MUST SHARE- Moly coating trick

[Bradley Walker]

bowfisher is a forum member and he sent me a PM about moly coating bullets using water. Well I just did two batches using the moly in the water method and I can't believe this isn't the suggested method. I have been moly coating for 20 years and this is the cleanest, easiest, and best coating method I have ever tried.

I always coated my bullets in small containers (mostly old powder jars) in my big Dillon tumber. I would put the bullets in the jar and add the moly. Jam them into the Dillon by jamming them with the lid, then tumble for three hours. I would then throw rice in with the bullets to soak up any excess moly and shine the bullets. Then I would shake out the rice using a lid with holes drilled in it. Lots of shaking later and leaving the moly coated rice in my yard I would have nice black billets!!! My coated stuff came out beautiful if I do say so myself. There was always dust and moly mess however, and I only liked to do coating in big batches to get it over with. Lord don't get moly on the bottom of your shoes and track the carpet!!! OH GEEZ!!!!

That being said the new method entails adding a little bit of water to the bullets during the tumble in the bottle. I use only enough water to cover the bullets and I use a little more moly than I used too... Tumble for three hours. Take the bottle to the sink and rinse out all the black until the water coming out of the jar is clear. Sift out the bullets onto a paper towel and dry with another. The bullets are clean, dust free and the moly is gorgeous!!! Best coating I have seen!!!

No mess. No dust. Faster clean up. Wonderful coating and no black left to get on your fingers...

Thanks brother!!! LOVE IT!!!

 

[Nomad47]

I wonder if that would work with hBN. ???

 

[bowfisher]

I don't think it will be the same with HBN due to chemical reasons, but not sure. IMO, the water/moly method puts on a much superior coating than doing it dry. You can see and feel the difference... Glad it's working for you!

 

[Bradley Walker]

I don't think it will be the same with HBN due to chemical reasons, but not sure. IMO, the water/moly method puts on a much superior coating than doing it dry. You can see and feel the difference... Glad it's working for you!

No bro.. THIS should be THE method... I don't know why anyone would do it dry... WET IS BETTER!!!

That's what she said...

 

[fivering]

Do you still use the small stainless steel ball bearings? I assume you do.

 

[bowfisher]

I don't use any ball bearing myself. Seem to get good coverage with just the bullets. I usually do 250, 17 or 20 cal bullets at a time in a small plastic jar. Don't think it would hurt though...

 

[Bradley Walker]

Do you still use the small stainless steel ball bearings? I assume you do.

Never have. Not necessary at all...

 

[jonbearman]

I never heard of this idea.I love this site for all the sharing you guys do for me and others who have struggled over the years.

 

[Bradley Walker]

Just to clarify:

I use old powder cans. You know the plastic black jars that 1 lbs powder comes in... Say for Hodgdon, Accurate, etc

I vibratory tumble for moly coating. Just jam the jar into your vibratory tumbler bowl.

Use just enough water to cover the bullets. You will need very little.

I use double the amount of moly. About a teaspoon per 250.

 

[Phil]

THIS may bring moly back into my game.......


Thanks guy`s for sharing.

Phil.

 

[ddkearney]

Bradley,
Thanks so much for answering my questions! I've used the dry method with stainless steel balls before so this looks much simpler with the possibility for a more uniform coating.
Don

 

[Bradley Walker]

Bradley,
Thanks so much for answering my questions! I've used the dry method with stainless steel balls before so this looks much simpler with the possibility for a more uniform coating.
Don

Best coating I have ever seen including Tubb doing the Sierras for a time. Cleaner too... Less moly on your fingers from handling afterwards.

It's faster too. Cut my "messing around with the moly coating time" to almost nothing.

 

[FroggyOne2]

I like the idea due to the fact that I can go back to doing them indoors again without the advent of getting moly dust everywhere!

 

[Bradley Walker]

I like the idea due to the fact that I can go back to doing them indoors again without the advent of getting moly dust everywhere!

Exactly...

 

[Bradley Walker]

BTW, I use the Lyman moly powder. It is the best I have tried. The coating is very dark and slick compared to the old Midway moly.

 

[BulletBob3701]

This method was first put forward by Mic McPherson in an article in precision shooting last year. I modified it slightly. I wash the bullets in electosol dishwahing agent (ment for electic dishwashers) Mc Pherson uses Dawn. then put the bullets (undryed) in the container with moly and tumble. I use a Thumblers Tumbler for about 3 hours. The best Moly coating ever. Thanks Mic.

Bob

 

[Immike]

I started using it the day the article came out in PS. I use a rock tumbler I purchased at a hobby shop with stainless balls. I use a strainer to separate the bullets from the moly-shot mix and reclaim all of it.(no waste) I rinse the bullets with spray bottle adjusted to mist and wipe dry immediately with paper towels. Mike

 

[Roarke]

Can you post a few pictures of your process? I've been using a rock tumbler and its fairly easy but I still deal with the moly dust there at the end.

By the way - you can't set yourself up for TWSS jokes. But it was pretty funny.

 

[Immike]

No dust with water, it's one of the big differences. The moly is stuck on the bullets much better with the wet method. I used the NECO shot at first and it quickly rusted, no good, start over! The only place I could find SS was a outfit called MO power,out of O'Fallon,MO. 5/64 SS used in hydraulics, I have about 11/2 lbs in the tumbler can. It does take more neck tension to hold the bullets in place. If you pulled a dry moly from a case you would have visible copper streaks, the wet doesn't let go that easy. The strainer is a quality wall- mart product (a big plastic scoop with holes ) over a Tupper ware. The rock tumbler is designed to contain liquid media making it ideal and sell for about $30.


Buying a tumbler for the first time wasn't as tough as I described !!!
Mike

PS. I don't wash my bullets at all, I just dump them in. It's not necessary to clean them prior and the article states that. I was tumbling for 3 hours but only half that is enough with the SS shot.

 

[Bradley Walker]

I have 4000 bullets to moly... Thank you water moly...