Cholla Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 I am gearing up to powder coat my bullets. The cast boolits forum say a small convection oven works best because the fan prevents temperature variations. I have access to a cheap air-fryer and it seems to me that that should work the same. Have any of you used one for this? UPDATE: The air-fryer works great except it's too small. My first attempt went well and survived the smash test. I used Eastwood powder, no airsoft BBs, in a cottage cheese container. 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Greg Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 I don't see why it wouldnt work. Sounds like a better idea than popping 'em in the overn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Let us know how it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cholla Posted December 25, 2020 Author Share Posted December 25, 2020 43 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said: Let us know how it works. This is the same response I got on castboolits! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrel Cody Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Just now, Cholla said: This is the same response I got on castboolits! Wonder if its the same person both places? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kloehr Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 A fan does improve temperature evenness through the oven. Too much air movement might blow some of the powder off of them. Preheating the bullets might improve powder adhesion. All of the above from studying for and planning powder coating for automotive and other purposes, but a tray of bullets should behave the same. I'm think an air fryer might have too much air movement, and preheating parts prior to applying powder might improve results. My gut tells me the fan will win in the end. So after all that, let us know how it works. And if they are crispy without the fat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 My Air Fryer makes absolutely WONDERFUL Chicken. Wonder if it would make the Bullets Tender and Juicy?? Please keep us up to date!! Enquiring minds and all that happy hou....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boulder Canyon Bob# 32052L Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 The wife might not like using her Airfryer for that, my wife REALLY didn't like me using the dishwasher to clean motorcycle parts and using the oven to make windscreens when we were still racing motorcycles. The parts did come out nice and warm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixgun Seamus Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 You can also heat up your leftover pizza while doing the bullets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeaconKC Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 They are a little small but a friend of mine used one of those toaster ovens to heat his cast bullets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cholla Posted December 25, 2020 Author Share Posted December 25, 2020 I picked up the air-fryer today and ordered powder coat from Amazon so I'll see what happens when it all gets here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
largo casey #19191 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 We have a Powder Coating co here that I get my powdercoat from. Better selection. Largo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeaconKC Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Harbor Freight has powder coat paint too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michigan Slim Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 I've got the oven, I cast my own bullets. Using ALOX right now but I might try to powder coat. Why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cholla Posted December 25, 2020 Author Share Posted December 25, 2020 1 hour ago, DeaconKC said: Harbor Freight has powder coat paint too. I checked online and our local HF only has black and white listed. The black gets bad reviews for bullets. I was looking for the red. I decided to go with Eastwood and since I got it on Amazon, the shipping was almost nothing compared to buying direct from Eastwood's website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeaconKC Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 They dropped the red 58 minutes ago, Cholla said: I checked online and our local HF only has black and white listed. The black gets bad reviews for bullets. I was looking for the red. I decided to go with Eastwood and since I got it on Amazon, the shipping was almost nothing compared to buying direct from Eastwood's website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Davey Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 Had good luck with powder by the pound Google them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michigan Slim Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 I'm assuming that a pound will go a lonnngg way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choctaw Jack Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 I've used a lot of HF red PC powder.It works pretty well,but on a previous thread Scarlett Darlin' warned that using it might damage barrels because of the silica used in the powder. I have no way to analyze the content,but it does seem to be slightly more coarse .Like Largo Casey ,I buy most of my powder from a local powder coat company.Good selection of colors,and sometimes I get a really good deal on colors that that they want to get rid of.The price is usually just a little more than mail order,but I pick it up locally and don't have to pay shipping which can actually work out to be cheaper. Of course YMMV Choctaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waimea Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 I don't coat bullets but the commercial bullet manufacturers I know all use Hi Tek Bullet coating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cholla Posted December 27, 2020 Author Share Posted December 27, 2020 11 hours ago, Michigan Slim said: I'm assuming that a pound will go a lonnngg way? It doesn't take much. I have been watching videos and reading on castboolits.com. it seems less is better than more when using the powder. It's like tablespoons or even teaspoons depending on how many are to be done at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michigan Slim Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 10 hours ago, Cholla said: It doesn't take much. I have been watching videos and reading on castboolits.com. it seems less is better than more when using the powder. It's like tablespoons or even teaspoons depending on how many are to be done at a time. I'll have to research some. I usually cast thousands at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cholla Posted December 27, 2020 Author Share Posted December 27, 2020 23 minutes ago, Michigan Slim said: I'll have to research some. I usually cast thousands at a time. The biggest slow down from what I have read is oven space. Some neatly place all the boolits on their base for the heating process, others just dump them in a basket. One user has two ovens so he can keep the process going. Castboolits.com and Fortunecookie45LC on youtube can give you information overload. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 I've been PC for a number of years now. over on Cast Boolits they have a guy that sells PC powder. I've always had great success with his. Smoke is his avatar (has some numbers after that but you can find him in vendor's section) I'v'e done both standing them up and dumping them. Dumping them in a single layer works well enough for me. I'm using a cheap < $20 toaster oven with a PID for temp control. I normally do 30 lbs of bullets at a time and can get off of them baked in less than an hour. fun to mix colors, too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Greg Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 If nothing else, the oven might work well for drying brass or reclaimed shot after washing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprue Cutter Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 Eastwood powders work the best for me. I started with my wife’s toaster oven and found the temperature was not even so I purchased an Eastwood pc oven and that works best I made 6 wire baskets and bake them 2 at a time. You can coat a lot of bullets that way. I use the shake and bake technique using Cool whip containers. I find that the sizing is the bottle neck for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Hangtree Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 I must have chickens on the brain. I thought this thread was about Air Fryers for "Pullets". Cockadoodle do, y'all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 2 hours ago, Sprue Cutter said: I started with my wife’s toaster oven and found the temperature was not even so I purchased an Eastwood pc oven ▲one reason I built a PID to control temp to within 2-3° You can make one easy with directions on Cast Bollits site. Cost is not a biggie if you check ebay for PID they have the PID and SSRs grouped together with a temp probe. I went with a 6" one so I didn't have to drill the pot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your Nemesis Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 I did 5000 38's the other day. in about 2 hours I buy the PC from a guy on the boolits forum (tried HF red and the PC sold there is MUCH better) . bought a two shelf toaster oven from walmart for 35 bucks cut down some dollar store cookie sheets and bent up the edges a bit so the bullets don't roll off. I line the cookie sheets with non stick aluminum foil, and dump them on seperating slightly but if a few touch I don't worry about it. I started with cool whip bowls, but found Reesers potato salad 3lb have the 5 on the bottom and work great and are larger as well as tougher with the lid fitting tighter. I have used this process for the last 4 years now and done about 25-30000 rounds. Hope this helps Your Nemesis SASS 92020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canoga Joe Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 Look forward to hearing how the air fryer works out! Convection toaster ovens for this purpose are cheap and easy to find at Good Will; maybe they have air fryers too. I used Eastwood Ford light blue with good results for cap & ball shooting (.36 cal ‘51 Navies) to reduce my lead exposure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cholla Posted December 29, 2020 Author Share Posted December 29, 2020 On 12/27/2020 at 3:04 PM, Your Nemesis said: I did 5000 38's the other day. in about 2 hours I buy the PC from a guy on the boolits forum (tried HF red and the PC sold there is MUCH better) . bought a two shelf toaster oven from walmart for 35 bucks cut down some dollar store cookie sheets and bent up the edges a bit so the bullets don't roll off. I line the cookie sheets with non stick aluminum foil, and dump them on seperating slightly but if a few touch I don't worry about it. I started with cool whip bowls, but found Reesers potato salad 3lb have the 5 on the bottom and work great and are larger as well as tougher with the lid fitting tighter. I have used this process for the last 4 years now and done about 25-30000 rounds. Hope this helps Your Nemesis SASS 92020 Do you use the black air soft bbs? I see videos doing it with and without. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your Nemesis Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 Yes I do I read that you needed them and never tried it without them. figured I did not need to reinvent the wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choctaw Jack Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 I used whipped topping bowls for a long time as shake containers,but a pardon posted a chart showing which material generated the most static electricity. PVC was 2nd on the list, so I made some containers out of 4 inch PVC pipe.I glued in a plugin one end and left the plug unglued on the other.l cut them at about 7 inches,and they will hold several hundred .45 bullets at a time.Put the bullets in ,add powder, and shake vigorously for 15-30 seconds and they are good to go. I've found it takes less shaking and it seems to cover better than the topping bowls. I bought enough PVC that I can afford a container for each color that I use. Of course, YMMV Choctaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runamuck, SASS #49216L Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 14 hours ago, Cholla said: Do you use the black air soft bbs? I see videos doing it with and without. I tried the BB’s and found them to be a real pain in the rear. I found that if I heat the bullets up for just a minute or so with a hair dryer set on high the powder adheres to them just as well if not better. What would the capacity be on the air fryer you have access to? I do 300 at a time standing on end in my small toaster oven that I paid $15 for at the Goodwill store. I have settle on 20 minutes at 400°, after experimenting with other times and degrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Gardner Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 You should ask Scarlett Darlin about using powder coated bullets there are not good for your guns. Her Number is 843-833-0770 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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