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Powder Coating Quick and Easy
https://www.waguns.org/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=80648		 Page 3 of 4
Author:  sportsdad60 [ Sat Apr 29, 2017 6:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
I wanted to add, I use Lee Bullet resizer dies on all my cast bullets. This sizes the bullet to the chamber of your gun. Most cast bullets gain about .001 to .003 diameter after coating, dependent on the powder coating and dependent on the cast mold.

As usual, you want a lead bullet about .001 to .003 larger than your slugged measured barrel.
Author:  Yondering [ Sat Apr 29, 2017 10:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
sportsdad60 wrote:
Yondering, as a newbie Bullet Powder Coater, Outstanding post!

Love your research tactic retrieving bullets!

Personally I use the Glad Seal containers shown in picture (instead of what your method is) and they seal up really nice. No mess, no fuss. And I also use the vibratory tumbler.

My method is this; After the bullets cool down from casting, I place 75-125 bullets per small container (count depends on size of bullet) with a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of "Powder by the Pound" blend. If you haven't used this stuff, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. No chips after baking!

Then sift it out on butcher paper after 30 minutes. (Pour the excess powder back into the Glad food storage container)

I also dump the freshly baked bullets right into a bucket of cold water after PC for 20 minutes. Every one of them break up, no chipping.

Then I size them in a Lee bullet resizing die (with a little squirt of case lube to keep them feed easy)


Glad you have a process that works for you. I want to make a couple comments, not to say "my way is better, yours is wrong" or anything like that, but what you've posted offers some good examples.

- You're taking 30+ minutes plus sifting to get the powder on a small batch of bullets, compared to ~30 seconds for 100-500 bullets. This is exactly why I said in the OP that the container type matters, a lot, if you want the "quick and easy" method. You're using way more powder than necessary as well, it's probably preventing static buildup that makes powder adhere well to the bullets, along with the container maybe not supporting the static either. With the right container and a small amount of powder, you can skip the tumbler and the sifting.

- Quenching after coating is great for hardening the lead alloy. However, the coating is still soft until it cools, so moving the bullets before they are quenched leaves a lot more bare spots. I prefer to pour water on the bullets, not bullets into the water, if I quench. I do often quench my rifle bullets, but don't bother with pistol bullets. I haven't seen the water quench separate the cake of stuck bullets.

- I'm not sure what the "chipping" is you refer to, unless that's the bare spots from having the coating torn away when hot. Polyester powder coat is flexible and does not chip. Some epoxy powder coats are harder and may chip, I avoid using those.

- On sizing - instead of adding lube to your bullets for sizing, I recommend polishing the inside of your sizing dies. Lee leaves the taper into the sizing portion rough, and every single one of them benefits a lot from polishing. It's easy to do in a couple minutes with a split steel dowel in a cordless drill, and a strip of emery cloth. You'll find bullets pass through with much less effort and no need for any additional lube. It really does make a big difference.
One caveat here is to buy your dies a thousandth or two smaller, so you end up with the right diameter after sizing. For example, I used a .356" Lee die to end up at .3575" after polishing.

Hope those things help someone here.
Author:  sportsdad60 [ Tue May 16, 2017 6:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
Some random powder coating pictures from this spring. I like blue. And Speckled red-blue for 38 spl.

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Author:  Yondering [ Wed May 17, 2017 7:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
Nice idea with the pizza pan, I like that.
Author:  sportsdad60 [ Sun Jun 11, 2017 5:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
I am reminded of the benefits of powder coating when I clean a pair of revolvers after 200 rounds fired at the range.

And no lube to deal with is the 2nd best reason for PC'ING lead.

The dirtiest 4 out of 8 cleaning patches shown in foreground after cleaning cylinders and barrel. :)
Author:  Yondering [ Mon Jun 12, 2017 5:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
Absolutely. And, the reduced lead exposure while shooting is another unseen but real benefit.
Author:  sportsdad60 [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 5:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
I tried some Powder by the Pound - Green yesterday.
Mixed some previously "lightly" coated blue for a change.
My wife calls them "Seahawk bullets"

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Author:  MadPick [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 5:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
Very cool. thumbsup
Author:  sportsdad60 [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 6:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
Forgot to add, these are 9mm 125 gr made with Lee caster.

THanks Steve!
Author:  sportsdad60 [ Thu May 03, 2018 5:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
Burning sick leave up since the company only pays 25% and I have under 60 hrs left.

So, I rec'v new Lee mold, 255 gr bullets for Thumper. 45ACP loads for hiking.
255 grain power hard cast coated Grizzly Thumpers fresh outta the oven. (wet from water quenching) Loading +P for a .45ACP Colt Commander conceal carry (enhanced slide and hammer springs to withstand the power)

Bear pepper spray? LOL! That's for granola snowflakes city folk that don't know beans about hiking among bears in Montana.

Lightly powder coated green.

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Author:  Yondering [ Thu May 03, 2018 10:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
Lookin good! Thats a good example of a nice light coat of powder too, you really don't need any more than that for pistol loads, and bullets stuck together with that light coat break apart easily.

I've been using the non-stick aluminum foil like that lately too. It works pretty nicely; I like it better than a screen in the baking tray.

In the past I've tried to use that bullet for a heavy 45 ACP load but was never very happy with it. If you have a long throated barrel it'd be OK, but otherwise the ogive length is too short and the driving band section is too long, so it takes up a lot of powder capacity. (A bunch of the Lee designs have this problem, not just in 45.) Best of luck though if you can make it work to your satisfaction. I was able to drive that one to ~850 fps with Unique in a 5" 1911. Watch for case bulges where the bullet base enters the tapered part of the case, especially if you're using mixed brass. A Lee FCD can help if you run into that problem although it's not an ideal solution, because the bullet ends up with a boat tail.
Author:  Yondering [ Thu May 03, 2018 10:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
BTW, can you guys still see my pics in the first post? They show up for me, but I'm not sure if they show up for everyone else, with the Fotobucket foolishness. I need to host them elsewhere but haven't got around to it.
Author:  MadPick [ Fri May 04, 2018 5:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
No, I can’t see them.
Author:  Pablo [ Fri May 04, 2018 6:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
MadPick wrote:
No, I can’t see them.


Also cannot see them.

All those magic tricks to view old fotophucket pics don't work a lick for me.
Author:  Yondering [ Fri May 04, 2018 7:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Powder Coating Quick and Easy
OK thanks for letting me know. I'll see what I can do about getting them fixed.
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