Powder coat in the house AND keep mamma happy

[jaysouth]

It took me a while to realize, but there is definitely a correlation between high humidity and poor powder coating results.  The best place to powder coat is in a space with the lowest temperature and lowest humidity, like you your kitchen next to an AC vent.  However, powder has a tendency to migrate everywhere, making it unsuitable for use in your home.  But out in unairconditioned shop, it's often too hot and the humidity too high to get good results.

 

After thinking about I came up with a plan.

 

As soon as my wife left the house for the afternoon, I tuned the A/C down to max cool.  I went out into the garage and dumped some a couple of teaspoons of powder (Powdersbuythepound.com, grass green) and several dozen bullets into a plastic container with a very tight lid.  I then took the container inside the house for an hour.  This particular one came with McCormack's soup and gravy mix (no longer at Costco).  Tightening the lid down, I put it into my vibratory tumbler and took it into the kitchen.  I vibrated for a couple of minutes with the container upright in the tumbler bowl.

 

After a few minutes, I turned the container upside down and vibrated a couple of more minutes.

 

After a couple of minutes, I dumped the container on to a screen and sifted(outside).

 

Then into the oven out on the driveway

 

Twenty minutes in the oven at 400 degrees f. (notice the bullets changing color in the oven)

 

After curing in the oven, dump onto another screen,(this breaks up clumping bullets) and cool.

 

I carefully wiped the kichen to look for powder that had migrated while tumbling, there was none.  Mamma came home and never guessed I had been doing mad scientist experiments in her kitchen.

 

Lastly, I must give credit to Dolomite for the pioneering work that he has done on powder coating.  What I am doing here is just a slight variation on his work.

Edited October 27, 2014 by jaysouth

[Photoguy67]

Where is a good place to find the wire screen for the oven? I have every thing but that. 

[RED333]

Well we know who wears the pants in your family, and who wants to get into them. :up:

UM, same thing at my house as well.

Edited October 26, 2014 by RED333

[BJB]

Where is a good place to find the wire screen for the oven? I have every thing but that.

It can be picked up at any hardware store. It's wire mesh, some call it chicken wire but it's not the same. A small roll is pretty cheap to buy

[TNMTBik3r]

I used aluminum screening for a door or window. Not sure if it would be cheaper than chicken wire, but was inexpensive.

[Major Kong]

Where is a good place to find the wire screen for the oven? I have every thing but that. 

Home Depot sells it as hardware cloth.

[jaysouth]

Ace Hardware calls this "hardware cloth".  I think I bought this at Home Depot.  It only comes in rolls.  For cooking(curing), I bend up corners on  a piece of it with pliers to go in the oven.  I have a bigger one with a reinforced wooden frame.  It gets used for all kinds of chores including powder casting, gardening and treasure hunting.

 

It also comes in different sized mesh.  I think this one is 1/4 inch.

[jaysouth]

For the next batch, I intend to put powder in the container and move into the house.  After the powder and container cool down in the lower humidity environment, I will mix bullets heated with a heat gun into the container, then vibrate.

 

Stay tuned, however mamma will not be leaving the house during the day for a week or so.

 

During the course of this experiment, I was drinking Budweiser.  Next time, it will be with Yuengling Lager.  A good scientist has to mix up the variables, for science of course.

Edited October 26, 2014 by jaysouth

[TNMTBik3r]

For the next batch, I intend to put powder in the container and move into the house.  After the powder and container cool down in the lower humidity environment, I will mix bullets heated with a heat gun into the container, then vibrate.

 

Stay tuned, however mamma will not be leaving the house during the day for a week or so.

 

During the course of this experiment, I was drinking Budweiser.  Next time, it will be with Yuengling Lager.  A good scientist has to mix up the variables, for science of course.

 

Be careful heating the bullets up. I tried that once, added powder and got a sticky mass that I could not tear apart. The powder clung instantly.

[BJB]

Did you put any type of liquid in the powder or is it dry. The coating looks good

[jaysouth]

Dry, no acetone or lacquer thinner needed.  

 

There are others who swirl plastic airsoft BBs with the bullets and powder to create more static, which is supposed to make the powder cling better.

 

Maybe when I find some larger mesh hardware cloth for trays, I will try this.  With the mesh on my trays, the BBs do not fall through making it necessary to pluck bullets out of the mesh with fingers or pliers.

 

More scientific experiments.  More dependent and independent variables.  Maybe Heinken next time.

[z0mbies fear me]

Good looking bullets. Caliber? Cast them yourself or buy them?

[jaysouth]

Those are bullets that I cast myself.  You can buy unlubricated bullets from Missouri Bullets for powder coating.  there may be others who will shop you bullets before they are lubed.

 

I would contact Falcon Bullets here in TN and see if they could accomodate you.

Edited October 27, 2014 by jaysouth