Anybody Powdercoating Over Here?

  • 10K Views
  • Last Post 08 March 2015
Tech posted this 01 January 2014

Just wondering if anyone has caught the powdercoat bug over here? I know you guys are very meticulous and I was just curious if anyone has dialed in the process.

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
pat i posted this 01 January 2014

Think I'll let powdercoating play out a bit longer before taking a serious look at it. Not enough long term results to risk a barrel on and I've read a couple of reports of excessive wear true or not.

Attached Files

Tech posted this 01 January 2014

Yes the flat black crowd needs flat black bullets to be cool. Well if it looks like sand paper and feels like sand paper it probably cuts like sand paper at least for a while. The rest of us will have to settle for a color a little less cool like red.

Attached Files

CB posted this 02 January 2014

I'll give it a year or so before considering it. I spent the big money years ago for a Star Sizer, and am content with what I already have. I'm not a big technology buff, and can make pretty much anything I really need anymore. It's an old guy thing.

Attached Files

Tech posted this 02 January 2014

Well it does have some advantages over traditional lube. No fowling shot No leading No temperature issues No lube smoke to breath No lead smoke to breath Doesn't change with time No sticky bullets Color coding No exposed lead Capable of using softer lead

However the true performance is yet to be exposed. I suspect that powder choice will play a huge roll in the accuracy of coated projectiles The powder needs to be fast enough to form a good seal and slow enough to generate good acceleration without excess distortion. Since the lube grooves are obsolete what should the base look like? Barrel friction is less so powder charges will be going up to compensate for the improved acceleration. What is safe, how hard can you push them. The Moly and HBN guys may have some insight here. Do the lead sizing rules apply? Do you include the PC thickness or ignore it? Is the gas check also obsolete?

New variables include Powder coat type and thickness Bullet design Powder choice sizing, pre post coat

This is the board with less BS and more experience I also believe that it will be this group that takes it from a science project and turns it into a science. Here is what I have cooking. A little eye candy never hurts! http://s755.photobucket.com/user/hansen_acura/media/bulletsthruglass_zps3d36a61a.jpg.html>http://s755.photobucket.com/user/hansen_acura/media/fulltray1_zps4e2fd9fd.jpg.html>http://s755.photobucket.com/user/hansen_acura/media/fulltray2_zpsb5fa2013.jpg.html>

Attached Files

RicinYakima posted this 02 January 2014

Speaking only of accuracy, I have followed the moly coating and grease since the early 1990's. Looking back at it, it was 99.99% hype to sell products. The 0.01% was that it did reduce guilding metal jacket fouling with moly fouling that was even harder to get rid of in the bore.

So, what is:

  1. composition of the coating

  2. hardness in Bhn

  3. malleability

  4. type of residue left in the bore

  5. COST per bullet for the first 1000

Not trying to rain on your parade, but what does this do that Lee Liquid Alox doesn't do?

Ric

Attached Files

Tech posted this 02 January 2014

Ric I spent about $120 at Harbor Freight for the gun, paint, hose and regulator. The oven was $30 The composition depends on which powder coat you use. The High gloss types appear to have the lowest friction Harbor Freight red is $3.99 a lb on sale

The ratio of hardness to toughness seems to be a good fit for the application but I don't have any numbers yet. You can pound the bullet flat without chipping the coating.

There is little to no residue left behind after hundreds of rounds. (reported results) Cost is probably not a significant factor. Personally I found LLA to be a fairly mediocre solution. Sticky stinky moose snot Special lube groves Don't push it too hard lots of tuning Lots of leading long dry times Unknown aging effects The wife won't shoot it Stinks up the house Yes it is cheap but how many people find it to be a long term solution.

Attached Files

RicinYakima posted this 03 January 2014

Tech,

Well, our priorities are certainly different.

I flux my lead pot with used well chewed cigar butts after they dry out here in the desert air. I'm not a big fan of LLA either, but it works at normal lead bullet velocities. I don't know of any national records shot with it as a lube, but it has its place with less than perfect bores.

I wish you luck, but think I will wait awhile and see if any records fall to this process.

Ric

Attached Files

Tech posted this 03 January 2014

I flux with Baby Bell cheese wax. It's a bit extravagant but I do eat the cheese. I plan to amortize the cost of the powder coater over the first 100 rounds so it should be dirt cheap after that!

The good news is that I now have a powder coater and oven to play with. I grew up in Moses Lake so I know all about that dry climate. Now what will I do with my shelf full of lubes and oils?

Attached Files

Ed Harris posted this 03 January 2014

When I see our postal and registered matches being won with PC bullets and new national records being established when them, I'll give them a try. Until then I am a curious spectator.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

Attached Files

RicinYakima posted this 03 January 2014

Don't throw them away yet! Put them into storage for a couple of years. If PC works, then you can recycle them.

Attached Files

delmarskid1 posted this 03 January 2014

I'm glad you are trying it. Please keep us posted as to your results. It looks like a good way to shoot bullets as cast and maybe make them bigger. They do look sort of like Willie Wonka bullets though. Can you get coating on the bases?

Attached Files

Tech posted this 03 January 2014

Shooting, reloading, and gunsmithing keep me entertained during the long Seattle winters. So far this excursion has been a lot of fun. It also helps solve my inability to be a masterluber. Yes the 10,000 lube formulas and theories are a bit overwhelming, thus the reason LLA exists. My shooting is improving but not to the point that it exceeds my ability to produce a reasonably accurate round. My priorities fall along the lines of safety, producability, maintenance, accuracy and consistency. I think that powdercoating may help me achieve these goals. Time to do some reloading!

Attached Files

delmarskid1 posted this 04 January 2014

I got into reloading to shoot more for less money. Then to shoot better ammo. Then into cast bullet shooting to shoot a whole lot more for almost nothing! When I started getting decent cast accuracy I moved into a zen state and an all encompassing calm fell over the caul of the universe. I hope you are having as much fun as I am.

Attached Files

Pigslayer posted this 04 January 2014

delmarskid1 wrote: I got into reloading to shoot more for less money. Then to shoot better ammo. Then into cast bullet shooting to shoot a whole lot more for almost nothing! When I started getting decent cast accuracy I moved into a zen state and an all encompassing calm fell over the caul of the universe. I hope you are having as much fun as I am. Sounds like you've been reading Tao Teh Ching by Lao Tzu. LOL

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

Attached Files

John Alexander posted this 04 January 2014

" a zen state and an all encompassing calm fell over the caul of the universe. “ That isn't exactly how I would describe my state of mind when bullets are sticking in the mold as they sometime do. John

Attached Files

Tech posted this 04 January 2014

John I burnish my molds with WS2 powder and a Qtip. Wrinkling and sticking are a thing of the past. I had a dozen discards from 20 lbs of lead into a LEE 2 cavity mold yesterday. All from the mold being too cold. I coat everything including the spru plate.

Attached Files

Duane Mellenbruch posted this 04 January 2014

Tech wrote: I burnish my molds with WS2 powder and a Qtip.  

"WS2  powder”  is what?

Duane

Attached Files

mike0841 posted this 04 January 2014

WS2 powder is tungsten disulfide.  I occasionally use it to tumble lube my bullets in place of moly.  Now I think I will try it on a sticky mold.

Attached Files

Duane Mellenbruch posted this 04 January 2014

Thanks Mike, it did not show up in the archive search. Duane

Attached Files

Tech posted this 05 January 2014

This is the kit that I have https://www.bulletcoatings.com/xcart/product.php?productid=17522&cat=249&page=1>https://www.bulletcoatings.com/xcart/product.php?productid=17522&cat=249&page=1 All three products have been nice to have around. The WS2 is a great dry lube for sears and slides

Attached Files

Show More Posts
Categories
Search
Popular Tags
This Weeks High Earners
Hot Topics
Close