PC powder questions

GSPguy

GSPguy

Member
I have been using PC for nearly a year now. Shake and bake with black BBs. I have only used Smoke’s clear, red, chrome I think and JD green.

The only one I am truly satisfied with is the clear.

My question is, what are some of the other powders that works for you as well as Smoke’s clear?

Is my experience similar to your’s?

Thank you, Tim
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
Sure many actually. But I find it’s not so much the maker as it is the color. Some Colors are simply better than others for S&B.

yellows and oranges and many Reds don’t work as Well For Me. Whiles most Blues Greens and purples are great.

The clear is always great simply cause tiny inclusions are invisible. ;)
I use a lot of powders from The Powder Coat Store and Powder by the pound. As well as Smokes, Eastwood, Tyger drylac and Sherwin Williams.
Some of my favorites are mixes utilizing colors that DONT work as well!!

96A25378-6CF9-4340-9C83-9734CB890005.jpegB2F92063-4614-44E7-ADE3-D536F4CBAE44.jpegB27D6BB7-7698-4DB1-A4F2-F5FB6E69F1FA.jpeg41291CB4-122A-4058-85DF-3DC73FBD53C9.jpeg
CW
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
The “grey” is same purple with some mirror blk and white. Mixed.

The white coats well but being white shows all “holidays” its a wonderful mixer on the order of tonic water!!

that blue is a matte. It costs very thin and looks poor. BUT once baked it flows wonderfully covering very well. It’s also one of the thinnest coatings.That’s a mix too I have chrome and clear in there to help. Clear is usually a thicker coating.

I like my ford blue and purple is store bought. (Not forquality only just what I like looks of) but by far my favorites are my mixes!!
Thank you for the kind words!

cW
 
Last edited:
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
quite often those horrible looking bullets still have 100% coverage.
the pigment just doesn't cling as well as the clear does and you end up with a splotchy look.
throw the calipers on them you'll know right quick if you got paint on them or not.
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Calipers? Eegads.
you are gonna give Ian a coronary!
Mic them!

I agree. The color doesn’t always distribute evenly so it appears to leave bare patches. Those are actually just areas of clear PC with no pigment.
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I “shake n bake”. I use baskets from bed bath and beyond. I don’t stand up I do try to keep them on a single layer.

standing them up would produce nearly 100% perfect bullets. Minor lil voids are meaningless.

yes 100% some powder flow better than others. For instance the Eastwood ford blue most everyone suggests actually gives me a very thick coating causing many lil voids cause it sticks to everything!! ( voids come from breaking out of basket and breaking apart) Imix that Eastwood with colors that don’t cost as well and it allowed me to “used what would get tossed” and betters the ford blue.
 
JWFilips

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
Only Clear her for me ! However the Eastwood Light Ford Blue is pretty good!
I got a deal over the other place that I could not pass up 4- 1 lb containers of Smokes Powders for $25 shipped! A guy was getting out of PC.
Got a White Silver , JD Green, Blue, & Purple .
Used the Purple today for my wife's ammo as a surprise! Not as easy to coat well but the coating mics out as good as the clear so it must be cosmetic!
I sized her bullets for her 38 S&W S&W Terrier to .360" first and after purple PC the are at .362" "dead on" for her pistol
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I don’t use BB‘s at all. No standing them up either.

IF, and that’s a big if, I was shooting HV rifle at longer distances the standing might make sense.
 
GSPguy

GSPguy

Member
Brad said:
Calipers? Eegads.
you are gonna give Ian a coronary!
Mic them!

I agree. The color doesn’t always distribute evenly so it appears to leave bare patches. Those are actually just areas of clear PC with no pigment.
Click to expand...

I have work as a machinist. I have Pawpa’s 1946 9 inch South Bend Lathe that he bought brand new after the war and I will put money on the fact that I can measure just as accurate with my Starrett dial caliper as anyone can with a mic. The trick to get your thumb off the wheel and on the jaws. Just pinch the jaws closed with index finger and thumb. I gave up mics year ago.

I hope this doesn’t kill Ian!
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I do not clean them. I just let them cool and store as normal. When ready to PC I take them out of storage container and coat them. I don’t wear gloves when handling raw bullets either but don’t generally walk around with greasy mitts either.
If I presize I don’t use lube.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.