New PC'er--a couple lessons learned, and some success

[mongoose33]

OK, couldn't take it any more. My wife was off to Madison today, I asked her to pick up the Harbor Freight Powder Coat gun and a couple of pounds of powder. About 10:30 am she texts me: Success! So I start planning for it. I get a toaster oven (more on that in a minute), clean up the bench so I can use it, and I'm ready.

She gets home just before supper; we eat, then right after, well, I just HAVE to test this method. So I spoon a little powder in a plastic lidded bowl, add some boolits, cover it, and shake, rattle and roll. They get covered fairly well, though lumpy in spots. I remove them with tweezers, set on non-stick aluminum foil over a piece of plank, set the oven at 400 degrees, and let it go for 20 minutes.

Like watching a pot of water boil. Eventually the timer dings, I pull out the boolits and HOLY COW! Some have melted!

I'm pretty amazed by this. I'm using three different bullets, three different alloys, this is a pretty soft one that melted.

Well. Off to Menards I go to get an oven thermometer. I bring it home, set it in the oven, and even though the dial is set at 400 degrees, the thermometer is reading 550!

I had the oven on convection, and maybe that was related, don't know--all I know is the temp settings are goofy. I spent a little time finding the setting that yielded 400 degrees--it's where the dial reads about 325.

OK. Now I really can't wait. I break out the powder coating gun, read the instructions twice, set it up, and coat some more bullets. In they go, at the new oven setting. Again it's like watching a pot come to boil, and finally they're done. I pull 'em out and they are MUCH better. Further, the color is redder. The high temp boolits coating was, probably, burned to some degree. It's certainly browner.

I've run a few of the new ones through a sizing die, and I'm amazed that it sizes them down just like I want, and the coating is intact.

I've included a pic below--the new, good one is on the right, the others are various degrees of...whatever.

Lessons: I have to get a bit more even coating. Some bullets were too close to each other, so I have thin spots. That'll be fixed by spacing them better. And I learned not to trust the dial. I may, depending on my inclination, hook up my PID to the oven to control temperature. I have a long probe, all I'd have to do is drill a small hole in the side of the oven.

So far, so good. Now comes the real testing: out of a gun.

[willie_pete]

It is addictive.

wp

[mongoose33]

It is addictive.

wp

It was exactly what the doctor ordered. I had three bombshells dropped on me at work on Friday after 4pm, one of those days when you just want to resign from the human race.

Now, I've had a big victory. It all worked! Nice for things to go as you expect or would like.

So, addictive, yes. I needed the hit.

[Beagle333]

Oh yeah.... definitely hook the PID to the convection oven. Be sure to wire the light and fan to a separate power source..... they don't like the pulse of the PID.
I use 3/4" spacing for my grid when spraying boolits. It's a good mix for mine. (357 and 44/45). You might want a little closer if just spraying 9mm and 38s.
It is certainly addictive! And fun too. Happy spraying!!

You can see where the probe for my PID sticks in from the side and gets the temp just right, exactly over the top of the boolits that are ready for baking.

[mongoose33]

I'll bet those are just gorgeous when they're done. Where do you get your powder for those?

BTW, I've never seen a PID out of a flat-rate mail box.

[Beagle333]

They look like this when they're done. I get all my powders from Smoke4320. He has the best stuff. The blues coat very easily. This is signal blue.



I did two PID's in MFR boxes. They're cheap, light, and the cords can retract into the box. But beware, the safety Nazi's will give you lots of grief about building something electrical in a cardboard box. I only use them outdoors though.

The first one was small, using an Auburin's PID.




The next one was the bigger "Easy Reader" version using the TA7 Mypin from Amazon.

[mongoose33]

Geez, that's just so....right, somehow.

That's a gorgeous blue.

[Beagle333]

Check out Smoke's powders..... he's the man!!

[bangerjim]

You have proven the old rule......NEVER trust the dial on a cheap oven! Always check with a good thermometer. Those cheap bi-metal tstats are garbage. Most are off by a lot. Yours was off by a TON!

Melted boolits are generally the result of a non-convection "hot spot" oven.

Glad you got it figured out. The tstat on your oven, now that you know the off-set, should be more than sufficient to bake boolits. That is all I use on my convection oven and crank it out perfect cooks every time.

Have fun!

[mongoose33]

You have proven the old rule......NEVER trust the dial on a cheap oven! Always check with a good thermometer. Those cheap bi-metal tstats are garbage. Most are off by a lot. Yours was off by a TON!

Melted boolits are generally the result of a non-convection "hot spot" oven.

Glad you got it figured out. The tstat on your oven, now that you know the off-set, should be more than sufficient to bake boolits. That is all I use on my convection oven and crank it out perfect cooks every time.

Have fun!

Having fun!

Weather was decent, so I took some of my PC'd boolits from last night and whomped up some loads. Here are the 9mm, with one of the .38 spl in the background:



How'd they shoot? Just as I expected: no leading at all, the smoke was WAY down from what I was experiencing with my lubed cast boolits, and they were more consistent in velocity than just about anything I've ever shot. I have a few tweaks to make in the 9mm, but the .38spl in my Ruger GP100 was as accurate as anything else I've shot through it.

I'm happy.

[bangerjim]

.......and it begins! Welcome to the never-ending money black hole!




banger

[mongoose33]

.......and it begins! Welcome to the never-ending money black hole!




banger

Ain't that the truth! Now I'm trying to decide what powder to buy from Smoke. But I'm nearly out of unlubed cast boolits so I need to get going on that too.

[Markbo]

I dont have a PID. I dont even know what that means. . Can I just drill a tight hole and insert my lead thermometer?

[mongoose33]

I dont have a PID. I dont even know what that means. . Can I just drill a tight hole and insert my lead thermometer?

If it's accurate, I don't see why not. Not really any different than drilling a hole and inserting a thermocouple probe through it.

[mongoose33]

.......and it begins! Welcome to the never-ending money black hole!




banger

Oh, I'm way past the event horizon. Casting and now PC'ing just represents one more layer of the onion being peeled back.

Hornady LnL progressive, Hornady 366 shotshell progressive, couple of single stage presses, I wet-tumble to clean brass using stainless steel media, two tumblers (Thumler's, Frankford Arsenal), lead hardness tester (cabine), star lubesizer, man, there is no end to this.

Black hole, indeed.

[psychbiker]

Oh, I'm way past the event horizon. Casting and now PC'ing just represents one more layer of the onion being peeled back.

Hornady LnL progressive, Hornady 366 shotshell progressive, couple of single stage presses, I wet-tumble to clean brass using stainless steel media, two tumblers (Thumler's, Frankford Arsenal), lead hardness tester (cabine), star lubesizer, man, there is no end to this.

Black hole, indeed.

I'll be getting into PC'ing and actual casting soon. The above had me laughing. I'm driving 3 hours round trip tomorrow just to get 200+ lbs of lead ingots for $0.75/lb. They are higher antimony than wheels weights but whatever, California sucks when it comes to finding lead, better get it now. Plan was to ONLY cast for 300 blackout.....I've since added a 45 and 40 mold and did the group buy for a 4 cavity 9mm 147 mold. I predict in 10 years ammo will be so expensive I better be able to make my own. I'm also Looking for a cement mixer to clean brass or build a bigger wet tumbler. I'm also trying to date (33 years old) and finding it's getting in the way hahah!

[jcwit]

I'll be getting into PC'ing and actual casting soon. The above had me laughing. I'm driving 3 hours round trip tomorrow just to get 200+ lbs of lead ingots for $0.75/lb. They are higher antimony than wheels weights but whatever, California sucks when it comes to finding lead, better get it now. Plan was to ONLY cast for 300 blackout.....I've since added a 45 and 40 mold and did the group buy for a 4 cavity 9mm 147 mold. I predict in 10 years ammo will be so expensive I better be able to make my own. I'm also Looking for a cement mixer to clean brass or build a bigger wet tumbler. I'm also trying to date (33 years old) and finding it's getting in the way hahah!

You are heading in the right direction for sure.

Word of advice, move out of California.

[Markbo]

Oh, I'm way past the event horizon. Casting and now PC'ing just represents one more layer of the onion being peeled back.

Hornady LnL progressive, Hornady 366 shotshell progressive, couple of single stage presses, I wet-tumble to clean brass using stainless steel media, two tumblers (Thumler's, Frankford Arsenal), lead hardness tester (cabine), star lubesizer, man, there is no end to this.

Black hole, indeed.

But just look how much money you're saving!