pc won’t stick to the bullets…

BBerguson

Official Pennsyltuckian
I was so excited to get my 22 cal bullets cast and now that I have some cast, gas checked and sized I can’t get my powder to stick to them. Threw in some 9mm, still no stick. Put a shammy shirt on as it always creates a lot of static but that didn’t work either. Tried some 5mm plastic bb’s, no stick yet. Brought them in the house and had same results. The only thing I can figure is we just got poured on for 24 hours straight and the humidity is to high. Too cool to turn the AC on so I guess I’m just going to have to wait it out…
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I have powder coated in down pours and 98% summer humidity.

I honestly dont know why there is NO ADHESION.

Only thing I think of is you have allowed something to get on these bullets.

You say that you gas checked them... In a lube sizer? And you handled them with greasy fingers??

I have cleaned lube off bullets and gotten them to coat.

Is this a powder that has worked before?

CW
 
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popper

Well-Known Member
Yup, probably contamination. I sometimes hold the bowl with a cotton towel as the static seems to remain in the bowl.
 
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BBerguson

Official Pennsyltuckian
It’s not contamination. I just cast them on the same towel I always us. Used a lee push through sizer. I added some 9mm bullets that have been in a closed container and are unsized. Paint didn’t stick to them either or the 5mm plastic bbs I added. I’m using the same plastic container I always use and it has been closed as well.

This reminds me of the time I was having trouble getting powder in the cases because I had too much static. It wouldn’t go through the plastic funnel until I got a piece of copper wire and grounded it.Of course now it’s just the opposite
 

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
IF You set the Checks and sized in a previously used sizing die that had lube on it ...That could be the problem!
Also make sure you container for tumbling is a #5 and also..... you can heat the bullets up with a hair drier to get them hot to drive off moisture befor e tumbling! Shake and rotate and spin for 1 minute!
Never had powder not stick!...I usually have the reverse using Smoke Clear! I have to tap the hech out of them to get rid of the excess!
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I have done a number of videos on my process. (Might "show" better then we can explain)
Humidity always has an effect but it NEVER EVER completely causes it to no longer "work".

I NEVER touch my bullets. I warm them on top of the ovens. They can never get too hot with my method. BUT TOO HOT bullets are a problem as well. Dont try putting them into the oven. They will get too hot quickly.

CW
 
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Ian

Notorious member
Never seen that, and I usually coat on rainy days when I can't do anything else, have the windows open, and am using powder that is several years old.
 

BBerguson

Official Pennsyltuckian
I got a new container out, put 2 tablespoons of Eastwood Ford blue along with the bullet and was able to get the paint to stick to them. I’m baking them now. I don’t know if the powder I was using was compromised, it’s been in the same container for the last four or five months since I used it last. Not sure what’s going on. I’ll save that container of powder next time I cast something big like 44 or 45 caliber bullets and see if they coat in that container.
 

Ian

Notorious member
If you keep using the same container and just add powder and bullets each time, eventually the little bit of powder left gets contaminated with lead flakes and adherence is diminished. About every 15-20 batches I dump my containers out through a screen to catch the BBs and discard the teaspoon or so of dreg powder and trash.
 

BBerguson

Official Pennsyltuckian
I think it was just too few bullets in too much powder. It was about 50 22 cal bullets and they couldn’t roll enough to really build up static. (my theory) I’m going to cast up a bunch of 40 cal, put a couple hundred in the “old” powder and I’m positive they will coat perfectly.
 

STIHL

Well-Known Member
Powder contamination. I had some do the same thing couple days ago, put fresh powder on another bowl and back on business. Tried 2 different bullets. No go. New powder and it corrected it.

I had poured several powder runs in this container. Probably coated close to 3000 with all of it and just kept mixing. I dumped it and washed my container I’ll know for sure next batch I coat.

update: powder definitely contaminated. Just added new powder to that container and it coated perfectly.
 
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Spindrift

Well-Known Member
There were two little tricks that turned powder coating into a predictable process for me, no longer depending on weather conditions.
1) replacing the used powder in my coating box every once in a while
2) pre-heating the bullets a little. They should not be uncomfortable to touch. This removes condensation.

Oh, and choosing the right powder; you already have that covered with Ford, blue.
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I think it was just too few bullets in too much powder. It was about 50 22 cal bullets and they couldn’t roll enough to really build up static. (my theory) I’m going to cast up a bunch of 40 cal, put a couple hundred in the “old” powder and I’m positive they will coat perfectly.
DING DING DING!!

WAY WAY TOO MUCH powder!!!

Too much powder ABSOLUTELY deters the ability to create a static charge!!

50 22 bullets should need more than a partial tea spoon!!!! But container size matters a lil here as well.

If you watch my video, you will see I use large containers to swirl (NOT SHAKE) to coat. I NEVER use more than a single TBL spoon of powder. Usually less. I coat only one single layer of bullets (in my baskets) to a batch. This usually equates to a 8x10 ish sheet stood up.

CW
 
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BBerguson

Official Pennsyltuckian
Yes, I’m sure now it was too much powder. Since I started powder coating I’ve been coating large batches of mostly large bullets. 30 cal being the smallest but I’d coat 150+ at a time. This batch of 22 bullets was probably a tenth of the size of my normal batches.

CW, I use a square plastic nut container and I also roll it instead of shaking.

Now something more to think for about, does size matter? As in, will the larger bullet develop more static electricity? When I’m coating 500 gr 45-70 bullets I barely have to roll the container and they are well coated. As the thread goes, I really had to work on the 22 cal bullets!
 

popper

Well-Known Member
larger bullet develop more static electricity
No. Some powder sticks by impact, larger bullets help. Static is created by powder sliding across the walls, larger bullets help move the powder. The powder itself has little weight so doesn't 'move' much by itself. Shaking gets the powder 'airborne' so it settles over the bullets better.
 

Missionary

Well-Known Member
This was a good read ! Have not had any issues yet but the "too much powder" issue is well for me to remember.
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
No. Some powder sticks by impact, larger bullets help. Static is created by powder sliding across the walls, larger bullets help move the powder. The powder itself has little weight so doesn't 'move' much by itself. Shaking gets the powder 'airborne' so it settles over the bullets better.
I beg to differ...

static is created by contact. Larger the container the more contact so the more static produced.
Also ROUND or at least SMOOTH SIDES container is best most efficient. Im not at all saying its only wany a d wont work other wise. Ime telling you round/ smooth is best.

The process is static, not impact. The powder gets airborn with the SLIGHTEST WIFF OF AIR. Dont believe me? Just unscrewing or pulling a top from your container and it has a cloud of powder.

Swirling means more constant contact with container building static. Bullets traveling in air inside container do nothing to create static.

CW
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member




I have many videos and millions of bullets coated. Mine isnt the only way, but I am sure it can help you if "your way" isnt working.
CW
 

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
I like a good size round (#5 in the triangle) Container...Like old tupper ware! You can get a good swirling action going which develops good static!
When I'm not using the coating container I put a small dish of Silica gel in it to keep it dry between coating sessions.
The heating of the bullets prior to coating, mentioned above, is also helpful on high humidity days!
I use Smoke's Clear powder most of the time...and I seriously get a smooth .003" coating every time! I know every one says .002" is typical but I guess the way I coat , or maybe the powder I use? I do get .003" every time ( on a micrometer) and yes when I pick up the coated bullet from the container I tap the tweezers holding the bullet 3 times to knock of the excess powder before I place it on my baking tray.
The only time I had problems with the coatings are when I used funky colors