Just took my first experimental batch of bullets out of the oven, they're cooling right now. Only used a small handful - 23 bullets - in case I totally screwed them up, but will size and load them today and try them at the range tomorrow.
In the meantime, some questions on refining the tools/techniques. When I got the oven I got a pan to go with it but it's fairly thick and made of steel since it attracts a magnet. Got the oven to 400 exactly as shown by the oven thermometer inside but when I put this heavy tray in the internal temp went down to about 360 quickly, maybe 2-3 minutes. I turned the temp dial up and it still took some 6-7 minutes to get back to 400, that's when I started the 10 minute timer. Once back at 400 the oven stayed there very steadily.
So, I'm thinking a lighter aluminum pan would be better since it won't have as much mass to soak up the existing heat and the oven should return to correct temp more quickly, correct? Have you guys used those throw away aluminum foil type baking pans? Seems they'd be a bit flimsy to hold the weight of 200 bullets but if supported underneath they wouldn't act as much of a heat sink at all. Btw, I'm using non-stick aluminum foil on the current pan and would use that no matter what.
Also, I was reading about PMT - part metal temperature - since the powder instructions say 400 F/10 min at PMT, this is the RAL 6018 powder Yondering recommended in his post. Don't know of a way to actually measure the bullet temp, but as the oven was reheating and going back up through 375-380-390 etc. I could see the powder melting to a shiny appearance. I'm guessing once the oven thermometer says 400 again that you might as well start the timer.
On the steel tray. Conversely, since it is a large heat sink along with the bullets, perhaps using it would work better since it heats up more slowly and might be a better indicator of the bullets' temp or allow them time to come up to proper temp where a light aluminum pan might allow oven internal temp to hit 400 while the bullets themselves, the substrate in PC terms, would still be below 400?
Any thoughts on the matter would be welcome.
Yeah, I know I'm over thinking this but that's a computer programmer's mind at work...
