Powder Coating

[Beagle333]

I like the spray method. After all, it IS how powder coat was intended to be applied. You will really like the smoother coat, and although it will "look" like there is a lot of waste on the non-stick foil after spraying and baking, you'll find that the powder coats SO many bullets per bottle that you don't even think about how much you use per pan of bullets.

[Old 454]

Holy snapping turtles batman..... there beautiful.... finally something went right !!

This is like spray on jackets !!

No more lubing for me...
Now just need to size and load them up

[ms6852]

Originally Posted by res45

You will need a plastic bowl with a snap or screw on lid of some sort I use a old cool whip bowl and use the shake an bake method,other will just put there powder an bullets in a vibratory tumbler and let it run till there coated.

Some people use plastic air soft beads mixed in with the powder,I've done it with an without and can't tell much of a difference. An environment with low humidity that helps create static electricity is your friend when it comes to coating bullets when I can't do it out in the shop on hot humid or humid days I coat them in the house an toast them out on the back porch.

You will need a toaster over. You can buy a new one fairly cheap or see if you can pick a used one up at a local thrift store for a few dollars. People bake the bullets in different way but I line my toaster tray with non stick aluminum foil and stand my bullets up on the base using a pair of large tweezers,it's slower but I like the results I get.

As to powder many use the Harbor Freight powders Red works best for shake and bake followed by the Yellow. The HF Blacks seem to work much better if it's sprayed on with an ES gun as will the Red an Yellow the HF white is pretty much useless for PCing bullets.

There are many companies online that see powder coat by the pound or you can get it form Smoke over at Cast Boolits http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raying-bullets He has good powder,prices and shipping it's where I get my powders.

All my coated bullets are baked at 400 degrees for 20 min. if you buy online from a mfg. they will state what temp and time to bake there powders at for it to cure properly. It's a good idea to preheat your over before putting the bullets in an use a oven thermometer to verify your oven temperature.

Also of note if you water quench your bullets straight from the mold before coating the PC curing process with negate the first water quenching so you will need to re quench them after removing them from the toaster oven even them they still want reach a final BHN as close to the original quenched BHN but it will be fairly close.

Here are a couple samples I done.

Can you use parchment paper instead of non stick aluminum foil?

[res45]

Can you use parchment paper instead of non-stick aluminum foil?

I personally never have but I know it's been used by some. The parchment paper has a heat limit of 420 degrees so verify you toaster oven temperature if you use it as some toaster ovens can be way off from what the dial specifies. I also am not sure if a single sheet can be used more than once, maybe somebody that has used it can pass along some knowledge.

I just prefer the non-stick foil as I can reuse a single sheet multiple time I also don't have to worry about the heat issue and in most cases but not all the foil is cheaper in the long run.

[Old 454]

Walmart has stuff called copper chef or something like that. Copper non stick sheets that you can trim to fit your pan and are washable/reusable.
They come 2 to a box

[ms6852]

Seems like the non stick foil or the copper chef is the way to go. In the long run it ends up being more economical especially if the items can be reused more than once. Thanks guys for the replies.

[Old 454]

I paid 3.00 a box for them

[Chainsaw.]

I use non stick aluminum foil, I get a BUNCH of batches out of one sheet. Once a get a tear, usually from a bullet sticking to and old bit of powder, I toss it and replace. This roll has two years on it with many more to go.

[res45]

Some people use silicone baking mats as well, they look like powder builds upon them quite a bit. Never used one so I could be all wrong about that but it's another option.

Just ordered a pound of Eastwood Maroon and Med. Green should be here next Saturday. FortuneCookie45LC coated some bullets with those two powders and they gave excellent solid coverage.