Powder Coating projectiles Methods/Tips discussion

[meaty-btz]

One of the cool things on powder coating is that you can reuse the overspray.

It is a dust until baked and melted onto the product.

Any overspray can be vacuumed up or reused I clean.



After seeing the wear tests on bimetallic rounds wearing out an AR twice as fast as copper I was worried that this would do the same.

Does anyone have an MSDS on cured powder coat?

This looks like a win for the .44 mag lever guns.

The MSDS will vary with the brand and even color. I can generalize you have many types:
epoxy
polyester
hybrid (poly-epoxy)
acrylic
polyurethane

Of them most of us will recommend polyester over the others, straight epoxy is the cheapest.

Acrylic works well too and is used in it's liquid paint form and has bonding properties similar to the other types. I don't know of anyone using a polyurethane so no commentary on that variant. Harbor Freight Powders are Epoxy, fusion bonded epoxy. Durability is sufficient but it is not "solvent resistant" as you would find with a proper linked polyester coating.

[Germz]

Don't spend the money on another tumbler! This is a better solution and costs the same!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WAI-Fully-electric-complete-powder-coat-system-gun-cup-Craftsman-powder-sample-/300996732022

That is the WAI powder coat system(sears one is discontinued). just buy powder from Harbor freight(red or black) and you are set to powder coat(plus a toaster oven).
Heck, I bet you could go to a scrap yard and buy an actual gas oven for cheap that can serve as your outdoor, dedicated casting(via top burners) and powder coating oven. And you will only have to spray once.
If space is your concern, the self contained sprayer is probably more compact when stored than the tumbler. And you can save yourself the careful picking up of bullets and balancing them gingerly on a cookie sheet and slowly transferring them to the toaster oven, TWICE for the tumble coat method.

just bought this and found a pretty big toaster oven for $10 on Pendletonyardsales.com I can't wait to try it out!

[anyracoon]

Finally had to go out and buy a new cheap toaster oven. Been looking for weeks with no luck at garage sales & Goodwill. Spent more money on gas and time!

[stilly]

Finally had to go out and buy a new cheap toaster oven. Been looking for weeks with no luck at garage sales & Goodwill. Spent more money on gas and time!

Craigslist is your friend, so is fleabay and walmart.

[Germz]

www.prismaticpowders.com

found this website. powder coating powders are half the price here as powderbythepound

bigger selection too. now to find a nice metallic turquoise blue/green

[stilly]

http://www.prismaticpowders.com

found this website. powder coating powders are half the price here as powderbythepound

bigger selection too. now to find a nice metallic turquoise blue/green

You need to fix yer link. Oh wait...

I fixed it for yas.

Good job in finding this. Too bad they only sell by the LB though. My local powder outfitter is cheaper, but there is a better selection here.

BTW, 1 LB is enough to coat prolly 50k + bullets.

[bigred1]

400 for 15 is just a tad hot in my new little toaster over.

[Germz]

Oh by the way I have that WAI powder coating gun. I am willing to sell it for $60. It works great but I find it more fun to tumble powder coat. only used one time!

[meaty-btz]

400 for 15 is just a tad hot in my new little toaster over.

The problem with a lot of the toaster ovens is that their "temp" vs "actual temp" or "temp range" can be pretty damned high. Mine tends towards the cooler side so that helps.

But I've had meltdowns as well.

In your case you might want to get some kind of quality thermocouple or other temp reading system so you can find the right setting.

[bigred1]

I tumble these, everything went pretty smoothly.
225 for 10 to get the lube off.
let cool and then gave a little acetone wash.
allowed to fully dry.
tossed a tiny bit of red PC in an old salsa jar, added bullets and then set the whole container into my tumbler.
tumbled for 20 mins

set them all neatly on the foil tray, set the little toaster to 400 for 20. checked at 15 and noticed that I had a pile of molten lead.

The PC was actually fully cure and most look like deflated balloons once the lead poured out.

[stilly]

400 for 15 is just a tad hot in my new little toaster over.

Some of those look chocolately delicious!

[3006mv]

i noticed that with foil i will get melted .224 boolits, but on the grating which allows air to flow? i do not get melted boolits at the same temp and duration

[anyracoon]

I use 12 gauge sheet metal cut to same size as toaster oven pan, covered with non-stick tin foil.

[bigred1]

I think the tiny over was basically acting like a broiler. So I used the grate with foul and put it on the top shelf then put the tray with foil on bottom shelf (with PC bullits)

18 min @ 400 again
Viola


came out a little uneven, HF Red PC seems to be wicked dark. Maybe a touch less on the tumble and go for two coats.

[Inkman]

I tumble lubed cast boolits for a while before buying a Star and was happy as i was starting out and it was cheap. No offense but so far, all the pics of powder coating looks like a major boatload of work and messy as all get out.

Does anybody have it down to an art yet where you can do thousands fairly quickly and clean?

Al