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Thread: First time hitek, help

  1. #41
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by kevin c View Post
    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.
    Proceed with caution. If the oven top is hot like mine, the acetone will flash off and leave a blistered texture. My oven is a no-go for pre-cure drying -- even with a spacer.
    "There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something."
    ~Thorin Oakenshield

  2. #42
    Boolit Master
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    My post did describe how I let the fresh tray dry to touch BEFORE putting it on top of the oven. I admit that a quick read might miss that.

    The pre heating is to drive off possible water condensation under the coating when environmental conditions are cool enough that the acetone evaporation chills the bullet to the dew point; maybe not needed in very low humidity or wam conditions, or if the bullets are still warm from a previous bake.

  3. #43
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by kevin c View Post
    My post did describe how I let the fresh tray dry to touch BEFORE putting it on top of the oven. I admit that a quick read might miss that.

    The pre heating is to drive off possible water condensation under the coating when environmental conditions are cool enough that the acetone evaporation chills the bullet to the dew point; maybe not needed in very low humidity or wam conditions, or if the bullets are still warm from a previous bake.
    Yes. Understood. I found out the hard way that there is dry and there is DRY. If any moisture or acetone exists on my bullets whatsoever, the top of my oven is too hot and will blister and ruin a batch of bullets. My remark was to alert newcomers that they might have a similar result if their oven top was super hot like mine.

    Where I fell short in my post was that it might have read as if I was directly critiquing your suggestion. That wasn't intended. It's a good idea if equipped for it.
    "There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something."
    ~Thorin Oakenshield

  4. #44
    Boolit Buddy
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    Jul 2021
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    Big Sky country, MT
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    Kevin, that's a very interesting point.
    I preheat all my aluminum tig welding to about 100+deg to cook off surface and embedded moisture.
    So if there is moleculare moisture on/in the lead, then a coating placed over that lead may lock moisture under the coating, the acetone cooling the bullets after the coating is applied may condense the moisture into the lead and it can't escape..
    I don't know if I'm reading too much into this or not?

    Maybe it was humid that day, even though Montana in the winter is usually a dry place.

    How to go about burning off surface moisture, dumping the bullets in the bucket with solution and not having the acetone flash off so quickly before bullets being fully covered?

  5. #45
    Boolit Master

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    Put a lid on your bucket for the first 5 seconds of mixing. Then take it off and finish the swirling. On proper first coat you will hardly see any color.

  6. #46
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by hard88cast View Post
    Kevin, that's a very interesting point.
    I preheat all my aluminum tig welding to about 100+deg to cook off surface and embedded moisture.
    So if there is moleculare moisture on/in the lead, then a coating placed over that lead may lock moisture under the coating, the acetone cooling the bullets after the coating is applied may condense the moisture into the lead and it can't escape..
    I don't know if I'm reading too much into this or not?

    Maybe it was humid that day, even though Montana in the winter is usually a dry place.

    How to go about burning off surface moisture, dumping the bullets in the bucket with solution and not having the acetone flash off so quickly before bullets being fully covered?
    Don't over think the moisture, the Acetone has moisture and by drying the coating the moisture is removed.

    As I have said, 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.
    Laying the coated bullets out in full sunshine on a dark surface will reach 120 to 140 deg F or any other heating method, air flow is also helpful in the drying process.

  7. #47
    Boolit Master
    Ausglock's Avatar
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    swirl, dump. spread. warm, bake, repeat, shoot.
    Hooroo.
    Regards, Trevor.
    Australia

  8. #48
    Boolit Mold 45-70 fan's Avatar
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    Nov 2020
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    I was having problems with flaking off after the smash test as well. I made sure everything I did was exact to instructions. I finally purchased a "k" type thermocouple meter which came with a couple probes. I drilled a bullet out just enough to put the probe end into and then used a hammer to "smash" squeeze to the probe. Now I don't worry so much as to what the temperature of my oven does, but more attention to the temperature of the bullet. If I remember correctly (I don't have my notes in front of me) Hitek requires 2-3 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius ( ~360 f). Once I did this every one of my batches passes the smash test. I am just using a cheap (second hand toaster/convection oven). It had no insulation so I added some around it and put a couple fire bricks inside to help maintain and recover temps better. The best advice I can give is to make sure to follow the directions closely. I love this coating as I don't have to bother with tumbling boolits and then having to try to figure out a way to stand them all up. It's as close to a true shake and bake you can get. This is a picture of the meter I purchased. I also bought additional probes for my bottom pour pot for casting boolits as well.
    Hope some of this helps!!

    Click image for larger version. 

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  9. #49
    Boolit Master
    Ausglock's Avatar
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    Good Job, 45/70 Fan
    Hooroo.
    Regards, Trevor.
    Australia

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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