HBN coating - what am I doing wrong?

[charlesasmith]

Switched from a rotary tumbler to a vibrator as I couldn't get a proper impact coating. 1st time with the vibrator tumbler had success using 250 old 17 cal Hornady 25 gr HP. All I did was rinse the bullets in alcohol, dry, and vibrate for 4 hours. Everything since then has not worked with newer & fewer bullets. I am not using heat and tried rinsing in acetone to no avail.

Any suggestions?

Chuck

 

[JRS]

Your bullets need to be impact plated when using hBN. Tumbling is the way to achieve that.

 

[charlesasmith]

JRS - Tried a rotary tumbler 1st. Could not get the proper coating. So far the only proper coating was with the vibrator type.

Can you add any other info other than using a tumbler?

Thanks,

Chuck

 

[JRS]

JRS - Tried a rotary tumbler 1st. Could not get the proper coating. So far the only proper coating was with the vibrator type.

Can you add any other info other than using a tumbler?

Thanks,

Chuck

What are you using for tumbling media in your tumbler, and the amount of media, bullets and hBN? Vibrating is going to result in a superficial film. You want the bullets plated, not coated.

 

[charlesasmith]

Using stainless BBs. Bullets include 17 cal 20 gr V-Max, Nosler 50 gr BT, Sierra 20 cal 39 gr, & Nosler 222 40 gr BT. I usually use about 1/8th - 3/16 teaspon of HBN, 100 bullets, & around 1# of SS BBs. Tried the Extreme Rebel 17 for rotator tumbling. Pill bottle was packed with cloth to center it in the tumbler. Am only trying for plating not just coated. Unfortunately, my results are shiny bullets with only spot coating that can be wiped off.

Do I need to clean off some factory coating of the bullets that acetone will not remove?

Chuck

 

[JRS]

You are using entirely too much hBN. I plated my bullets in a 40 oz plastic peanut butter jar using my Thumler's tumbler. It's a perfect fit. I use the plastic sample sticks from Baskin Robbins ice cream as a measuring stick. A medium size flat blade screwdriver tip works as well.

 

[charlesasmith]

Thanks, will give that a try.

 

[rardoin]

And now...for something totally different...

I have the Tubbs kit which includes a plastic coating bottle (about 250ml polypropylene) I put about 250 bullets and 1/4tsp of HBN (at the most) and wrap it in about 6" of foam sheet (2" thick x 18" wide roll I bought from a fabric store) and tie it secure in several locations. I tumble in a clothes drier at medium heat for 45 minutes and the come out perfect.


"It IS a penguin on the telly".....this one is for Laurie

 

[charlesasmith]

You are right that is radically different. Do you leave the room to avoid listening to the banging in the dryer?

I might try that one as it really creates an impact!

 

[Pwhite11798]

To me it seems like there is some type of contamination. Is there a ammonia smell after you tumble. Thats an indicator of moisture contamination. When i coat i use a bigger pill bottle and use no media. Letting the bullets themself be the media. Also i clean with dawn and distilled water and rinse and dry in the oven on warm. I recently got a food dehydrator fpr drying but have not set it up yet.

 

[rardoin]

You are right that is radically different. Do you leave the room to avoid listening to the banging in the dryer?

I might try that one as it really creates an impact!

With 6+ inches of padding surrounding the small botlle it is not as noisy as one would think. My wife had no objections.

It is normal for ammonia to be liberated in the coating process if you are coating warm....it is not detrimental according to Tubbs' product information sheet and does not necessarily indicate moisture contamination.

 

[charlesasmith]

Tried the clothes dryer. Didn't work. Next step will be to wash in dawn and dry bullets. Then will tumble without media. Hopefully this will work. Also using less HBN as JRS recommended.

 

[JRS]

Tried the clothes dryer. Didn't work. Next step will be to wash in dawn and dry bullets. Then will tumble without media. Hopefully this will work. Also using less HBN as JRS recommended.

You do not want to tumble your bullets without the use of media.

 

[Das Capitolin]

I use my Rebel 17 tumbler with three glass mason jars that each contain bullets, stainless BBs, and hBN. I tumble for an hour, and the finish is a lightly coated bullet. This method works, but I'm still not convinced that hBN is worth the hassle. The coating, even after being wiped away off the bullet, still makes it seem like I'm seating a gritty projectile into the case.

 

[JRS]

I use my Rebel 17 tumbler with three glass mason jars that each contain bullets, stainless BBs, and hBN. I tumble for an hour, and the finish is a lightly coated bullet. This method works, but I'm still not convinced that hBN is worth the hassle. The coating, even after being wiped away off the bullet, still makes it seem like I'm seating a gritty projectile into the case.

Properly plated with hBN, your bullets will be as slick as butter. You'll have a hard time grasping the bullet with your thumb and index finger.

 

[Das Capitolin]

Properly plated with hBN, your bullets will be as slick as butter. You'll have a hard time grasping the bullet with your thumb and index finger.

Oh, they're slick, but not so slick I can't pick them up. The bullets have an opaque white finish to them after cleaning them off. Regardless, seating them into the case feels very gritty.

 

[JRS]

Properly applied, and after rolling them in a towel, they will have a glassy looking finish. I didn't use the readily available hBN. My cocktail was formulated in 2004 by a chemist (now retired) who worked for ROBAR, and I was using it before David Tubb advocated its use. I actually sold a number of pounds of it on this website. I found better uses for hBN, and no longer use it on bullets

 

[Das Capitolin]

Properly applied, and after rolling them in a towel, they will have a glassy looking finish.

Seeing is believing. Please post photos of your coated bullets, before and after cleaning. Thank you. I'll add mine in a moment.

 

[charlesasmith]

JRS - Thanks again for your recommendations.

Chuck

 

[borderghost]

My Method right or wrong not sure , use an old lyman vibrating tumbler, buy 2000 Crossman BBs, dump them in with some HBN , let them impact on them selves for a couple of hours ( just the 1st time new )wash my bullets to clean them let them dry, I heat them in the oven for 20 minutes @ 160 degrees , put a little HBN in the vibrating tumbler, drop the hot bullets in , let tumble for 2-3 hours , take them out and get a adult winter sock ( coarse material ) dump bullets in, grab sock by the ends with each hand and lift up and down about 50 times, bullets come out nice n shiney and are real slippery to grab, 150 6 mm bullets or 100 30 cal bullets , think I can do lot more each time then what I am doing . works for me