My powder coating experience

[BJung]

I tried powder coating my 40-170 Lee TC cast bullets today. At first, I mixed white and orange to lighten the color. Instead, I got a polka dot pattern with tan. I PC'd the bullets again with orange and with a second coat, created a lemon peel PC on the cast bullets. My other PC orange bullets had to have two coats, otherwise the gray from the lead was showing through. I discovered that if I water dropped the PC bullets, the finish was slightly more lemon peeled than letting it cool slowly. I also turned the temperature to 450 degrees. Can I eliminate the lemon peel effect if I spray?

I also pour my powder and bullets onto a screen to sift out the powder paint. I then pour the bullets onto a tray lined with non-stick aluminum. Does anyone do this differently?

[rondog]

[mehavey]

1. If Eastwood* PC, 450 is too high (and that's if you are running a true 450. Do you actually have a temp probe in the oven?)

2. Speckling when mixing two colors is "not unusual." It has no effect on PC's ability to do its job.

3. Water quenching coming from the oven has no effect on hardness at those temps, but the thermal shock on the PC will crack it.

4. I use parchment paper for non-stick, and stand the bullets upright using spring-loaded needle nose pliers. Keeps coating uniform rather rather sagging to one side upon melting.


* What PC are you actually using ?

[charlie b]

Keep in mind bullets probably will not have a 'mirror' finish. If there is too much lemon peel effect then it may just mean you have too much powder on them. A second coat will not fix that and may make it worse.

Bare spots, if not too big, are kinda normal. Especially if you are sifting with a wire screen.

Speckled color when you mix powders is also normal.

Follow the mfg directions on temperature and measure the inside temp of your oven.

I also stand my bullets on the base, but, I don't bake many at a time (rifle bullets).

[Smoke4320]

Either one of 4 problems.
Wrong formula of powder
Contamination on bullets
Wrong ACTUAL oven temp
Not in oven long enough to get bullets up to temp then 20 minutes cure time min

Typically orange peel effect is time not long enough or temp too low to get good flow. Also will mean an incomplete cure leading to pc streaking in the bore

[AlHunt]

I tried powder coating my 40-170 Lee TC cast bullets today. At first, I mixed white and orange to lighten the color. Instead, I got a polka dot pattern with tan. I PC'd the bullets again with orange and with a second coat, created a lemon peel PC on the cast bullets. My other PC orange bullets had to have two coats, otherwise the gray from the lead was showing through. I discovered that if I water dropped the PC bullets, the finish was slightly more lemon peeled than letting it cool slowly. I also turned the temperature to 450 degrees. Can I eliminate the lemon peel effect if I spray?

I also pour my powder and bullets onto a screen to sift out the powder paint. I then pour the bullets onto a tray lined with non-stick aluminum. Does anyone do this differently?

What brand of powder coat are you using?

I've had great success with the powder Smoke4320 sells here and following the directions here on the site.

[bangerjim]

When I and bunch of other fine folks on here developed the BBDT technique way back in 2013 (say thank you!), we just shook boolits hard in a #5 container for 30 seconds or so and picked them out with tweezers and put them on NS foil and baked for the allotted/recommended time. Perfect coats for me every time using that technique with HF powders and Smoke's powders.

Deviate from that and you are in uncharted waters.

I now use ESPC for everything. Perfect coats every time on everything - not just little simple boolits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

banger

[BJung]

What brand of powder coat are you using?

I've had great success with the powder Smoke4320 sells here and following the directions here on the site.

It is powdered Laquer.

[BJung]

I found some unpainted 40-170TC today and plan to paint them next week but just pick them out with a tweezer, then compare the results.

[mehavey]

powdered Lacquer.....

I admit to not having any familiarity with that.
Who sells it under what brand name?

[flyingmonkey35]

Powdered laquer is NOT powder coat. It’s a different product all together.

Can you post a photo of the package?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bangerjim]

It is powdered Laquer.

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

PC is a powder & pigmented poly resin that melts at 400F and sticks to most surfaces when cooled. Amazing stuff. I use it for tools and other stuff around the home and shop instead of rattle cans and brushed-on stuff.

But..................you must have an ESPC gun and an oven large enough to bake the items in. And does NOT mean your kitchen food oven!!!!!! NEVER EVER.

[John in WYO]

Does shaking in a container to to PC the bullets damage the bases and affect (not effect) accuracy?

[bangerjim]

Bases are not damaged.

[popper]

thermal shock on the PC will crack it. Nope, doesn't happen!!!

[Smoke4320]

Does shaking in a container to to PC the bullets damage the bases and affect (not effect) accuracy?

No I have many many customers using my powders and none have ever reported damage to bases or bullets

[mehavey]

thermal shock on the PC will crack it. Nope, doesn't happen!!!

Weeeeell.... I tried it with Eastwood Green Mirror.









Didn't happen.

[BJung]

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

PC is a powder & pigmented poly resin that melts at 400F and sticks to most surfaces when cooled. Amazing stuff. I use it for tools and other stuff around the home and shop instead of rattle cans and brushed-on stuff.

But..................you must have an ESPC gun and an oven large enough to bake the items in. And does NOT mean your kitchen food oven!!!!!! NEVER EVER.

I bought this paint from a local powder paint business. The label, as you see can be deceiving and online, there is a powder lacquer. I finally went down to my garage to pull the box and look at the label and research this paint because of your flaming comment. So, this is a Series 49 TGIC Polyester paint. I wish my bullets looked as good as the picture online. I use an old used toaster oven to bake my bullets. Why do you think I'd use my kitchen food oven! As for the temperature mentioned above. I bake my bullets at 400 degrees. But, because it was lemon peeling, I thought I would try a higher temperature to see if the paint would flow out. [ATTACH=CONFIG]299561

[BJung]

I did notice one interesting observation about tumbled PC bullets. I didn't like the powder mixture on the cast bullets I just shook up. So, I took water and washed off the PC. Except for the lube grooves, the bullet was a dull grey.

[AlHunt]

So, when I read up on PC, I saw where even among the correct types of PC, there were some that didn't work well. It's possible you've stumbled into one. I'd suggest getting one of Smoke's tested and proven powders to eliminate that variable.