Powder Coating cast bullets ?

[Baddog 0302]

Are there any members that powder coat their cast bullets ?? Looking for a little "show and tell" on the process .

Thank you

 

[Plinker]

I do it with great success!
Harbor Freight red powder coat and use case vibrator for about 20 minutes.
Case vibrator is much better than the shake and bake method.

Got one of Trader Dan’s (RidgeRunner) toaster ovens, place bullets on parchment paper,,,250 degrees for 20 minutes and SHAZAM!

Nicely coated cast lead bullets!

Watch some youtubes for tips and tricks.

Casting bullets is fun.
Round balls galore a couple weeks ago:

 

[Jevaughn]

When sizing them, does the powder coating come off?

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[bowfreak]

I pc as well and would be more than happy to show you the process.

 

[bowfreak]

When sizing them, does the powder coating come off?

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If it does something wasn't done right

 

[Baddog 0302]

When sizing them, does the powder coating come off?

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From what little I've read on PC, it's a toss up to size before or after PC. I guess it depends on the as cast Dia. of the bullets.

 

[jam0066]

I do it with great success!
Harbor Freight red powder coat and use case vibrator for about 20 minutes.
Case vibrator is much better than the shake and bake method.

Got one of Trader Dan’s (RidgeRunner) toaster ovens, place bullets on parchment paper,,,250 degrees for 20 minutes and SHAZAM!

Nicely coated cast lead bullets!

Watch some youtubes for tips and tricks.

Casting bullets is fun.
Round balls galore a couple weeks ago:
View attachment 102056
View attachment 102057

I saw some say they preferred a mesh tray vs the parchment. Have you had any issues using a baking sheet and parchment?

I’m about to start casting and have zero experience at this point. Just trying to learn before I start acquiring equipment. Easy to make minor adjustments vs large ones

 

[Ric-san]

It’s not hard at all...just time consuming like everything else in life you want, but are anal about doing it the way you want it vice paying someone else to do...Heres some pics of the old HF red paint...not the best result, and have to pc twice usually to get 100% coverage...I just cast and pc’ed a few hundreds boolits in .32 caliber for JJ for one of his science gun projects...

 

[jam0066]

It’s not hard at all...just time consuming like everything else in life you want, but are anal about doing it the way you want it vice paying someone else to do...Heres some pics of the old HF red paint...not the best result, and have to pc twice usually to get 100% coverage...I just cast and pc’ed a few hundreds boolits in .32 caliber for JJ for one of his science gun projects...

Thanks for the awesome pictures! I was reading that most accomplished it with two coats as well

 

[Ric-san]

A few notes....better PC paint is one coverage. I got a bottle of black PCB paint, Eastwood brand and it does better in the basic “shake-n-bake” version of performing pc. HF was/is cheap and got my start with it. Parchment paper will keep the pc’ed boolits from sticking to the toaster oven cookie sheet. I tried aluminum foil...not good, boolits stick to it also. Have some leather gloves to handle the cookie sheet once boolits are done. Cheap set of hemost ants come in extremely handy. I normally cast, then pc, then size. May try casting, then sizing then pc. To see how good the pc sticks to the boolit, there’s the “smash test” where you take one completed pc’ed and sized round... then take a hammer and smash it good...pc should be stuck to the deformed boolit.

 

[Plinker]

With mine, it seemed to cover better in the small Lyman tumble for at least 20 minutes.
Next step is very tedious,(cause they like to tump over) but I use tweezers to pick the bullets out after the tumbling process and arrange them one by one on the baking pan lined with parchment paper with base down.

I resize after coating.
COATING DOES NOT COME OFF.

For me, one coat is working.
The shake/bake method (tupperware) required two coating/baking attempts for me.

I bought the Harbor Freight powder coating compressed air applicator kit but haven’t even opened the box being the tumbler is giving me satisfactory results.

Its my understanding that the Harbor Freight red powder does a better job than the other colors they sell.

Your mileage may vary!

 

[Dave308]

When sizing them, does the powder coating come off?

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No it does not. I like to size after powder coating.

 

[Dave308]

I saw some say they preferred a mesh tray vs the parchment. Have you had any issues using a baking sheet and parchment?

I’m about to start casting and have zero experience at this point. Just trying to learn before I start acquiring equipment. Easy to make minor adjustments vs large ones

They make a nonstick aluminum foil . Works great for me.

 

[dvr6]

The non stick baskets work good for me, purchased at Bed Bath.

I vibratory tumble my bullets mixed with powder and then pour them directly in the basket all piled together. Shake off the excess powder back to the tumbler while they are in the basket and then directly into the toaster oven. Resize after coating and never have coating come off. Zero leading in any barrels and I've shot some of my other casts 1900 fps out of my 357 rifle. The bullets pictured were for 380.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

Anddd the noob has to ask why coat them??

 

[Zeroed in]

prevents leading the barrel if loaded hot

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

prevents leading the barrel if loaded hot

Wouldn't firing 6 jacketed bullets thru it every so often while shooting clear out the trash?? Thats what I do with my webley, seems to work. Aka Williams cleaner bullet.

 

[Jevaughn]

Anytime you're running softer cast bullets over 1050fps or so, they run the risk of leaving deposits in the barrel which can lead to poor accuracy and even catastrophic failures in some cases. And removing said lead can be a real bitch and can even ruin some barrels, especially those with polygonal rifling

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[Zeroed in]

Hell, IDK? Bowfreak told me awhile back why pc'ing is important if running hot loads, to prevent leading of the barrel. But if the fps isn't hot, then you don't need pc'ing and not get a leaded barrel.
But I don't think there's a "cleaner" round to clear lead. Lead tends to get hot and run and clog, so maybe a fmj might clear lead from a barrel that has sharp defined land/grooves. But it may just squash it in deeper so to speak? So IDK?

 

[Baddog 0302]

LEADING, IF you are interested in the facts