PC issue...what am I doing wrong with this new powder?

[blueline541]

I've been using the shake and bake method without issue for years. HF red, Eastwood blue and green have always been problem free.

My wife surprised me with some Eastwood translucent red, so I gave it a spin today using the same method that has worked successfully for tens of thousands of rounds.

Here are the translucent reds compared to a random example of how my bullets come out in blue or any other color I've used. What is happening? Thanks - Scott

[pworley1]

Were they well covered with powder before you baked them?

[OS OK]

I think these translucent colors have a high quantity of clear gloss or clear matte mixed in to make them look translucent.
I've had some silver and some other color, I think brass or bronze and it sucked too...but...at least they were coated.

[blueline541]

The bullets were completely and very evenly covered with powder prior to going into the oven. I just ran a second test batch of ten. These also went into the oven covered properly and came out just like the ones pictured above.

I've never tried a translucent powder, but they feel coated although they sure don't look it compared to any other powder I've used. If it's just excessive clear gloss, I can learn to live with it until the powder is used up.

[shooter bob]

Try a second coating

[405grain]

Some powders work good. Some don't.

[mehavey]

The bullets were completely and very evenly covered with powder...

Then functionally, they're fine.
Shoot`em.

[blueline541]

Thank y'all for the input. I believe I'll stick with the Ford light blue. It covers perfectly and almost matches my old F150.

[garandsrus]

It’s probably like clear, starts out white but ends up clear. It’s still there though!

[reedap1]

As stated, powders are different by color and manufacturer and will coat and bake differently, you just have to experiment to find what works for you. If the bullets were evenly covered in the powder when you baked them, then they are covered and you can shoot them without a problem. You might not like the color but they will work. You could try mixing some Light Ford Blue with the powder to see if that helps. You can also try a second coat but now you are going to increase the bullet diameter and will have to manage your sizing process accordingly. From what I can see in your photo though your coverage and flow out look good.

I have a number of colors that I have found to work, most of them from Smoke, and find myself increasingly using Smoke's Clear more than anything else. It never fails. Good luck

Paul

[cwlongshot]

You got a remember that powder coat is not designed to work as shaken bake. Some powders simply work better than others. Eastwood generally makes a good product, and they do generally work well with shake and bake, but not always!

This is a really good reason why most of us will suggest you buy powders locally here on the forum from Smokes. This is because they've been tested and known to work well with our shake and bake method.

Just like a lot of guys, I have a number of powders that I've bought. Let's simply do not cope with the shake and bake method. One method I can give often makes a poor coding powder work well, is to double bag it in a Ziploc bag with the powder and the bullets inside. And toss it in your vibrating Tumblr for 10 minutes or so. If that doesn't make the powder coat the bullets they're not going to coat unless you have a proper powder costing setup/gun.

CW

[mehavey]

...powder coat is not designed to work as shaken bake.

[But....] if the shake method in fact coats the bullet evenly & well, why would that particular
powder then bake differently (color distribution/uniformity) from that deposited by a gun?

...not that I haven't experienced some of the 'translucent' or 'candy' colors doing the same
thing when applied over bare lead (as opposed to a light/white base)

[charlie b]

The translucent, pearl, metallic, metalflake colors are always more difficult to apply well, even on something like a car body.

I still remember my first try at metalflake on a motorcycle gas tank. What a mess! Some of the pearl automotive colors are two coats that must be applied within a specified period of time (minutes?) or they don't turn out. Powder coat isn't much different. Translucent can be even worse as any uneven thickness will change the color a bit.

As suggested, use Smoke's stuff. If you want something foolproof (like I do) then simple send him a message and ask. He probably has more experience in the different products and colors as 99% of the people in here.

[Cast10]

If it were me, I’d smash test some. The translucent is more ‘see thru’ (translucent). From the picture it looks like they may be covered. If they smash, then load and shoot. Better luck next time. Good Luck.

[res45]

You're not doing anything wrong, it's just how most translucent powders look when used as a bullet coating, they are fully coated, so they're fine to shoot. I tried a couple of translucent powders in the past and had the same results as you, and it's why I don't use them anymore.

[414gates]

Some powders work good. Some don't.

It's this simple. Some colors work better than others. The black from the supplier I use just doesn't work.

[jonp]

I'd say your doing nothing wrong

Translucent

adjective

1) Transmitting light but causing sufficient diffusion to prevent perception of distinct images.

2) Transmitting rays of light without permitting objects to be distinctly seen; partially transparent.

3) Transparent; clear.

[blueline541]

I'll be staying with Eastwood's blue until I holler at Smoke.

[pergoman]

I have experienced the same spotty looking bullets after trying a few new colors. Now I end up mixing a translucent color with a more solid one, usually 80-90% of the translucent or metalic color with the balance being a color that covers perfectly all on its own. One coat and done yields some unique colors for me.

[pworley1]

You might try mixing in some of the blue.