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Thread: Basic instructions for shake and bake?

  1. #21
    Boolit Bub
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    Wow, for us newbs this is an excellent thread.

    Smoke, just a heads up, your link in your post- #16 is broken.
    Can you maybe delete it and try replacing it?
    I, and likely others would like to read the thread it references, thank-you sir.

  2. #22
    Boolit Grand Master
    bangerjim's Avatar
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    S&B is one of the most-discussed topics on this forum. And has been since 2013 or so. Tons of threads about the how-to's.

    There are even some stickys on the subject that cover most info needed.

    Only thing I do different now than back in 2013 when a bunch of us on here came up with the technique of S&B, is I now use an ESPC gun to coat all my boolits. Works with all brands of powders in all weather conditions all the time! And gives perfect smooth coats on a whole lot more stuff than just little pills rattling around in a cool-whip container.

    Have fun!

    bangerjim

  3. #23
    Boolit Buddy
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    Apr 2007
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    So. Illinois
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    I finally found a load that shoots good. It is the Lee 124 grain bullet meant for the 9mm. IMHO too much sizing wrecks accuracy. I can't get standard 38/357 designs to shoot accurately at long ranges in 38 caliber guns. They come out of the mold big and PC makes them bigger.
    Thanks for all the help. This is easier than I thought it would be.

    I bake my bullets between two copper plates. Bottom plate is covered with non-stick foil. Copper plate sits on food tray which sits on bottom shelf. Another copper plate sits on the top shelf. This keeps the heating elements from radiating directly on the bullets. The bullet that works for me is the one on the right.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails pcsizing.jpg  
    Last edited by Charlie Horse; 07-27-2021 at 07:36 PM.

  4. #24
    Banned


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    There are more than a few good ways to skin the PCB cat, as I've found out when starting to PC earlier this year. My only current PCB interest is for the .45-70 using two molds, the Lee 357340 (drops @ 348) and an Accurate 46-407B (drops @ 418) both using 1:20 alloy.

    After casting good bullets they get swirled in either Eastwood Ford Light Blue or Gloss Clear, a little bit of powder in a proper plastic container goes a long way. My shop keeps the humidity down to an average 40-45% as dry is good and wet is grounds for failure. After a few minutes, and visually seeing the the powder is statically adhering, I use nitrile gloves (PC powder on the finger tips) to pick up each coated bullet and bounce its bottom inside the powdering container to keep the base powder coating to a minimum, then carefully placed on a teflon or non-stick aluminum sheet that's been set on the toaster oven's baking tray. During the static powder coating process, the oven is pre-heated to 400/415F - the heat setting has been predetermined with a good oven thermometer. Baking is 400/415F for between 20 and 25 minutes. When the oven bell rings, the PCBs are immediately tossed in a bucket of very cold water, to up the BHN. When cooled and toweled dry, each bullet is very lightly finger tip wiped with Imperial sizing wax and sized to .459" using a Lee push-up sizer. Any residual wax is not removed from the PCBs, they're ready for loading. How consistently accurate are the Lee 348 bullets when cartridges are built with AA5744 powder and fired in a Henry s/s rifle? Good enuf to consistently hit a 16" plate at 300 yards. YMMV.

  5. #25
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
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    147
    Complete noobie to PC here, but it sounds great. Would like to try it.

    Can anyone tell me whether one or both of these powders from HFT will work? (When I try it, I will try the "shake and bake" method of coating, if that matters.)

    Matte Black:
    https://www.harborfreight.com/16-oz-...ack-93306.html

    White:
    https://www.harborfreight.com/16-oz-...ite-93307.html

    It looks like those are the only two powders available at HFT. But I would like to get the powder from HFT to keep costs (shipping, etc) down, since we have a HFT locally -- and because I don't want to invest a lot until I'm sure PC is for me.

    Thanks in advance for any help.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
    Dragonheart's Avatar
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    Jan 2012
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    If you are not buying your powder from Smoke I would suggest using the largest powder manufacturer the Pros use and that is Prismatic Powder. Over 6 thousand colors, all types of powder, fast shipping. You can buy one pound or a 100. Overnight shipping $4 on 4 pound or more orders. For shake & bake stay with the solid colors, if you spray it all works. I started with Prismatic in 2012 and continued as I spray other things besides bullets and their powder quality is unmatched. I have also used Smokes on bullets with great results. Prismatic Powder prices are posted online and you can get all the specs for every powder used, not to mention technical advice from experts.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Buck Shot View Post
    Complete noobie to PC here, but it sounds great. Would like to try it.

    Can anyone tell me whether one or both of these powders from HFT will work? (When I try it, I will try the "shake and bake" method of coating, if that matters.)

    Matte Black:
    https://www.harborfreight.com/16-oz-...ack-93306.html

    White:
    https://www.harborfreight.com/16-oz-...ite-93307.html

    It looks like those are the only two powders available at HFT. But I would like to get the powder from HFT to keep costs (shipping, etc) down, since we have a HFT locally -- and because I don't want to invest a lot until I'm sure PC is for me.

    Thanks in advance for any help.
    I'm pretty new to PCing, but I read enough in advance to convince me that the Black and White PC currently available from Harbor Freight would not meet my expectations. I have read their red PC worked pretty well, but it is no longer available. I fear using sub-standard power to see if "PCing is for you" is a sure fire way to discover it is not.

    Perhaps if you mentioned where you are located a kindly PCer here on the forum would gift you a couple ounces.
    “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.” Ronald Reagan


  8. #28
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
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    147
    Thanks, fellas. I ended up buying a pound of Eastwood's Light Ford Blue, which sounds like a tried-and-true winner for Shake-and-Bake if ever there were one.

  9. #29
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    So. Illinois
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    492
    I started this thread a while back. Been going along fine. Lately I've been trying to get a thinner coat. I screened the coated bullets in order to shake off excess before baking but that didn't seem to reduce the OD of the bullet. Not a big deal. Just an observation.

  10. #30
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Mar 2021
    Posts
    7
    This is a fantastic thread for the new powder coater. Tried and true processes from the veterans. Thanks all….

  11. #31
    Boolit Man
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    Nov 2020
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    Burlington, KY
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    I tried my first shake and bake this evening using some pro-tec powder I had from coating fishing jigs. The finish was spotty at best, maybe I didn't use enough PC? The bullets seemed to be coated when I put them in the oven...hmmm, back to the drawing board.

  12. #32
    Boolit Buddy rickt300's Avatar
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    Well didn't work out for me this time. Toaster oven set at 400 melted some of the bullets in around 13 minutes. Can't trust that thermostat! Cooling right now and soon to be melted and cast again.

  13. #33
    Boolit Buddy rickt300's Avatar
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    Success! Set my oven to 350 and baked for 20 minutes with the convection feature enabled. Need to get some Non stick aluminum foil but still they look good enough to shoot. Sizing down to .452 later and will shoot some tomorrow.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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