PC'ing little bullets

[Texas by God]

I've just cast a double handful of Lee 55gr Bator bullets. The lightest bullet that I usually cast is 90 grs. How long should I bake the PC for? I don't want to melt the little things. For my 90 to 250 gr bullets, I bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

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[garandsrus]

Same…. They will never melt at 350.

[charlie b]

Why are you baking at 350 instead of 400? The powders I've used were all recommended for a 400F bake temp and 20min.

Your alloy will probably not melt until you get to well above 450. Time is not a factor until you get up to that temp. http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

My only caution would be if you oven has hot spots that might allow the bullets to reach higher than 450.

[Texas by God]

Well, I guess that my free little toaster oven is hotter than it shows because it did melt some .277135gr bullets that I forgot about for an hour.

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[Minerat]

I cast and PC the 26 gr 0.172 for my 17 Hornet. 20 min @ 400° with no problems melting.

[cwlongshot]

The size of the bullet makes NO BEARING on temp. It DOES effect time a bit as smaller saturates with heat quicker.

MOST companies specify 400° for 20 min ONCE POWDER LIQUIFIES. Most forget that part. Your gonna make a better proper functioning product if you follow what the manufacturer recomends. We aint smarter then them...

I use a mini silicone ice cube tray for these itty bitty 22 bullets.

[LAGS]

I PC Boolits for the 22lr that I reload .
The Boolits are 45 gr and very small.
I have not had an issue with them melting if I put them in the toaster oven at 400° for 10 minutes.
But use a thermometer to check and maintain your temperature.
A lot of those ovens surge and the heat goes up suddenly.

[Texas by God]

Sorry about that extra thread. Fat Finger/Slim Brain Syndrome again.
BUT, I just ordered those mini ice cube trays so Onward I go....

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[Charlie Horse]

I PC Boolits for the 22lr that I reload .
The Boolits are 45 gr and very small.
I have not had an issue with them melting if I put them in the toaster oven at 400° for 10 minutes.
But use a thermometer to check and maintain your temperature.
A lot of those ovens surge and the heat goes up suddenly.

I put baffles in my little toaster oven to smooth out surges. I put a metal plate on the top shelf of the oven. The plate shields the boolits from direct radiation from the upper heating element.
The metal plate that the boolits sit on is raised off the oven tray (which sits on the lower shelf) by two 1/4" rods. This shields the boolits from direct radiation from the lower element. Works fine for me.

[LAGS]

Those top heat shields sound like a good thing to try.
I will try it on my larger toaster oven.
My two small ones just didn't have the room.
My Boolits that have a GC base on them get baked on a steel plate with holes in them sitting on the tray.
The flat base Boolits sit on the steel plate but not in the holes.
That gives me the lower heat shield.

[cwlongshot]

Lava rocks are whats in my ovens. Packed in single layer. Then ovens get run GOOD 1/2 HOUR before ever baking a bullet.

Even correct heat is easily checked & proper time is just as easily done.

[GregLaROCHE]

You need to check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. The size of the boolit should change the temperature it melts at, just make it happen faster if it’s too hot.

[Charlie Horse]

Those top heat shields sound like a good thing to try.
I will try it on my larger toaster oven.
My two small ones just didn't have the room.
My Boolits that have a GC base on them get baked on a steel plate with holes in them sitting on the tray.
The flat base Boolits sit on the steel plate but not in the holes.
That gives me the lower heat shield.

Heat shields/baffles are the way to go. They create an ambient zone in the oven.

[cwlongshot]

Something else. That may be overlooked by some. Bake and toast modes. May not use BOTH elements you WANT BOTH elements lit/used. This should be "TOAST" mode.

CW

[mehavey]

Countervailing view:

Broil = heat from above
Bake = heat from below
Toast = heat from below and above

With my air-fry/convection (Hamilton Beach EZ Reach) in operation, it circulates the air to equilibrium.
In my case I do NOT want those top elements burning directly exposed to the lead,
So I Bake . . . (w/PID)

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