More powder coating trials

CBA Member

GP Idaho posted this 27 January 2021

I may have posted this here a while back. I've had the best coverage of any powders I've used with the Eastwood Semi gloss clear. I usually add a pinch of green or blue for an opaque look. For those who seem adverse to there bullets painted colors just use the clear powder and they will look just like bullets coated with a light coat of 45-45-10 and your friends will never know. Gp

Attached Files

Liked by

Standard Member

barra posted this 27 January 2021

Good one.

I don’t think I’m up to all this technical powder coating stuff yet.

I’m still finger lube with a soft 50/50 be/vas lube after I have seated my bullets.

About as technical as I get is gestamating the amount of vasalene and bees wax I put in my old tobacco tin.

I will stretch my 310 to 100 yards soon as a bigger aim point has proven help full.

I hope it/I can shoot that good.

‘Always nice to see a 310 shooting well.

Attached Files

Liked by

CBA Member

Boschloper posted this 23 January 2021

Great shooting Jeff. Minute of rabbit at 100m.

Attached Files

Liked by

Standard Member

JeffinNZ posted this 22 January 2021

I needed some Cadet brass to try a new powder in so this evening went to the range and fired off 15 rounds at 100m/100y. Foreend resting, no rear bag, put down all 15 in fairly quick time. Here is the target. Four high that will be sight picture error, 11 in a group measuring just under 2 inches wide and 1 1/4 inches tall. Very happy.

Cheers from New Zealand

Attached Files

Liked by

CBA Member

Boschloper posted this 14 January 2021

To build on what Spindrift says above I have a digital meat thermometer that I insert into a hole that I drilled in the back of my toaster oven. I pre-heat my bullets to around 140 degrees Fahrenheit, then tumble them in a #5 bowl. Just bullets and powder, no styrofoam or plastic beads.

Keep trying until you get a system that works for you.

Attached Files

Liked by

Standard Member

Spindrift posted this 12 January 2021

Bjung, welcome to the forum!

I think most powder coaters have had a learning curve; I know for certain I did!

People will tell you lots of different tricks that helped them. But it seems you have to do a little trial and error to adapt the technique to the peculiarities of your situation (climate etc). This is my list of suggestions, feel free to ingore

1) Get a good, proven powder. Like in my list above, or another proven powder.

2) Avoid moisture. Keep the lid firmly on your powder when not in use. I’ve found it impossible to get good results on very humid days in the summer.

3) The container must be absolutely clean, with no soap remnants either (they may be antistatic). You can degrease them with alcohol or something. Not all containers are equal, #5 or no. It pays of to try different ones. ALL my good ones are white plastic, but that might be a coincidence.

4) Preheat the bullets. Not too hot, you should be able to hold them with no discomfort. The effect of this is probably removal of condensed moisture.

5) Add some fresh powder at the start of a new session (remove some of the old powder, if there ‘s a lot of left-overs)

Good luck! I’m sure you’ll figure this out!

Attached Files

Liked by

Standard Member

BJung posted this 12 January 2021

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I tired HF Black and it didn't work for me. It would not coat my bullets well and I was using a #5 plastic container and styrofoam to increase static charge. When baked it was rough.

Attached Files

CBA Member

max503 posted this 10 January 2021

Guess I'm going to have to give this powder coating business a whirl. I bought a toaster oven a while back for melting kydex, so I'm pretty much set.

It's interesting, that some colors work better than others. I wonder why?

Attached Files

Liked by

Standard Member

Spindrift posted this 10 January 2021

Some Eastwood powders has worked well for me, some less so.

Good powders:

-Ford, light blue

-Ford, blue

- Signal red

-Kawasaki green

Not so good:

-Black, gloss

-White, gloss

-Chrysler orange

In order to use some of the less adherent powders, I mix the with the good ones. It gives a slightly mottled appearance

Attached Files

Liked by

CBA Member

Boschloper posted this 10 January 2021

max503: Try Eastwood for powder. I order through Amazon for free shipping. I use their Mirror Red.

Jeff: Do you have HF in NZ?

Attached Files

Standard Member

JeffinNZ posted this 09 January 2021

I see where people use red powder from Harbor Freight. My HF only has black and white. Would those work?

Folk report very mixed success with HF powder.

Cheers from New Zealand

Attached Files

CBA Member

max503 posted this 09 January 2021

I see where people use red powder from Harbor Freight. My HF only has black and white. Would those work?

Attached Files

Standard Member

JeffinNZ posted this 03 January 2021

CCI rifle primers produced a group 4 times as big.

Did you try different primers in the 310 Cadet and if so was there a difference as with the Hornet.

The Cadet has always shown a preference for CCI small pistol primers. These small cases are primer sensitive in my experience.

Cheers from New Zealand

Attached Files

CBA Member

fa38 posted this 03 January 2021

CCI rifle primers produced a group 4 times as big.

Did you try different primers in the 310 Cadet and if so was there a difference as with the Hornet.

Attached Files

Standard Member

JeffinNZ posted this 03 January 2021

OK. Today was the Hornet. Old style 225415 powder coated with a Hornady check. .226 and loaded in unsized brass over 8.3gr H4227 over a Win small rifle primer. Velocity will be 21-2200fps. One stray round but shows promise. CCI rifle primers produced a group 4 times as big.

Cheers from New Zealand

Attached Files

Liked by

CBA Member

ALYMAN#1 posted this 01 January 2021

During my research on the 41 Long Colt after getting a heeled bullet mold for that round went back to an article by Dave Scovill in the Handloader from 96 I think. He modified a cheap electrician's tool - wire cutter/crimper by drilling out one of the wire stripper holes to fit slightly under the case diameter to add a slight crimp to the heel. In the article he said that Lee was going to make a factory crimp die but they said it was not available recently. I found a couple stripper tools at pawn shop and was able to make one for my heel bullet after a couple tries - hard to hold the two arms tight when drilling.

Hope this helps.

Attached Files

Standard Member

barra posted this 01 January 2021

That's great accurracy! I have been scared to try heeled bullet. I can't see a crimp. Are you sweating the bullet by hand?

Thumb seating the bullets in unsized brass. No way to crimp the heel bullet and no real need.

well you could if you had one of those plier type looking crimping tools that leaves little dents in your brass.

‘What a mess that would create.

Nice shooting.

I have got some unique left I may try it sometime after I can duck the heat and cast some more.