My powder coating method

[DHD]

Jim and Walter have me about convinced to get some clear. I like having bullets that look like bullets.

I'm a huge fan of clear. I will use it jist the way it comes from the bag for a specific alloy, but I mix it with most of my other colors for a mottled or translucent shade. I've found that clear just gives very good (and easy) full coverage itself and helps any other color cover.

On Prismatic's website they will describe their "candy" colors as having clear added. Or at least that's how I interpret it.

 

[Winelover]

What's a Skittle?

Give me a M&M?

Plain, at that.

Dark, would be more better.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Yup clear is always a good one weather its cause ya cannot see voids or it really covers well. Perfect definition is perception is reality.

Smokes Clear is my choice here!

CW

 

[fiver]

skittles are carnuba wax and sugar, maybe with some citric acid thrown in for good measure.
at least that's what they taste like.

it's also a mental state descriptor.

 

[blackthorn]

What is --pbtp--? Lead toilet paper???

 

[Brad]

Powder by the pound

 

[Ian]

"Powder Buy The Pound ", actually.

M&Ms brownie ones are...dangerously good.

I agree with CW, it would seem that the clear makes the holidays imperceptible but still present. It also makes sense that adding clear powder to an already gloss color would make it appear wet or like waxed candy.

So the evidence is beginning to point to the clear base being the effective mechanism of the powder and the pigments are probably an unnecessary component. If I can clear coat bullets with gloss powder and get the same results from my center-fire rifles at full jacketed velocities as I do with colored powder, I might switch. Or I might not, I sort of have a color system wirked out (blue for practice, red for hunting, green for either but most especially killing zombies).

 

[Glaciers]

M&M Caramel

 

[Spindrift]

I find different colors practical, since I cast different varieties of the same bullets. You can`t tell a PB from a GC in a finished cartridge.

Blue: Plain base
Green: GC, solid
Red: HP

 

[DHD]

I find different colors practical, since I cast different varieties of the same bullets. You can`t tell a PB from a GC in a finished cartridge.

Blue: Plain base
Green: GC, solid
Red: HP

I had intended to do something like your system, but all of the colors blinded me and it got out of hand. I've even made up some colors that just seem to coat better. My favorite self made color is Bloody Stool. 1 Bacon Grease (Smokes), 1 Red, and 1 Clear. Like I said, it got out of hand.

I do coat 20/1 with Clear only though, so I must have a system in place somewhere.

 

[JWFilips]

Looking at waco's clear coated they also look like mine with smoke's clear! It sticks like super glue.
Yes I most times get .003" coating but as for voids no way it doesn't happen I looked at the under a high power 20x inspection loupe! But you really need to size before & after coating to get an accurate read!
I do not mind that at all! However some of my moulds cast too small so a good .003" brings them right up to shootable size.
I have tried a bunch of companies "colors" but hands down Clear is always the easiest because it is the pure PC with out the crap in it!
But that is just my opinion

 

[JWFilips]

Also some real tricks to PC coating I have learned.......Again this is my opinion:
I store my container with the BB's with silica gel packs....to keep it dry
I also heat my batch of bullets up before going in the powder container with a hair drier! I stir them as I heat Them.
When they get too hot to hold comfortably, I put them in the coating container and spin , shake, roll, spin & then shake hard up and down all in 1 timed minute. I stand my bullets on the tray that is in the oven but I tap each one 2 times on the side of the container before placing it down.
I am only talking rifle bullets here but I probably do this for pistol as well but not so often

 

[Randominator]

I’ve cast a little over 5000 bullets since being on lockdown. I have close to 20 different colors, but Smokes green and Eastwood Ford light blue and orange are used most often.

 

[Mitty38]

Just ordered some Eastwood 80 % gloss maroon. I hear it coats kind of heavey,but still even, when using the shake and bake method. I want to try shake and bake on bullets.

Dragging out the PC cabinet, heat lamps, PC gun, dehumidifier and the clean up afterword is a nightmare for me. Especially since I no longer have a shop.

Have always used 3m for regular powder coating. But I understand this color in Eastwood does really well on lead, with out humidity control, in the shake and bake circles.
Had some Eastwood blue but my sample is just about used up. It seamed to work well in high humidity but a little lumpy.
After reading this I might try some clear mixed with the marroon sounds like a way to Taylor the powder to specific needs.

 

[JWFilips]

I'm not a fan of any color cast bullets except clear. Although I do PC purple bullets for my wife!
I have used a bunch of Eastwood light Ford Blue but I got tried of folks asking me if I'm shooting plastic bullets!
Damn it, I'm a cast bullet shooter ( exclusively) ! I want my bullets to look like lead ( albeit with a shine)!
That is one reason I use clear, The other 2 reasons are it is easy to get great coatings and the other is I know I'm going to get bullets .003" larger almost every time! No guessing

 

[Tomme boy]

The traffic purple I am doing is for the old lady's gun only. She knows that she is not to shoot any other color in her gun. My AR9 loads are +P++ loads.

 

[BBerguson]

I buy what is cheapest and so far that has been Eastwood Ford Blue, Gloss Black and Perwinkle Grey. I don’t like the looks of the blue by itself and the gloss black doesn’t cover evenly by itself so they get mixed together. The Perwinkle is the same consistency as the blue but I’ve been mixing it with the black to use up the black. I put bullets and paint in a large plastic jar that had nuts in it. Usually have a chamois shirt on so I roll it against me to build up the static and have not used any plastic media to build the static. I dump bullets and powder into a window screen with pan under it to catch powder and shake to get excess powder off. I then, with plastic gloved hands, place the bullets base down on a silicon baking sheet. It’s a little timely but the bullets come out of the oven with a perfect coat. If I have small batches of different bullets, I place them in rows on the sheet. Today I had 250gr 44mag, 330gr 45-70 and 140gr 38 wadcutters together...

BB

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I'm not a fan of any color cast bullets except clear. Although I do PC purple bullets for my wife!
I have used a bunch of Eastwood light Ford Blue but I got tried of folks asking me if I'm shooting plastic bullets!
Damn it, I'm a cast bullet shooter ( exclusively) ! I want my bullets to look like lead ( albeit with a shine)!
That is one reason I use clear, The other 2 reasons are it is easy to get great coatings and the other is I know I'm going to get bullets .003" larger almost every time! No guessing

. Try "Hammered White". Looks like dirty Lead. Quite nice coverage too.
I have a few friends that also dont like
Colors. So if I give them bullets they get that color (with a few hot pink thrown in to rock the boat)

CW

 

[Rockydoc]

That can you swirl in says "Nescaffe". Is that a "#5 in a triangle recycle" can? I have a Coffee Mate can like that but it is a #1 recycle. I sure would like to use it for static coating but I have heard that only #5 creates the static that we need.

What say you?

 

[Rockydoc]

I buy what is cheapest and so far that has been Eastwood Ford Blue, Gloss Black and Perwinkle Grey. I don’t like the looks of the blue by itself and the gloss black doesn’t cover evenly by itself so they get mixed together. The Perwinkle is the same consistency as the blue but I’ve been mixing it with the black to use up the black. I put bullets and paint in a large plastic jar that had nuts in it. Usually have a chamois shirt on so I roll it against me to build up the static and have not used any plastic media to build the static. I dump bullets and powder into a window screen with pan under it to catch powder and shake to get excess powder off. I then, with plastic gloved hands, place the bullets base down on a silicon baking sheet. It’s a little timely but the bullets come out of the oven with a perfect coat. If I have small batches of different bullets, I place them in rows on the sheet. Today I had 250gr 44mag, 330gr 45-70 and 140gr 38 wadcutters together...

BBView attachment 14874

I like the way you can make those bullets stick to the wall like that!