I learned how to cast and powder coat!

[1TwistedGimp]

Thanks to everyone here that steered me in the right direction!

Over the last two hours I learned how to use my lee casting mold and learned how to powder coat!

Someday maybe I'll learn how to add pics!
After watching many videos and reading posts here I can say I finally have hands on understanding of both processes.

Wish I could figure out how to upload a pic cause I think my casting turned out well, shiny and filled the mold perfectly using some fishing weights, pellets, wheel weights and a bit of solder I had on hand.

I only had enough to make 20 255gr .45c bullets from my lee mold but the FIL has a casting pot and somewhere near a ton of lead that I will have access to next week.

Can't wait to put some pc cast down range, all I need now is a sizing die and a few hrs to reload. Picked up a lb of unique and a lb of trail boss last week and was happy to see win 231 for the first time in 5 years at the lgs I frequent now.

I'm a happy man right now!

1TG

Figured out how to add a thumbnail at least. Pc is hf red two coats baked at 400 for 15min each. Please feel free to critique my work, culled 4 bullets cause I had to learn the operating temp of the mold but caught on quickly.Can't wait to pump out a few thousand of these for plinking!

 

[1TwistedGimp]

I'll be testing these cast pc'd in my ranch hand.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

Its fulfilling to be able to master something that pays dividends.

Before last year i had very limited experience casting bullets. But the fact that my new love for coated bullets over the smokey cast bullets was made easier by powder coating i had reason to start casting. In fact the smoke was the reason i moved to plated bullets in pistol reloading.

I managed nearly 30,000 so far and it is somewhat time consuming. But the cost of reloading took a nose dive as a result and for that reason alone i don't mind spending some of my off time casting and coating.

Let me pass on a hint in case i was not in part of your responses as far as lubing the Lee molds. Get some Full Synthetic 2 cycle for your molds and lube them well before you cast. The stuff works great. Also never use any brake ease as a lube. It will ruin your dies.

BTW those bullets look nice! You may very well find yourself a master before long.

Does your pot have a bottom spout or are you hand pouring?

 

[1TwistedGimp]

Wreck-n-crew,
Thank you for the kind words!
I only smoked the mold with a couple matches to help with the release and lubrication. I'll look into the synthetic 2cycle oil. I was hand pouring today cause I couldn't wait till next weekend to borrow the smelter pot from the FIL. I know it's silly but I used the camp stove and a stainless measuring cup to smelt/make my alloy. I only had a small handful of sinkers, pellets, solder, and a few wheel weights to start learning. I've spent so much over the last two weeks setting up to cast and powder coat that I HAD to see if I could make it happen.

Bullets dropped at .452 so my alloy can't be too far off, I struggled on the first 5 or so pours to get things right but found the right temp for the mold after a few partial fills and frosted bullets. I only had about a third of a cup of lead to work with but was determined to learn how to cast and powder coat TONIGHT!

The FIL has a bottom pour pot and oodles of lead and I'll be using that next week sometime to cast up as much as I have time for as well as powder coating them. In between I'll be loading up some plinking rounds with the hornady frontier bullets I took in trade a few years ago so I can go test some loads of the various powders I have at a friends property.

I have to get a sizing die for my pc'd castings before I can load em up. They drop at .452 but after coating they measure out at .456.

I still need to learn how to slug my barrel but should be ok to use the frontier lead hornady bullets for the moment I think.

1TG

 

[billybob44]

Looks good..


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?171403-Powder-Coating-Boolits
^^^Here is a GREAT place for Powder Coat info..I've been doing this for a little while also.
There are several better quality powders than HF paints listed on this site.

I ordered from All Powder Paints for my first batch..Their colors work well for me.

I have PLENTY of bullet lube setting around that I probably will not use now??...Bill.

 

[1TwistedGimp]

billybob44,

I will definitely be looking into some more quality pc, the hf red is a bit less than uniform but for my first try shaking and baking I'm pretty happy with how everything came out.

I became addicted to reloading a few years ago and always wanted to try my hand at casting but didn't get serious till my FIL gifted me the Rossi and I saw how much a box of 50 rounds were! I can't be spending 30.00 - 50.00 for 20-50 rounds, that's crazy considering I'm set up to reload and all I really needed was a die set. Turned out to be a die set, mold, two more lbs of powder, shell holder, primers, cases, powder coat and a toaster oven so far... GAH!

It has been interesting to learn a new skill to add to reloading though.

1TG

 

[clearcut]

Now you are a cast bullet junky they look great.

CC

 

[Duvel]

Looking good!

I got into casting / coating so I had the ability to supply my own bullets if I needed to.

I now cast for 9mm, .357, 10mm, & 45 Colt, it's turned into an extension of my reloading hobby

 

[1TwistedGimp]

Thank you clearcut, Duvel!

I appreciate the feedback from everyone here!

It's nice to know I'm on the right track

1TG

 

[shootniron]

Welcome to the double addiction...:banghead:

 

[RugerBob]

Bullets look great.
Question- are you still going to run them through a sizer die?

Does powder coating mean you can pass the standard lube stage that most use?

Curious as I also cast my own.

 

[1TwistedGimp]

RugerBob,

Yes, I'll be resizing as soon as I slug my barrel and find out what sizer I need.

It is my understanding that powder coated bullets require no lube but I'll be interested to hear what others have to say as I have only been researching this for a couple weeks.

1TG

 

[billybob44]

Bullets look great.
Question- are you still going to run them through a sizer die?

Does powder coating mean you can pass the standard lube stage that most use?

Curious as I also cast my own.

Yes, do run the PC projectiles through a sizer.

Yes, you do NOT lube with anything after PC.

This works well for me:http://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...50-4500-for-sizing-PC-bullets&highlight=chute

If you already have a lubersizer this works the best..Bill.

PS: Just noticed that Bob has FOUR more days on THR than I....HA HA...

 

[jmorris]

Looks like you have it down.

If you open your attached photos in their own window, copy the url then type this with out the .'s [IMG.]insert url here[/IMG.] They will post like the above.

 

[1TwistedGimp]

Thank you jmorris!

I'll try to do that in the future so my pics aren't skewed.

1TG