Re-coating coated bullets

[King Medallion]

So it appears my 1st attempt at powder coating is a fail. Splotchy covering, no covering. I used Harbor Freight flat black for powder, which I have since read is not very good. I used a tupperware container and a bag of red beads, and shook them up pretty good. I think. Maybe not. Next try will shake longer.
Can I re-coat the semi coated bullets or just shoot them as is, and try with fresh bullets?
Thanks for your input.

 

[AJC1]

Some powders suck and benifit from a second coat. To much is just as bad, when all the features are rounded off. Sometimes pre warming the bullets +-180 ish helps.

 

[WeekendReloader]

I've had good luck with the HF black by coating two times. The first coat is horrible, but it allows the second to stick. Give it a try.

I use powders from Eastwood now. One coat is all it takes.

 

[Y-T71]

I've had good luck with the HF black by coating two times. The first coat is horrible, but it allows the second to stick. Give it a try.

I use powders from Eastwood now. One coat is all it takes.

All this ^^^ for me too.

 

[King Medallion]

I'll give it a try. Thank you!

 

[doubleh]

Deposit the HF black in the closest trashcan. It isn't worth the effort. Get some Eastwood or Smoke's powder and get excellent results with one coat. I use Eastwood red and only shake 10 seconds or a little less. Works every time.

 

[AJC1]

Deposit the HF black in the closest trashcan. It isn't worth the effort. Get some Eastwood or Smoke's powder and get excellent results with one coat. I use Eastwood red and only shake 10 seconds or a little less. Works every time.

Although I can agree that results are waaaaay better with Eastwood I cannot condone waste... understanding that getting better powder and setting aside the other for hard times makes more sense to me....

 

[Thomasss]

I found Harbor Freight powders work a lot better if mixed with lacquer thinner and then drained on hardware cloth or metal window screen. Then use pin nose pliers to pick them up and place them on paper towel or wax paper to dry. When dry put them on a cookie sheet and heat them to form your lipstick bullet.

 

[cfullgraf]

I've had good luck with Eastwood powders but not all of them work well. Ford Blue, MG Maroon, and red seem to work best for me. Yellow and white can be splotchy. I think green worked well but I've slept some since I used it.

I cannot comment on Harbor Freight powders.

 

[AJC1]

I've had good luck with Eastwood powders but not all of them work well. Ford Blue, MG Maroon, and red seem to work best for me. Yellow and white can be splotchy. I thing green worked well but I've slept some since I used it.

I cannot comment on Harbor Freight powders.

The Eastwood dark green is gooder...

 

[edwardware]

I always PC at least twice, because thinner coats are smoother.

Coat again.

 

[kcofohio]

You will need to do the smash test on a bullet. If the initial coating flakes off, then any coating after will not adhere properly. But if the coating stays on, then coat again.

I'm not familiar with HF powder. But Hi-Tek coating, you test also by rubbing at the coating with acetone on a clothe to see if any comes off.

 

[AJC1]

I keep a few rejects just for the smash test, no reason to wreck the good ones. I let my boy smash them, and he loves it... I never have had any flaking, but I started with Ford light blue... I always bake 20 minutes at 400. I see a lot of people trying to "improve the process"

 

[BJung]

I once owned HF Black, double coated it and used lacquer thinner. Nothing worked to improve it. The surface looked rough like sandpaper so I remelted the cast bullets into my ingot mold. I just gave the powder coat away. If I were to every try the HF PC again, it would be through a PC spray system. To save money, look up some local PC services in your area and ask them if they have any powder that has been on their shelf for a long time. If they don't just give it to you, they'll sell it to you for cheap. That's how I get my paint. Tell them it's just for a hobby.

 

[King Medallion]

Whats on the bullets is stuck good, just splotchy. Eastwood has only 150+ colors to choose from, how to decide? Pick one with reviews.

 

[kcofohio]

Whats on the bullets is stuck good, just splotchy. Eastwood has only 150+ colors to choose from, how to decide? Pick one with reviews.

I get splotchy with Hi-Tek when I don't add enough to spread around on the bullets. After baking and cooling, I repeat.

 

[AJC1]

Whats on the bullets is stuck good, just splotchy. Eastwood has only 150+ colors to choose from, how to decide? Pick one with reviews.

Loads of bacon and fortune cookie45lc have hours of testing and reviews on powders from many companies.... Ford lite blue is PC for dummies and I love it...

 

[AJC1]

Whats on the bullets is stuck good, just splotchy. Eastwood has only 150+ colors to choose from, how to decide? Pick one with reviews.

 

[jmorris]

There will be less stuff to scrape off the top of the melt (lead loss) if you just do what you know needs to be done.

If the first coat of anything doesn’t stick, anything on top of that will not either.

You can add thickness with multiple coats but not adhesion.

(at least in the limited scope of bullet coatings).

 

[WeekendReloader]

I once owned HF Black, double coated it and used lacquer thinner. Nothing worked to improve it. The surface looked rough like sandpaper so I remelted the cast bullets into my ingot mold. I just gave the powder coat away. If I were to every try the HF PC again, it would be through a PC spray system. To save money, look up some local PC services in your area and ask them if they have any powder that has been on their shelf for a long time. If they don't just give it to you, they'll sell it to you for cheap. That's how I get my paint. Tell them it's just for a hobby.

The HF matte black ends up with a rough surface. After pushing them through a 0.356" sizing die, the sides were smooth and they all loaded and shot just fine.

I now use Eastwood powders and do one tumble coat. I still have the HF powders (yellow and matte black) on the shelf. I'll probably mix it 50/50 with the dregs of the other colors and use it up at some point. Waste not, want not.

 

[doubleh]

I've had good luck with Eastwood powders but not all of them work well. Ford Blue, MG Maroon, and red seem to work best for me. Yellow and white can be splotchy. I think green worked well but I've slept some since I used it.

I cannot comment on Harbor Freight powders.

My first coating was done with HF red and it did good. Of course it is no longer available. I should have added red to my Eastwood powder as it has never failed me. Not caring in the least what color my bullets are, only that they work, I am sticking with red. I consider throwing something that doesn't work away a learning experience, not a waste. It's irritating but considering the cost of that powder it's not worth the hassle of trying to get good results from it.

 

[Pottimus]

I have had a few that were less than stellar, I lubrisized and used them or Aloxed them. I have sprinkled some of the HF black in with my blue but at that rate the black will never get used up...

 

[BJung]

Some powder coaters I've read online use their tumbler. Maybe you can try this.

 

[Rule3]

HF RED works just fine. One coat. Shake and bake

 

[ms6852]

I've had good luck with the HF black by coating two times. The first coat is horrible, but it allows the second to stick. Give it a try.

I use powders from Eastwood now. One coat is all it takes.

When you do a second coating, have you baked the first coating? If so at what temperature and lastly do you sacrifice a couple of bullets and do a smash test to make sure it does not flake off?