First time hitek, help

[hard88cast]

I tried my first hitek yesterday. Although the finished product turned out ok, I think, need some fine tuning help.
No color on bullet rub test, smashing bullet with 6lb sledge on an anvil did create flaking you could scrape with fingernail.

I need a better more consistent oven, should I buy a small toaster oven or an air type convection oven?

I tried a Wal-Mart squeeze bottle and taped the threads but it still leaked.
Need a recomend on quality squeeze bottle, like the mustard/catsup type.?

Thanks

[farmerjim]

Use a convection oven. I use a 2 quart jar with a screw on lid to coat the bollits.
Do not get the hi-tek too thick, it will cause the flaking. Just a lite stain, and 2 coats.

[kevin c]

I second using a convection oven. The more air movement, the better the result.

Try TAP plastics, either a brick and mortar store or online, for HiTek mixing, dispensing and storage containers. They sell HDPE bottles in various sizes and dispensing caps that work well for me. You’ll need a funnel to pour in the measured powder if you go for the narrow mouth versions.

When coating, don’t shake too long: the HiTek will get sticky and leave thick spots on the boolits. Dumping while still wet is in the instructions, but it’s sometimes hard getting an even coat before getting too dry. A few tricks that can extend coating time are to cover the shaking container (the big screw top nut containers from Costco work) for part of the time, using more of a more dilute mix (what I do) or trying a different solvent like MEK or alcohol.

[ryanmattes]

I went through several squirt bottles before I found a good one. The ones I use were part of a tie-dye kit, I think there were 3 bottles with powdered dye in them, and a mess of rubber bands. I tossed the powder and washed the bottles out (and used the rubber bands for other things).

If you think you're using just enough HiTek, you're probably using too much. Use less, or thin it more.

I bought a little Oster convection oven, and always cook with the fan on.

Don't trust the temperature settings of the oven. I added a standalone gauge-type thermometer on the rack to check oven temp. They're cheap.

Don't base your cook time on oven temp. Use a temperature probe inside a drilled out throwback bullet to gauge temperature. HiTek doesn't care what temperature your oven is, it cures when the internal temperature of the lead reaches 180C and stays there for 3 minutes.

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[BJK]

These are the bottles I use and they work perfectly.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Half Dog]

For a squeeze bottle, I use a Lipton Green Tea bottle (16.9 oz.). I rinse the bottle when I empty it and after I accumulate a few I drill a hole 3/32” in the lids.

Oven came from Costco.

I rinse the boolits in acetone prior to the first coat. If the first coat doesn’t stick the next won’t either.

[hard88cast]

thanks for the feedback folks.
I must have mixed my coating wrong, it took 4 cycles and then the red looked more like copper. Probably the inconsistent heat source i was using.
Sounds like a air convection oven is the way to go, thanks

[ioon44]

I use dish soap bottles for mixing and storing the Hi-tek mix, a convection oven is a must and most important is getting the first dry before baking, if the coating is not completely dry the the coating will flak off when smashed.
To be sure of complete drying I get the coated bullets warmed to 120 deg F for 20-30 min, I never have coating fail with this drying method.

[kevin c]

For good drying of the coating, a tip I read from Ausglock is to put the next tray to be baked on top of the oven while the previous batch bakes. I’ve found that I can coat a batch, just let it dry to touch and then put it on top of the oven for a good bake with consistent good results.

Be advised that I also found that since the boolits get quite warm, they’ll take a shorter time to bake.

[hard88cast]

ok, thought i did it correctly this time, but still flake after sledge hammer/anvil test.

Cleaned bullets in acetone prior to coating.
Mixed solution correctly this time.
shaking bucket went good.
Let stand for 10 minutes then heated to around 120 for 20 minutes to help drying.
Pre heated new convection oven to 385.
inserted digital exterior temp gauge wire into lead sacrificial bullet to monitor "bullet inside temp".
set timer for ten minutes,
shook bullets at 5 minutes.
at about 5 minutes bullet interior temp reached about 375.
oven bell dinged at ten minutes.

what the heck am i doing wrong. Acetone test shows NO color, sounds as though the first coat I am doing something wrong.
These bullets are 50cal 530 grain and are NOT sized yet.

thanks

[ryanmattes]

Can you post a picture of the smashed bullet?

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[popper]

Acetone absorbs water. Acetone evaporates pretty quick but the water doesn't, there fore the reason for long time or heated drying. I've also heard the fingernail remover type acetone has some oils in it and doesn't work well. No color with the wipe means it's cured right but the flaking means it isn't bonded to the lead well.

[hard88cast]

I will see if i can figure out how to post a pic once i get home from work tonight.

The acetone is the hardware store in a metal quart can type. assume its the real mccoy.

I did get the same results 2 days ago when I did NOT pre rinse in acetone, thats why I tried rinsing in acetone this time.

Seems as though Yesterdays batch flakes easier then the batch from 2 days ago.

for some reason its not impregnating into the lead on the first go around.

Did 2 different colors yesterday, a bronze and a red copper.

they look good and pass the color test, wonder what will happen if I shoot them this way?

[ryanmattes]

As a guess I'd say either the first coat is too thick, so it's not curing evenly, or they aren't fully dry, or maybe you're getting moisture in your mix. Either of the latter could prohibit bonding with the lead, even though the coating is cured on the outside.

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[popper]

If the coating survives sizing, shoot them. Make sure the sizer is clean and 'crumbs' of Hitek will scrape off the coating.

[hard88cast]

I think for some reason they are not fully dry. As far as I can tell thats the only unknown, i cant prove they are dry. Seems dry to the touch and they are warm when I pull them out of the warming oven then I let them sit for 5-10 minutes before baking them.

I dont think i am mixing it to thick, first coat doesnt do much, i put 4 coats to get the full color on these.

[Chaparral66]

I added a .40 cal musket ball to my squirt bottle as an agitator. I have found that a small open #5 plastic container (think Cool Whip size) with no lid works for me.

[hard88cast]

i have sized a few and put on the gas checks, there is NO flaking or scraping of the finish going through the sizer.

[hard88cast]

chapparel,, if you mean for shaking the bullets in the mixture, i use a sour cream container the same size as yours. I am only doing 25 bullets at a time

[hard88cast]

i tried to post picks but this site keeps saying download has failed, Im not techy so i have no clue.