Anyone Powder Coating?

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freebullet

Guest
I've done a few rounds of testing in pistols.
Here's what I learned-
It takes to much time compared to tl or traditional lube.
It can be finicky in multiple ways
If it's under cooked it takes 1 hour per inch of barrel to clean out.
It takes to much time.
It's not magic.
It's really time consuming.

I haven't given up on it completely. It has a few applications where it's a good option.

I still powder coat brackets & other stuff more than bullets.

It does require ppe. Highly respirable polymer powders are not something you'd want to breathe.
 
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mongoose33

New Member
I haven't found it to be finicky at all. The only trouble I had was with the toaster oven I used--the termperature was very off from what the dial said, so much that I melted some of the bullets in my first attempt. An oven thermometer solved that. Coat 'em, bake 'em, size 'em, load 'em up and shoot 'em.

There's a learning curve such that once you climb it the speed picks up. I have enough trays so that as one batch is baking I'm setting up the next batch and coating the bullets. About 20 minutes per batch.

I started w/ PC because I'd had an instance where I was shooting steel and the atmospheric conditions were such that the smoke from the lube completely obscured the target--and I've found it's harder to hit targets you can't see. :)

Done right, no leading at all, barrel needs only a swipe with a boresnake and I'm good. I use Smoke's powders; they go a long way. More expensive than the Harbor Freight powder but well worth it IMO.

Is it slower? Yes. Is it worth it? IMO, yes, but everybody has to make their own decision on that. In fact, I just bought a nice PC gun from Caswell to coat my bullets--anybody want to make an offer on a used but in great shape Harbor Freight PC gun? :)
 
williamwaco

williamwaco

Active Member
Kevin Stenberg said:
I was heavy into it when it started. Lots of money that could have been spent on actual casting stuff. The time factor is why I am going back to BLL.
Click to expand...

I am curious about PC and would like to try it but time seems to be the issue for me too.
Since I graduated from the lubrisizer, there is no way I am going back to a method that requires me to manually pick up and manipulate each individual bullet.

With my Zip Lock bag, I can lube 1000 bullets in 5 minutes or less. Dump them on a cookie sheet and set them aside.
 
yodogsandman

yodogsandman

Well-Known Member
I've ESPC'd rifle bullets but, can't get the accuracy I desire. It will bulk up an undersized bullet for non-demanding work like spray and pray in the SKS's. I'm sure that it will work for most pistol shooters, too. The problem is that it changes the dimensions of the bullet with no way to keep it consistent. Very few have found a way to get it to work accurately.

The pretty colors do get attention at the range, though.
 
Cherokee

Cherokee

Medina, Ohio
I've thought about it almost bought a PC gun...but then I think about the additional time and handling. My routine was established a long time ago and it works great for me. Cast them, lube/size in Star, load. In the 20 minutes to PC a batch of bullets that still have to be sized, I would have the same number done with the Star. I don't have any problems I need to solve with PC. Just my opinion since I've never tried it.
 
Ian

Ian

Notorious member
"I don't have any problems I need to solve with PC."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Others enjoy benefit of being able to handle and store their PC'd cast just like copper jacketed, and PC seems to solve some leading issues in a few modern automatics (ones that need a throat job), but that isn't an advantage to me.
 
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freebullet

Guest
With the spray method you can get a consistent .002

Someone mentioned not wanting a compressor. You might look into the hi tech coating. Brad might share his experience with that.
 
minmax

minmax

Active Member
I was thinking that the HF model, was like the Craftsman electric one that does not need a compressor. Your right it does look the same. Only for $10 more plus shipping.
 
minmax

minmax

Active Member
After reading this post and watching more you-tube videos. Everything from electrostatic spray, airsoft bb's, and mixing with acetone. It seems a lot like casting and reloading. Everyone has their own preferred method. I had to look back at all my bookmarks from searchs about a year ago. Too much damn information on the web, and most of it useless. Today I discovered this product www.liquidpowderconcepts.com
It is a liquid that can be added to any powder. Then you can spray with an airbrush or paint gun. Even use a regular brush. Then bake it or even use a heat gun. I might give it try sometime on other projects, not sure how well it would work with cast bullets.
 
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freebullet

Guest
yodogsandman said:
You can get a consistent LOOKING coating. Not a consistent thickness. Commercial PC operations can't do it so the hobbyist can't either.
Click to expand...

The commercial sector can't do a lot the hobbyist can. In a commercial setting things must make a profit. In commercial settings many variables come in to play.
I was able to get a consistent coating at .002 at least consistent enough for my purposes. If I tried for more or less thickness that's when unacceptable variations happen.
One would think with robotics the commercial guys could do even better, of course only were it profitable.
 
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