a hole in a coated bullet and insert thermocouple and squeeze down the bullet on the thermocouple to secure it (Hossfly's idea). Lay it in the tray when you bake your bullets. Follow the mfg. instructions. For example, if you have a powder that needs to reach 400F and stay there for 10 minutes watch your themometer and when your bullets hit 400F start a timer to countdown from 10 minutes. I will post a photo of one of the ones I use. I know a lot of the guys put them in and give them 20 minutes and call it good. Then they hammer smash them and think the powder coat is cured. Look at it this way, I am not cutting him down, Elvis Ammo hammer smashed a bullet on his low heat method and it passed. At those low temps no way that coating was cured. You have to respect him. He is trying to help the coating community and he is not afraid of failure. He seems to be an honorable man. I have never heard him try and steal others ideas and he gives credit to those that come up with new ideas.

[slide]

Attachment 277260Attachment 277261Attachment 277262

These are not very good photos but you will get the idea. You'll notice that the 22 bullet has tape around the base. That has been on there for several years. This was before I started using Hossfly's idea.

[mrmachinist]

I use a simple stainless bakers cooking rack with a small grid for 22's and larger grids for 30, 9mm & 45.

That’s what I have ordered. I’m hoping to works on my tall .277s


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[slide]

Use whatever works for you.

[slide]

I have gotten a couple of pm's from guys who liked the tray but was wondering about a standup way like the guys do with the metal plates. It can be done with silicone mats. The one I use is called supmatxl silicone counter mat. You can find it on amazon prime. It is thick enough that the 22 bullets will stand up. All my 22 bullets have gas checks so a bullet that doesn't may not fit as well. You will need to use 223 brass this time. I can put 120 bullets in this tray. The only problem is it costs $26.99 but I was able to make two out of it. Make sure the 223 brass has been resized.