Powder coating made easy

[thenodnarb]

has anyone come up with a larger curing oven? My toaster oven is just...slow. Sorry if this is a hijack.

[sofbak]

The tape is just to show how big my container is.
The BB's are neon green.

Here's what I think helped. This is my tumbler. Don't laugh. It works well.

I'm thinking putting my container in this and let things tumble for 15 minutes helped even out the coverage.
Now don't get me wrong. The plastic container goes in side the tumbler.

Yup. I think your tumbler there was one of two really good ideas in your method. WRT the tumbler, I had planned on putting the bowl inside my media separator and cranking on that to create a similar level of agitation. From all I have read, the more vigorous the tumbling action, the quicker and more evenly the powder adheres to the lead.

The other really good feature you employed was the 1/4" steel plate on the grill. That plate adds a lot of thermal mass in the baking process, and will help to reduce the temperature variances underneath the whole "field" of bullets. It may also enhance conduction into the base of the bullets, as well as convection heating around them. Old style gas ovens usually had a thick plate in the bottom for the same reason.

Now about those neon green bb's... From the cb thread, the black Crossman bb's were reported to be the most effective. IDK why, but that is what I gathered there. I wonder if your enhanced tumbling system via the ice cream maker is compensating for the difference between the bb's and the hand agitation/tumbling methods of others. I couldn't find a small container of the black ones at the local wm, but they had the green ones, so I may start with them.

Whatever, your results are both impressive and encouraging....I hope I do as well. Thanx for sharing...

[sofbak]

Uh oh

has anyone come up with a larger curing oven? My toaster oven is just...slow. Sorry if this is a hijack.

See Pablo's original post. He used a bbq grill, and a 1/4" steel plate for a "baking sheet". A really good combination for this process......


Well, here's an "uh oh" update via my wife:
I was in the kitchen eyeing a couple of her plastic bowls for this and got caught So I explained what was going on here. Everything was good until she asked what I was planning on using to bake these coated bullets in-"Not in my oven you're not!"

When I mentioned the bbq grill, the reaction was even worse. Her concern was the possibility of lead and powder deposits getting onto the grill surfaces via vapor from the heating, and subsequently getting deposited in foods that might be cooked on the same grill afterwards.

She is a bio-med engineer and deals with pharmaceuticals in liquid and even vapor states, so her credibility here is pretty good.

So if you're thinking about or already have used the family bbq for this, you may have a problem-especially if you feed young humans off your grill. Something to consider for sure..... I'm going "craigs-listing" for a PC grill to be safe.

[thenodnarb]

See Pablo's original post. He used a bbq grill, and a 1/4" steel plate for a "baking sheet". A really good combination for this process......

I saw his post.
I prefer not to bake PC in something that I'm going to cook food in. I don't use my home oven for the same reason. Not going to buy a BBQ for bullets.

Its gotta be dedicated and relatively inexpensive. The toaster oven fits this description, but is too small.

I've got a turkey fryer and some roof flashing sheets. Maybe I can rig something up.

[meaty-btz]

See Pablo's original post. He used a bbq grill, and a 1/4" steel plate for a "baking sheet". A really good combination for this process......


Well, here's an "uh oh" update via my wife:
I was in the kitchen eyeing a couple of her plastic bowls for this and got caught So I explained what was going on here. Everything was good until she asked what I was planning on using to bake these coated bullets in-"Not in my oven you're not!"

When I mentioned the bbq grill, the reaction was even worse. Her concern was the possibility of lead and powder deposits getting onto the grill surfaces via vapor from the heating, and subsequently getting deposited in foods that might be cooked on the same grill afterwards.

She is a bio-med engineer and deals with pharmaceuticals in liquid and even vapor states, so her credibility here is pretty good.

So if you're thinking about or already have used the family bbq for this, you may have a problem-especially if you feed young humans off your grill. Something to consider for sure..... I'm going "craigs-listing" for a PC grill to be safe.

There should be no out-gassing below a certain temp with the lead. The powder vapors are a LOT worse. NEVER mix or use food cooking aparatus once used for PC for food. This is known industry wide.

[BigBronco]

I plan on using a Pizza Pal oven for the baking. I picked one up a few years back for $10 at a flea market. It will accommodate a 12 x 12 inch area for baking should hold a lot of Pills.

[meaty-btz]

well.. day two netted better results.. except the results followed the tumbler and half my bbs over the edge of the workbench and onto the floor breaking my tumbler...

[BigBronco]

Well Day one for the dry bb tumble method of powder coating bullets. Started with .45 230grrn Using a pint size #5 round with a screw on lid (Stater Bros). First round went well. Those before me were right on saying get the small pack of BB's I think I have enough for years with the large size.

Now with all the shaking and rolling bu hand I got to thinking (usually a bad idea) However I t worked this time. I punched a hole in the top of the threaded lid and attached a mandrel.





Next I chucked it up in the cordless drill and instant power bullet tumbler. Just don't spin too fast. Coated the bullets well in under a minute. By putting a plastic bag under the screw on lid (Because it cracked when punching the hole) I can use one lid for several colors.




Then into the mini snack/pizza oven.

[BigBronco]

Just out of the oven. Two coats on the HF red. One coat on the Orange that I got from a friend.

[meaty-btz]

excellent!

The quality on the orange PC is clearly superior to the HF red.

[thenodnarb]

Where did the orange come from?

BTW I had an idea regarding the oven that was inspired by your pizza oven.
I'm thinking of making a rocket stove pizza oven that is really a rocket stove bullet oven! I might make the capacity as large as 2'X2'.

[BigBronco]

The orange was some left over through another calgunner that we taught to reload. Where he works uses a pro powder coating shop and he bummed some for me. I have no idea the maker of the powder. I want to find a source for some Zombie green.


Next I have a new thing I am going to try. Got me some micro encapsulated scent varnish. This is the stuff Scratch and sniff ads are printed with. Gonna make me some scratch and sniff bullets. There was some left over at work and I brought a few ounces home. I found out this Varnish costs $700 per lb. Stilly has glow in the dark. I am gonna have the nicest smelling bullets in town.

[sl0re10]

Well I don't know if I can deliver the full failure to just lack of Electrostatics. I have been having a quiet issues with adhesion even with my spray gun. I am also researching why powder is just plain not sticking to my bullets anymore. Problem started a few months ago and has continued to worsen. But I will try the wooly solution (which is a great way to develop static).

available static electricity also seems to have a weather link (and in my observation / opinion seasonal link). Some days there is almost nothing you can do to not spark when touching a door knob. Other times; nothing you can do to get one.

[stilly]

Goddammit. I want smelly bullets now...

Hmmm, I can make them smell on my own, but it aint gonna be a pleasant one...


I have found that the coatings are delicate. MUCH more delicate then when I tumblecoat withOUT using anything but powder and lead.

I hate how I barely touch it and it comes right off. I am still waiting for mah tools though.

Bronco if you wanna some flourescent green zombie powder I think I can hook ya up, but it might cost you a certain primer pocket swager... :whistle:
I got some HF and I got some Tiger Drylac from a PC place down the street. I found one that carries most of the Tiger Drylac coatings and they will sell me a LB of the stuff when I go in. They are the only ones that will do it. All of the others that I called in town were a bunch of dicks and told me NO. (and that is why they were DICKS!) I will take my Ikea SS shelves to this place when I get a full time job and let them give me some PC RED shelves for my kitchen. And I will also buy some more PC from them. They got about a hundred PLUS colors to choose from.

Yeah so anyways, I chucked my light batch of green back in to see if they can get redone and not get so marked up.

As for ANYONE using a BBQ. You REALLY should consider a toaster oven that goes to 500 degrees instead. The reason is because it is MORE PRECISE and can give you a better shutoff temp. I tunr on mine, set the timer and go do something, when I hear the DING I come back over and open the door.

Hmmm, Imma search for a different container but my thumler is only so big and I really like those squared containers now that I bought 8 of them about a month ago...

Also, when I tumbled my powder and lead only, I tumbled for about 15-20 minutes. The longer I tumbled the darker it all got. At least now when I tumble the darkness does not show and these are bright. BUT, I only tumbled these for about 5 minutes or so. I think I will tumble these for about 15 minutes to see the coverage. Maybe it will be better then.

How does one know when his BBS are getting low on powder?

No wonder you are having problems........

1. wrong container-find a #5 container. There is a material difference.
2. wrong container shape. Square sided is a no-go. find a round one.
3. wrong bb's. I noticed al walmart last night that the black bb's recommended are .25 gr weight. like the container, there must be a material significance associated with the ES charge build up and transmission using these heavier bb's.
4. swirling/coating motion. IF you're not getting them to the top to pick out, you need to take advantage of the coriolis effect of the earth's rotation. Orient your container with the true north/south earth axis-not magnetic north/south. Eliminate magnetic interference with surrounding structures/ objects-get out in the open with at least a 50' open space perimeter around you when you coat them. Eliminate interference with clothing/ personal effects on your body-strip down naked when you coat them. Adopt the proper swirling motion-hold your container (in the correct earth axis alignment) with your right foot and your left hand and swirl your container counter-clockwise.

Do all the above, and your results will improve substantially. So much so, that your efforts might even make the evening news in your locale

I was using this container for lead bullets + powder for powder coating. Round does NOT work for that process, that is the only reason why I used this one. I will hunt down a ROUND container. as a number 5 and have a look . Maybe a large cylinder will be good.

I was cheapign out on the bbs, I noticed that the .25G WERE expensive compared to the others, but I was like, they did not specify so I can prolly get away with these, BUT, I DID not get the EL CHEAPO translucent green ones...

I DID have a thought that the heavier the 6mm bbs were, the less that the lead would sink as fast.

#4.- WTF? Are you ****ting me? **** that. If either WORKS without 4 or it aint happening. I aint getting buck *** nekid to let me machine tumble this ****. That is a ****ing deal breaker right there yes it is... **** no. Mutha****as can get tossed and back to powder/lead tumbling...

[Pablo5959]

See Pablo's original post. He used a bbq grill, and a 1/4" steel plate for a "baking sheet". A really good combination for this process......


Well, here's an "uh oh" update via my wife:
I was in the kitchen eyeing a couple of her plastic bowls for this and got caught So I explained what was going on here. Everything was good until she asked what I was planning on using to bake these coated bullets in-"Not in my oven you're not!"

When I mentioned the bbq grill, the reaction was even worse. Her concern was the possibility of lead and powder deposits getting onto the grill surfaces via vapor from the heating, and subsequently getting deposited in foods that might be cooked on the same grill afterwards.

She is a bio-med engineer and deals with pharmaceuticals in liquid and even vapor states, so her credibility here is pretty good.

So if you're thinking about or already have used the family bbq for this, you may have a problem-especially if you feed young humans off your grill. Something to consider for sure..... I'm going "craigs-listing" for a PC grill to be safe.

By the way, I only used the BBQ just to see if the dry BB tumble PC would even come close to some of the results on the other forum.
I now have a small toaster oven.
Besides, my little ones are gone and I grew up in the 60's. Lead paint, leaded gas, PCB's DDT.
i kame ouut Ffinnee....