Moly: What am I doing wrong??

[LRPV]

I'm using well water that is pretty hard myself and it's still working. Weird.

 

[jonbearman]

I think I will stick to dedicated steel shot with moly or whatever and doing it the dry way,they come out perfect every time.

 

[rminut]

I couldn't get SMK's to moly out of the box, just a quick spray of brake cleaner or carb spray did the trick. Berger/Hornady worked well out of the box but I still give a quick clean. I found I couldn't get anything to work unless the bullets were well heated in the sun for a while before tumbling. I use the old method though and only moly during the summer.

hope you figure it out.

 

[NORZ]

You could buy distilled water or highly purified water to see if your tap water contains minerals that interfere with the Moly!!

 

[Citysmasher]

The moly is not applied like a paint it is peened into the surface. I am just thinking your peening force is just not sufficient.

I have NEVER had to prep bullets for coating, either dry or wet. I have had increase my tumbling time. I have tumbled bullets overnight with absolutely not harm coming to the bullet.

You might try the distilled water. You won't need very much.

Actually the water has no function other than to keep the moly in suspension. It does not "aid" with the adhesion. The PEENING is the method of adhesion. The moly has to be beaten into the surface. The water does nothing except be wet.

 

[mikegaiz]

Without making a mess how do you get the finished bullets out of the molly water?

 

[Cody Richardson]

I don't use nearly as much water as others due, I use two sprays from a spray bottle and that seems to be the right mix! I've found when you use too much water the mix becomes more soupy and the mix doesn't stick well at all. I'm using around 1/3 tea spoon per 200, tumbling for 2 hours

 

[rimfiremac]

I put two 1lb powder cans in my Lyman vibratory tumbler- opposing sides to provide a little balance. The greatest challenge is the patience, I used to go for four hours, but that was a little short and some bullets came out with raccoon stripes. Now I try to leave them running overnight. Bullets come out great. I put in enough water so I can see the level but with the top bullets still exposed. Put in a teaspoon or teaspoon and a half of powder in. When finished, I pour the moly water from one into the other, rinse the first, then pour the moly water from the second into the empty can and save it for next time.

I was a skeptic of this method till I tried it. Like another poster said- it's like falling out of a boat.

 

[Citysmasher]

Without making a mess how do you get the finished bullets out of the molly water?

I had a sieve that I bought from the grocery store to go in the sink drain. I use that to cover the lid of the powder jug and pour the moly into into another powder jug to save for later. Then stick the sink sprayer head int other jug with the bullets and spray and shake until the water overflow comes out of the jug clear. Then sieve out the water and dump into "buffing station one".

So easy.

 

[1shot]

Well I finally got the moly to adhere like it's suppose to. I went from tap water to water from my de-humidifier, cleaned my powder containers with hot water and soap and switched from my Thumbler Tumbler to my vibratory tumbler. I don't know which one or a combination of any of them but now I have slick, shiny silver/black bullets. Thanks to all of you for your suggestions.
Lloyd

 

[Citysmasher]

switched from my Thumbler Tumbler to my vibratory tumbler.

This.

 

[LRPV]

Not sure what I did wrong today. Same lot of bullets I'd done before, same everything, but they didn't come out good. I'd would say they only have about half a coat. Stuck them back in and ran them for another 2 hours and they still didn't come out any better. I'm really not sure what was special about today.

 

[1shot]

Citysmasher, you were on the money with your call, thanks a lot.

LRPV, I'm sure not the expert here, but either you need a little more moly, or there was some type of contaminant got introduced to the moly container you are using. Could you have put the wax in there by mistake?
Lloyd

 

[normmatzen]

You should do what I did and change from Moly to hBN. I haven't looked back. Better time between cleans and the whole process is cleaner plus no waxing.

 

[LRPV]

I don't use any wax and I used the same container, same water mix (just added a little moly to it), same lot of bullets that I had been working with before that came out great. The whole process was exactly like I had done before. Not sure what happened but I'm going to have to try it again. I'd be interested in hearing more about the HBN process.

 

[Citysmasher]

I don't use any wax and I used the same container, same water mix (just added a little moly to it), same lot of bullets that I had been working with before that came out great. The whole process was exactly like I had done before. Not sure what happened but I'm going to have to try it again. I'd be interested in hearing more about the HBN process.

I would not hesitate to tumble all night if I needed too. It won't hurt anything.

My bullets like 4 hours, and I use a big Dillon that shakes like a crack head.


I have never used wax, it is absolutely not necessary. Especially with the wet method. My bullets are so clean the moly doesn't even get on my fingers any more.

 

[LRPV]

I got them coated finally. Not sure what I changed but now they look just like ones I had done in the past. The moly stays on the bullets and doesn't come off on my fingers once it's actually on there. I wouldn't mess with it if was messy.

 

[Citysmasher]

I got them coated finally. Not sure what I changed but now they look just like ones I had done in the past. The moly stays on the bullets and doesn't come off on my fingers once it's actually on there. I wouldn't mess with it if was messy.

the old dry coat method was never totally clean to handle the bullets. There was always some dust left over no matter what. The bullets coated with the wet method, once the bullets are washed, are squeaky clean but black.

 

[Duster_360]

I worked with NECO years and years ago on the moly coating process using steel shot and it was subject to less than satisfactory results if there was any contaminant of any kind present. I successfully coated 100's of boxes of bullets after making sure that everything that the bullets touched along the way was glass and clean, clean, clean.


It sure sounds like the water method eliminates all of the bad aspects of dry coating your own - no more moly dust, no more wax and no more fickle results....can't wait to try it on my own.