Harbor Freight Matte Black...pretty heavy as far as powder coat goes. If spraying with a gun make sure you are shaking the bottle up and down as you spray or you will have really poor results. Does take twice as much powder to cover the same exact amount and style of bullets than my Eastwood powders but they turned out quite well IMO...ignore the divits and scratches, those were there way before powder coating...pure lead. Even the hollow points turned out well.
Last edited by THE_ANTIDOTE; 02-26-2024 at 11:15 PM.
Decided I needed some .45 Colt green tips lol.
Hey Antidote, I really like the matte black boolits. I have not seen matte colors before. Will have to look into them. All of my powder has been glossy. Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome. I bought the bottle a while ago but when I looked at it and read matte black I just pigeon holed it. Today I was just gonna burn through it and if it didn't look good I was going to top it with one of my other colors. I wasn't too impressed with how they coated at first but 5 minutes into baking it all changed. Can't say for certain yet, but this may be my favorite color yet.
Last edited by THE_ANTIDOTE; 02-27-2024 at 01:54 AM.
guns are the way to go if you want to be able to use any powder color you like
shake and bake sometimes has to be particular as to the color choice no such prob with guns
I just don't like the over spray dust cause I do mine inside and that gets everywhere
went back to shake n bake untill I find a way to contain the dust
Hit em'hard
hit em'often
Some rainy day fun.
Pre Holiday Fireworks...
Can you make the bullets look like hornets?
I just started powder coating about a month, month and a half ago and have only used it 3-4 times so I don't have other colors, but I probably could.
How did you get the stars and the bands of colors with powder coat? I am assuming stickers or stencils or you painted it on with a brush somehow? Please spill the beans. You have the coolest looking bullets.
Well, it's all done in powder coat and baked just like when powder coating anything else. Forr the stars I use a star/hole punch from Hobby Lobby. The bands I just cut to the width/length I need. I use ORAMASK 813 heat resistant film/tape that I buy at Michaels. There is a 400° and a 450°, I use the both, but the ORAMASK is my go to since it cuts cleaner and has a paper backing that you peel before applying the film. The ORAMASK leaves no sticky residue and can be reapplied if placed in the wrong place. I powder coat my base, then when cool I apply my film and tape what I don't want powder coated using blue painters tape, powder coat and carefully remove painters tape before baking. Once baked and cool, I remove what film I don't need, tape where I want, powder coat my second base, remove blue tape if any, and bake. Again, once baked and cool I then powder coat my final color keeping in mind where film should stay or go. If I desire sparkle on my bullets...I use my metallic powders last. If I want deeper gloss...I "accidentally" bake my bullets a bit longer. It's time consuming, but it's what I can do at 2 a.m.lol without causing too much disturbance.
Last edited by THE_ANTIDOTE; 03-06-2024 at 03:22 AM.
Some stars and stripes.
Those boolits look cool,I would not have the patience to do that.
USN (ret)
Thank you, it's a more work than straight powder coating that's for sure but I've already made some money custom coating some bullets for friends of mine. I do it on my down time so not really interfering with anything else. I have the time and the tools, it'd be different if I didn't have one or the other.
Not exactly how I wanted it, but I still haven't ordered any other colors. Sorry, I attempted to give this bullet a name but struggle more with it than the actual powder coating.
Last edited by THE_ANTIDOTE; 04-07-2024 at 01:48 PM.
Bullets look good but I just wanted to add that I have many pounds of Eastwood Colors and they are the grittiest powder I have ever seen. I have a gun and even with the gun get bad results of everything we try. Other powders work fine. Its like everything else it works for some and not others vise versa. Yours look great I am referring to all the pics posted. Good job.
Stop being blinded by your own ignorance.
I have the gun too and only a few Eastwood powders. The white on this bullet is Eastwood's, the black, however, is Harbor Freight and it is gritty. When I use the Eastwoods, I wash my bullets with dawn ultra, let them dry, set them out to spray. I never pre heat them, I do start my convection oven at 450, let the bullets cook at that for 5-7 minutes then drop it to 400 for 20 minutes...I do this with all powders. On my gun, I only spray on the lower setting, keep my defuser on, try to spray using the sides of the defuser and not pointing straight out the front. I do go heavy only because I will be sizing anyways. I will most likely be coating thin to almost transparent as I add babbitt to my lead and do not believe a heavy coat does any better than a thin one. One thing I don't do is recycle my powders. Once they are expelled and on the table...they are trash. I do blow air through my gun in between colors. For my powder coating I only use my little pancake compressor, no oil and no water to contaminate my powders.
Currently casting and loading: .32 S&W Long, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, 10mm, 44 Special 44 Magnum. .223, 7.62x39, 7.62 x 54R, .30-06, 45-70, .32, .36, .44. .45. .50. .54. .58 and .60 round ball and various minies. And .375 heel crimped conical for those .36 conversions . KB6MRP on Discord
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 |