Tested a few new colours for Joe last night.
Ask him to post the pictures of the blood red and the Caramel (carmel to you lot that can't use the Queen's English).
Tested a few new colours for Joe last night.
Ask him to post the pictures of the blood red and the Caramel (carmel to you lot that can't use the Queen's English).
Hooroo.
Regards, Trevor.
Australia
When should I apply gas checks to rifle bullets?
After first coat?
After second coat when sizing?
Also is there a time limit after applying before baking? Say if I coated some bullets tonight and let them dry for 2-3 days or a week and then bake them will it hurt anything waiting that long?
Thanks for the reply
I took your advice and upgraded my oven to a convection that I found at goodwill for 9 dollars
It's a 1500w convection oster brand that looks very similar to your's in your pics
It's much bigger capacity than my older non convection oven.
I can fit 2 of the bed bath and beyond wire baskets side by side in it.
Will your's handle 6 or so pounds of bullets at a time? I thought about trying 2 trays of 3 pounds each if the oven will keep up.
I have a thermometer so I guess there is only one was to find out lol
My oven will bake 2.5Kg (5Lb) at 200 Deg for 12 minutes. One tray only.
I have a clay paver block in the bottom of the oven as a heat sink.
Hooroo.
Regards, Trevor.
Australia
first double check the oven setting to reach 400°
2nd install heat sink to shorten recovery time
3rd start at 14 min for 6 # of boolits if/when they pass the rub and smash test youu can shorten the bake time 1 min and try another batch.
keep shortening the bake time until they fail the tests (if they fail, put them back in the oven for 2 min longer than the time you used when they failed they will get darker but are perfectly shootable). (your min safe bake time will be 2 min longer than the fail time) if you get down to 10 min and still pass the test , just run with it.
I run 6-8 pounds for 12 min in my smaller convection oven , havent tried loading the bigger oster up with Hi-Tek yet but it does fine with 2 9x11 trays full of PC
I just want to say anyone on the fence about a convection oven making a difference...... don't be
It's like a night and day difference from non convection!
Question how long do I need to be waiting after they come out of the oven to wipe/smash test them?
I set mine under a fan and they are usually cool enough in about 10-15 minutes.
The coating seems to get a little tougher with age.
Noticed no one answered this so will tell you what I do most of the time. I coat once and add check sizing at the same time. Then coat 1-2 more times depending on how much pressure I'm going to put on it. Most of the time I do three coats just for insurance. It doesn't take that much more time. Keep in mind that some guns accuracy may be affected by the couple of mils (maybe wrong term probably better to say extra thickness) that are added to the bullet. I've got one gun that if I coat once then gas check while sizing and coat twice more accuracy is good. If I coat three times and then add gas check while sizing accuracy suffers.
Your right about convection oven. The convection went out on my $15 yard sale oven. Cooked a couple of batches without it and there were many different colors in the tray. Also forgot to plug up the convection fan on my new oven once. Same thing happened. If you are looking for "purdy" you have to have even heating. I've done six pounds in my new oven and it handled it OK. If you have a new oven with a thermometer (not knob on oven) controlling temp in the oven you should be good.
While I work at it, it is by God's grace that it happens. So it is best I ask him what, how and when before I start..
If you size between coats, you need to have a completely clean sizing die or use ONLY the lube made specifically for Hi-Tek
"AQUALUBE 5000 CONCENTRATE" http://hi-performancebulletcoatings.com/sizing-lube/
Otherwise, the second coat will not adhere properly.
If you're not using this lube often you will need to clean the spray tip after every use or it will get plugged up.
Before I jumped into casting I tried some commercially casted hi tek coated ACME brand bullets, I have a few left over so I just tried the wipe/smash test on them.
These ACME commercially casted and coated bullets failed both tests
Oh well they always shot good anyway, even in 9mm!
They failed both tests and you got no leading?
Were you using gas checks?
Howdy, I jumped on the Hi-Tek coating within a few weeks of learning about it and the stuff becoming available. I've found for my rifle calibers (30-30, .308, .303 and 30-06) I can seat the gas checks using the Lee push through sizer and then coat my boolits. I give everything I do three light coats of Hi-Tek, baking the initial coat for between fifteen and twenty minutes depending upon the size/weight of the boolits. The larger, heavier projectiles get a longer initial baking. Then two more light coats and a baking of ten to twelve minutes each. After the last baking, I dump the hot boolits into a tray of water, pull them out and let them air dry. Afterwards, I run them through the sizing die.
I often let my first coat dry overnight before baking. It is my understanding that it is the heat/baking that actually activates the coating--so letting them sit coated but not baked has no adverse effect.
I've paid no attention to the smash test as I've never fired a boolit out of any firearm that got smashed in the barrel. My criteria is accuracy first, leading second.
I've been telling you guys that I have shot flaky bullets before
They were just like my sister. She has always been a bit flaky.
While I work at it, it is by God's grace that it happens. So it is best I ask him what, how and when before I start..
Avenger 442,I sent you a p.m.
Boolits !!!!! Does that mean what I think it do? It do!
I need some recommendations on convection ovens. I have gone through three in the last three years. I know you generally get what you pay for but right now I am strapped for money after going through a divorce. I will be looking at wal-mart. Anybody had good luck with any particular brand? Before this divorce happened that last two ovens were wal mart but supposed to be good quality. Oster and Hamilton Beach. I am beginning to think you might has well buy the lowest price convection oven you can find. I can buy two Black & Decker convection ovens for what I paid for the Oster. Beginning to think it is a roll of the dice. There is a five year warranty on the Oster but they won't honor it because I am using it for coating bullets.
Boolits !!!!! Does that mean what I think it do? It do!
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |