Powder Coat Resources

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  • Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    I wanted to start a thread on what everyone is buying for powder to powder coat bullets.
    Not necessarily about how to, or what is Powder coating, that you can jump to this post to read the link to get a background on it
    https://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=6266136&postcount=16

    I"m more interested in the powders themselves, where did you get it, what color etc. Why because I"ve found that not all powder coat powders are equal. Some work out better than others and some methods of coating work for certain powders better than a generic swish and dump. Colors can matter cause So far, I have seen different colors from the same vendor come out good or bad.

    Please post what powders you are buying and how they work for you and any tricks you need to employ to get them to coat/cook well.

    If you can put a link to where you buy it from and what colors/formulas you have had success with.

    I'll start out with what JohnFromMD recommended to me earlier this year.

    www.powderbuythepound.com

    Search for colors by the SKU

    So far , these turn out really good

    Sky Blue : SK5591
    Yellow Green : SK81512
    Raspberry Red : SKU210431

    I"ve had NOTHING but bad performance out of Harbor Freight powder using the easy method used for powderbuythepound.

    This one coats well but is somewhat translucent
    Candy Rose Gold SK32221

    I'm able to swirl these powders in a /5\ rubbermade container and the bullets basically soak up and coat really well. I will slowly add powder and swirl till they are completely coated with little powder left on the bottom. With this powder, if I put in too much, I need to shake excess powder off before coating.

    78d154669b5f3aa858084f142444bf27.jpg

    c16202afe1e290adabb45da2ae9ec3d2.jpg

    fba061570595426b406e7f30cb3e776d.jpg


    Note: gray below is Eastwood

    b714d878d4d47ac98b5e40e50e3d309c.jpg


    Rose Gold

    b7405d8ebf7302701cec872cbcfba0f7.jpg
     
    Last edited:

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    Eastwood Hotcoat

    Available on Amazon.
    I've tried so far

    Periwinkle Gray
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RLTLGPM

    Gold
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EDUFCA

    Although easy to get on Amazon, you get half the powder vs. Powderbuythepound. You do get a plastic container with it though. For this powder, you need to put in more than what will coat the bullet and you have to swirl more than powderbuythepound.
    The gray turns out good for me but the gold did not coat very well and left gaps uncoated in the lube grooves

    Gray for my 45-70
    212073826af4516ab7b8b9380faf49cc.jpg



    Gold and the gaps in the Grooves (top half of the bullet group) and clumping
    Needs more swirling
    b9491c5a160488d4a152ee7aeff2a30c.jpg
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    Prismatic Powders

    Also available on Amazon

    Bronze Chrome
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086XLFY59

    Good price / lb , no container option like Powderbuythepound.

    This coated well but seemed "clumpy" compared to powderbuythepound
    eff91acbd27833ded56738a54cba7bfc.jpg


    Here is the Prismatic (left) next to powderbuythepound

    0310bc33e2b2aacbcec74e671679fb96.jpg


    Edit: new batch with the Prismatic Bronze gold
    a7e4ff723173a2d8f999bbe743a90c98.jpg
     
    Last edited:

    JamesDong

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Aug 13, 2020
    3,260
    Duffield, Va
    Interesting, 2 questions....
    Won't that stuff foul the barrel?
    How does one REMOVE powder coat from other things like car wheels ect?
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    Oven is a Hamilton Beach with convection. I run it with convection on 400F for 20 mins

    0817330f0b9996e7ff4a4b4e3588dcc3.jpg


    I place them on a copper sheet or sometimes directly on top of hardware cloth.
    f5ad3eb8f74c569637b55c2023921d8c.jpg



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    guzma393

    Active Member
    Jan 15, 2020
    736
    Severn, MD
    Interesting, 2 questions....
    Won't that stuff foul the barrel?
    How does one REMOVE powder coat from other things like car wheels ect?

    Powder coating functions the same as bullet lube for cast bullets. Fouling is kept at a minimum, and at worst, the fouling is a mixed residue of the coating, trace lead, and powder residue that is easily scrubbed off with solvent, and a bore brush or 100 percent copper mesh.

    Personally, I would rather have powder coating fouling than copper fouling. Eliminates the need for intensive copper solvents.

    Not sure how to address the second question, but the powder coating is baked and cured on to what it is applied on, making it hard to take off. I would guess sandblasting the stuff off, but I never had to remove powder coating on surfaces.
     

    JamesDong

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Aug 13, 2020
    3,260
    Duffield, Va
    Powder coating functions the same as bullet lube for cast bullets. Fouling is kept at a minimum, and at worst, the fouling is a mixed residue of the coating, trace lead, and powder residue that is easily scrubbed off with solvent, and a bore brush or 100 percent copper mesh.

    Personally, I would rather have powder coating fouling than copper fouling. Eliminates the need for intensive copper solvents.

    Not sure how to address the second question, but the powder coating is baked and cured on to what it is applied on, making it hard to take off. I would guess sandblasting the stuff off, but I never had to remove powder coating on surfaces.

    Regular ole stripper won't hack it?
     

    guzma393

    Active Member
    Jan 15, 2020
    736
    Severn, MD
    Regular ole stripper won't hack it?
    Best I've done to "remove" powder coating is tossing defected projos back in the melt pot, haha. Had some stick on a toaster pan once and even trying to burn and chisel it off didn't work...

    Powder coating is more like an epoxy coating, than a conventional type of paint.

    Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
     

    guzma393

    Active Member
    Jan 15, 2020
    736
    Severn, MD
    I can relate to this thread. Eastwood lime green shakes and bakes easy. Baked it on 350-400 and coating comes out even. Great powder for volume powder coating casts.

    If you're ever at the agc pistol steel lanes, you'll see limegreen pancaked flakes embedded on the railroad tie. Public proof that they survive the hammer test. Overall quite happy with this powder.
    36c4d1d08cad696519a5f6b60a3b9bae.jpg
    aa9e270a6ef602b04ff33261f378466e.jpg
    5fd4694b318bec80ae0dd6ed5c560044.jpg
    6e0b3d9101081fd0038ef6e7b21ce9cd.jpg


    Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
     

    rehtlaw

    Member
    Nov 28, 2009
    74
    So. MD. area
    From the pic on post 5 do they look or feel noticeably different on the side laying on the tray? Do you need to roll or turn them while cooking?
     

    russ498

    Member
    Feb 8, 2021
    55
    Pasadena, MD 21122
    Questions???

    What its the purpose of powder coating?

    Is it only for cast bullets?

    Do you have to stand them on end when you bake?

    Obviously, the melting point of the powder is less than for lead, but by how much?

    Does the powder come off when you handle them prior to baking or do you use some type of forceps?
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,738
    Socialist State of Maryland
    What its the purpose of powder coating?

    Is it only for cast bullets?

    Do you have to stand them on end when you bake?

    Obviously, the melting point of the powder is less than for lead, but by how much?

    Does the powder come off when you handle them prior to baking or do you use some type of forceps?

    That story will take more bites than we have but here is a link to get you started.

    https://www.snipercountry.com/powder-coating-bullets/
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    From the pic on post 5 do they look or feel noticeably different on the side laying on the tray? Do you need to roll or turn them while cooking?

    There is slight puddling because the powder actually flows as it is heated up to cover better. That flow is somewhat why when you see bare spots before placing in oven, it covers up when cooked. For rifle bullets lying flat, you really need to shake it off some if you get a good heavy coat on there. You can shake them when placing if your using surgical clamps (like I use) or Needle nose/tweezers. Or you can place onto hardware cloth and then tap onto foil or paper to reclaim the powder. If the puddling is on the driving bands, then it smoothens out when sizing. On those bullets, it gets a little into the part that sticks out of the mouth of the case so you will see some disfigurement but going direct onto hardware cloth can get the same. I"ll dig up a pic and add it to this post.

    I stand up those semi wad cutters and shoot through my Kimber 1911. Barrel comes out clean as a whistle and the groups from a rest are TIGHT. I am nothing but pleased with the performance of the Kimber with those bullets and load combination I came out with.

    Edit: pic added showing what copper sheet imprints on bullet coating. This is a thicker coating cause I plan to size these to .314”



    44af5c8d9bd6843ee291868668f0e3af.jpg
     
    Last edited:

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