Dropping hot bullets into pc

[Mr Smiley]

Hi,

My name is Tim, and I'm new to casting. I was wondering if anyone had tried dropping fresh cast bullets into a rotating drum of powder coat?

Remember, I'm new, so don't be too harsh, But i would think that dropping them in there would let them coat while they cool, and maybe skip the tedious step of plucking them out

I would think they would be at least hard coming out, then maybe a bake and call it good?

I was thinking of something like a cement mixer, steel of course, and maybe bb's?

Airsoft wouldn't work well, unless you were using the fiber ones...

What did you think? I did search around for a while looking for this, and found nothing..

So school the new guy!!!

Tim

Mr Smiley

[Outer Rondacker]

Thinking outside the box. Welcome to the forum. I do not know the answer. Next time I cast I will try it. No on the cement mixer.

[Beagle333]

I think it'll clump.... but give it a small test. Can't hurt to do just a few to find out.

[BILLYBOB44]

I use my HF heat gun to warm up the cast before I throw into the paint/air soft..

This does help to coat well...Bill

[leebuilder]

I took them out of the toaster oven and dropped them in the PC for a second coat.
Well what a mess the hot boolits melted the PC in a flash I ended up with boolits and plastic mess. I pulled a few out they left a long stringy mess, plastic needles. Did I mention it was a mess.
Be safe

[RP]

Heating them will help with the sticking of the powder but its a very fine line to getting a coat and getting a gunky mess. Dropping them out of the mold into some powder would be a mess they would be too hot. I have heated them on the tray and sprayed for the powders that just seem to not cling to the bullets with great results. I also heat up other items then spray to speed things up.

[Dragonheart]

To overcome humidity I preheat my bullets to 200 degrees and then drop them slowly into my home built tumbler. This causes the powder to bond quicker and thicker. Don't ask how I know this, but at 250 degrees you will end up with sticky ball of bullets. So coming out of a mold is way, way too hot!

I do a 350 degree preheat on storage cans, tools, etc. that I am going to powder coat. When spraying the powder sticks immediately and allows a thick smooth coating you can see as it is applied. Then I oven cure at the standard time and temp.

[bangerjim]

Been there......done that.......3+ years ago. Powder was clumpy, lumpy and totally a mess. By dropping heated (not hot) boolits in a tub of loose powder, you have no system or method of controlling the thickness of the coating. With BBDT, the tiny static charge built up allows the powder to build up at a fairly uniform layer. It cannot build up thicker because the static will not allow it. With ESPC, the gun applys an even coating by definition......as long as the operator knows what he is doing and has all the parameters set right and is proficient in using the gun.

If you have high humidity (you need to put your location info in your profile....very useful in us trying to helping you) pre-warming boolits may give you a little advantage. Keeping your stored powder dry with dessicant drier will help also.

But try it and let us know. My several attempts (back when we all were developing the proven methods we use today) were total disasters.

My best advice to new people getting into BBDT is: stick with the established proven and successful tools and methods many of us on here have worked long and hard to prove and perfect. Once you get that to work (for your needs), then branch out with those "thinking out of the box" processes. I have probably tried 2-3 dozen of those "box" ideas over the years and most did not yield the high quality finishes and coatings I demand. Gleaned from those failed attempts is the method that I and many thousands of others use today. And variations on that basic theme.

Good luck.

Bangerjim

[Mr Smiley]

Thanks all for your replies!!

I usually am the guy disproving theries and such, but ive never dealt with pc before, and all the lubed bullets I've dealt with have been sticky, goopy, icky messes... so im looking for something cost effective and quick, thanks for all your help

Tim

[RP]

My practice is to try something out and see if it works for me, If it works for everyone else that's great I just want what I like.

[warf73]

I've heated the container that holds my PC (lid off) and also heated the boolits. All of this was done in front of the fire place which might hit 130F (maybe more). The point of doing this was to help remove the moister out of the containers (if there was any) and to warm the container, ASBB and powder some (all stored inside but under a window at the time so it was all very cold to the touch guessing around 50F or less) I let all the containers and boolits warm for about an hour, then started to do the shake and bake process. Great coverage (you all seen my post about my ebay powder) with the good powders and better than normal for the so so powders.

If it wasn't for it being winter and all the said items being cold, I would have never done it. Nothing was hurt but coverage is just as good now with me using desiccant drier packets in all the containers and boolits at normal room tempt (about 68F).

Warf

[wrinkles]

I tried dropping them into powder coating in mineral spirits.

[khmer6]

I tried warming the up in the oven and tossing it in the zip lok tub. Huge clump. Odd sizes. It was a total accident. I meant to let them cool a bit so they were just hot enough to stick better. Got some gigantic bullets from that batch

[Dragonheart]

[QUOTE=khmer6;3601923]I tried warming the up in the oven and tossing it in the zip lok tub. Huge clump. Odd sizes. It was a total accident. I meant to let them cool a bit so they were just hot enough to stick better. Got some gigantic bullets from that batch[/QUOTE

Warming in your toaster oven works the best, but you still need a good thermometer. I use a Taylor Glass oven thermometer mounted so I can see it through the glass door. I have done this enough I know where to set my dial so the pan stabilizes at 200 and I give them about 10 minutes whild I do other things.

An instant read thermometer is a good second check; it the temp is much over 200 degrees you will get bullets sticking together at 250 degrees you will have a ball.

[NavyVet1959]

I tried warming the up in the oven and tossing it in the zip lok tub. Huge clump. Odd sizes. It was a total accident. I meant to let them cool a bit so they were just hot enough to stick better. Got some gigantic bullets from that batch[/QUOTE

Warming in your toaster oven works the best, but you still need a good thermometer. I use a Taylor Glass oven thermometer mounted so I can see it through the glass door. I have done this enough I know where to set my dial so the pan stabilizes at 200 and I give them about 10 minutes whild I do other things.

An instant read thermometer is a good second check; it the temp is much over 200 degrees you will get bullets sticking together at 250 degrees you will have a ball.

I find it easier to just warm them up in a skillet with the temperature set on low. I only put a single layer in the skillet, so each bullet touches the steel and I can touch the palm of my hand to feel the temperature. I shoot for a temperature where I can put my hand on them and not feel like I'm burning my hand.