Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Favorite powder coat color and brand

I just started casting again a few years ago. I was drawn into it by powder coating. I used to hate using traditional bullet lubes so I'd quit casting for years.

Now I'm back at it and so far I've only used Eastwood Ford light blue. It has worked very well but I'd like some other color options to distinguish alloys and loads. What colors of which brands have you used that work well for shake and bake.

Thanks,
Bb

Powder By The Pound is generally well liked, Harbor Freight not so much. If you are a member at CastBoolits there's a fella there goes by Smoke who sells variety packs of powder colors. All have worked well for me.

Begs the question: what causes you to "hate" traditional lubes??

Eastwood Super Gloss Clear has become my favorite, but like you I do use others for load identifiers. Powder by the pound has hundreds of varieties, I forget the identity of the ones that are shake and bake compatable.

I just don't like the mess and I've had some that went bad on the bullets after being stored a while. I also prefer to just use Lee push through sizers instead of lubrisizers. I just prefer shake and bake powder coat. I can coat a bunch and just store them in bags for later use.

I use clear from smoke 4320 on castboolits. Works well for shake and bake

Black, Eastwood, double coat in my AR-15 358s with 200 plain base, no GC.

I am also considering making the switch to powder coating from tumble lube. I would be interested in knowing which powder brands/colors are best for coating via shaking in a plastic container.

Thanks.

I’m certainly no expert, as I’ve only done a few…..but, supposedly not all plastics are equal. I’ve read that some plastics help create a greater “static charge” ……enhancing the powders adhesion to the bullet!

This type of plastic is found on many food grade plastics….I use large cottage cheese or sour cream containers. Look on the bottom of the container for this symbol! memtb

Not a direct answer to your question but here's a thread from several years ago with a good discussion of the subject in general, including powders that work well.


Powder coating quick and easy

I've always used Smokes powders. He was pleasant to talk with, knows his products and sold me the airsoft bb's with my purchase. The powders have all worked well for the shake and bake that I do.

I just received and order of Eastwood lime green, full gloss clear, signal red, jet black, and violet because my 9 year old daughter wanted it for her bullets. I'll give them all a try and see which ones work well for shake and bake. Eastwood ford light blue has been great I just want some options for other colors for different alloys.

Bb

Smokes 4320 has worked great for me. I'm using the Jet Black, Signal Blue, Flame Red, Purple, & Clear. I mostly use peanut butter jars or cottage cheese containers......after they are empty!

Dick

I too have used Smoke's powders and have used the Jet Black and Flame Red. Plans are to dust off the casting gear and pour some today as well!

One mention of location however! Where you live can have something to do with how well your bullets are coated. In area with higher humidity, static coverage is more difficult to achieve than say West Texas in the desert where it's so dry you get static from touching your car door!
Plus it goes without saying, I always cast and bake outside.


Good Luck!


Frog---OUT!

Though in Wyoming, powder coating during the morning hours is pretty much out of the question here…..very high humidity every morning! Though, as the day warms……the humidity plummets to typical Wyoming values! I guess living in the river bottoms has both positives and negatives!

90+ humidity is pretty typical for our mornings! memtb