PC- leave 'em lay or stand 'um up?

[Jon.Moore]

So my powder is ordered from Smoke, I'm getting ready to do the "Shake N Bake" method, not ES. Should I stand my bullets up on the base's to bake them or leave them lay on the wire mesh any way they pour out and bake them? I was thinking I could use some small cheap salad tongs to grab them and stand them up... what does everyone use/do? I'm sure that you don't want to "handle" them too much that you would scrap away any powder before the bake. Is this a big issue? Thanks!!!! Jon

[bangerjim]

Depends on your QC requirements! Totally up to you.

I personally stand them up to get almost ESPC finishes with BBDT. I have never had any success at all (to my standards) by laying boolits on NSAF or hardware cloth. Flat spots, thin spots, thick spots, lay marks everywhere....a total mess in my book.

But it is your time. And your product. It takes me very little time to just pick them up with hemos and sit them on my trays covered with NSAF. Hemos do almost no damage to the PC coat. Remember the powder flows as it melts.

Do what turns you on.

Most of your questions will be ansewered by YOURSELF once you actually get the supplies and do the process. Doing is 90% of learning.

Have fun! And welcome to the fourm.

[shoot-n-lead]

I judge my bullets by how they perform and not really so much on how they look. They perform the same whether you dump and bake or stand them up...but they will not have a beautiful, even finish, when dumped as they bump into each other.

If you are like banger and want them to perform well and look good...then standing them up makes a difference.

[Jon.Moore]

Thanks guys!! That's what I wanted to know!!

[LakeviewBulldog]

I always stand mine up on NSAF. To me it doesn't seem like it takes that much longer and the finished product looks much better in my opinion.

[clum553946]

I use non stick cookie sheets with good results

[matrixcs]

I use both methods, about half of my pc boolits are just dumped 3 to 5 hundred at a time onto 1/4" hardware cloth trays lined with
anodized aluminum screen (small contact area on boolit and excess powder falls thru) it take 2 coats for good coverage and gives an interesting not glossy finish....
If I want pretty shiny I stand them up on nsaf using forceps or gloves ( much more time consuming and not much fun for my arthritis )

[Phantom30]

I personally stand them up to get almost ESPC finishes with BBDT. I have never had any success at all (to my standards) by laying boolits on NSAF or hardware cloth. Flat spots, thin spots, thick spots, lay marks everywhere....a total mess in my book.

But it is your time. And your product. It takes me very little time to just pick them up with hemos and sit them on my trays covered with NSAF. Hemos do almost no damage to the PC coat. Remember the powder flows as it melts..

'Dutchninja' has a new BBDT variation and stand'em up process which should help alot he's preparing the stuff to post a how to thread soon.

[OS OK]

Attachment 173398
I use a large pair of tweezers, I too want a nice finished look. To save time though, I dump the entire load of boolits and BB's on a cookie sheet to make picking them up easy. At first I tried to pick them out of the butter tuband that didn't work well at all and was really time consuming. If you give the sheet a sideways push pull a few times all the boolits will roll together in parallel and in so doing they coat even better on their sides. I grab them and tap the tweezers on the side of the tray and knock off any extra powder and then stand them up. Yes, it takes a few more seconds per round but like I said before...I like them to look good.
This is 'gloss clear powder', it is easy to see how well they get coated...they look like sugar coated lemon drops.

***I did every thing I could to get this picture to load right side up, I even loaded it upside down to get it to flip over and it will just not comply...anyway you can see how much easier it is to grab the boolits with tweezers off the tray, even standing on your head!

[vrh]

Here you go OS OK.

[OS OK]

HEY!...thanks, but how'd you do that?

[jcren]

Tweezers or hemostats work well, but my hands would start to ache. Picked up some cheap nitrile gloves from Home depot and once you get the finger tips covered in powder, they not only do not scrape powder off, but you can touch up dings with a tap of a finger or by rotating while you have it picked up.

[Walter Laich]

I've had good luck with hemostats but will give gloves a try. Willing to try a new way (for me). After all PC is an ongoing learning experience

[RustyReel]

Tried the nitrile glove a few minutes ago.....back to hemostats for me. Wish it had worked..

[DerekP Houston]

Tried the nitrile glove a few minutes ago.....back to hemostats for me. Wish it had worked..

Did you dust them in powder first? That has been my method but I don't powder coat many at a time.

[popper]

I only PC for rifle, a good consistent finish is needed so I stand them up.

[garym1a2]

For my 9mm and 40S&W I donot stand them up. But, I only do a big batch once a year. I did 8000 in a weekend.

[NyFirefighter357]

Anybody here using Youtuber "Elvis Ammo" method of shake & bake using warm 140F bullets? Seems to produce one coat coverage. BTW he leaves them laying down.

[bangerjim]

Preheating is a "wild card" that is a totally uncontrollable method of tricking the powder to stick. A few degrees either way can make the difference between no effect and big clumps sticking.

BBDT and ESPC methods have inherently built-in controls (physics!) on coating thickness. Drying the boolits at 100F or so for some time is one thing, but trying to heat them to the "just starting to melt" point is asking for bad coats.

I get ONE COAT coverage every time with all HF and Smoke powders using BBDT.....the way I and many others on here have developed and used for several years now.......with ecellent success.

Do what you think you have to.........I know what works for me and my needs.

Banger

[Jon.Moore]

Very good info going on here!! It's these little tricks that make a big difference for those like me who are just starting out! Many THANKS!!!! -------- Jon