Littleton shot maker cost?

[randyrat]

I ordered nozzles, the frame is all weilded and ready to go. We used an 8" C channel 12" long, plate weilded on the back and the front. The front plate will be attached/weilded about 1 1/2 from the front to make a lip and the nozzles will be in the front plate. We are using a gas burner to keep the heat hot and fast. The frame was made so we can adjust the tilt. BTW the nozzles came today they were $60 for 7 of them. So far we should have it working and start tinkering Sunday. Those holes are very small, thats why i ordered them. They look like about .0150 to .020 size. I can't drill a hole that small.... Unless you got some good ideas on how to drill a hole that small, good luck. I am almost there. Then i have to make some pictures to share with you all.

[Slowpoke]

Did anyone try the Natural Gas or Propane orifices for the drippers.

good luck

[PatMarlin]

Gas orifice drills will drill those holes.

Good idead on using the orifices. They come in blanks so you can drill your own also.

[PatMarlin]

I ordered nozzles, the frame is all weilded and ready to go. We used an 8" C channel 12" long, plate weilded on the back and the front. The front plate will be attached/weilded about 1 1/2 from the front to make a lip and the nozzles will be in the front plate. We are using a gas burner to keep the heat hot and fast. The frame was made so we can adjust the tilt. BTW the nozzles came today they were $60 for 7 of them. So far we should have it working and start tinkering Sunday. Those holes are very small, thats why i ordered them. They look like about .0150 to .020 size. I can't drill a hole that small.... Unless you got some good ideas on how to drill a hole that small, good luck. I am almost there. Then i have to make some pictures to share with you all.

. . . . . . . ..........

[Sam Carp]

Just looked at the Magma web page, Littletons have gone to $425.00. I under stand they're selling like hot cakes.

Sam

[EMC45]

I wonder why?

[randyrat]

In time grasshopper, the answers will come to you, including pictures. i'll be sure to share with all of you. We are going to try to finish this afternoon. We are warming up the shed with the wood stove right now.

[rmb721]

Hot cakes don't even sell like hot cakes.

[randyrat]

Gas tips, Good luck. $15/ea..Drilling a .015 to.020 hole sounds like easy street till you try it. You will be challanged. You will eat humble pie and love it. Bying the nozzles for $6-8 ea. is cheap. Very cheap when you consider time and skill put into these. Dang yer good if you can drill a hole that small. I tried to make some shot yesterday it never got above -0 all day and i couldn't pour enough beans/heat to it. I have to wait for a warmer day.

[randyrat]

After i offered humble pie to everyone( i eat it all the time), i found some Gas nozzles (propane?) #80 these have a very small hole in them. They would have to be adapted to fit but i think they would work and they cost a $1.5 ea. They are small and have threads. I figured i owe you guys that much. Anything that keeps cost down is good.

[PatMarlin]

What one man can do another man can do grasshopper...

You have to have the right tools to do the job. Didn't say you should drill a blank, but you can. There's lots of sizes out there cheap. Natural gas sizes run larger than propane.

If you are near a commercial restaruant supply, they can fix you up...

[quack1]

Today I was digging around in the machine shop area of my workplace looking for some drill bits small enough for dripper nozzles, and found nothing. A guy I work with that restores old Mopars suggested using the small jets used in the metering plates in Holley carbs. He said they come drilled in a variety of sizes and are threaded 6-32 and cost about $1.00 each. It would sure be easier to drill and tap a 6-32 hole than drill an .015 to .020 hole. The only problem I can think of is that they are brass and the lead might not flow as well through them as it would steel. Has anybody used brass for making dripper nozzles?

[garandsrus]

Quack,

I don't know about using brass for dripper nozzles, but molds are made from brass so I wouldn't think it would be a problem.

John

[rmb721]

On "Littleton Shotmaker Products" you can buy the ladle for $90 and the nozzles for $49.
If the nozzles are now $60 the ladle is probably more too.

If you buy those two items, maybe all you would have to do is fasten the ladle to a hot plate and set the hot plate at an angle.

$150 or so would be a lot better than $375 to $425

[PatMarlin]

I think the gas orifices would be the easiest to install and cheapest. Brass should work well.

I have a set of gas orifice drill bits, but you can call any repair shop that repairs commercial appliances, and they can sell you the bit and the orifices you need for a few bucks.

Here is a link to a wire drill chart:

http://www.andersonforrester.com/pro...s/default.html

Also, if you get an orifice, that needs enlarging a few thousands, you can get a nozzle drill set or reamer set cheap at any welding shop.

No rocket science needed..

[randyrat]

I fired the shot maker up again after work today. I ended up with about 5% good shot still i need more heat. When i put the tourch between two nozzles they ran like crazy, good lookin 7 1/2 shot, the rest looks like drops with tails. I think if i can get the right/enough heat in the right place it will put out some shot. I can see why you need warmer weather to get enough heat in the right spot. My fiend is going to make another one and he plans to use propane #80 brass nozzles and also make his with less steal/thinner so it will melt lead quicker.

[PatMarlin]

Here's an idea:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91899

[Deacon Stone]

Just a couple of questions. I ran my first batch today and I need to know where I get the graphite for the lead? Second has anybody found the dimples to cause any problem with there pattering of the shot? It was cold today and out of 7dippers I only got the center 4 to run right. Oh, yes one more question what do I use for a screen to sift out the slobber and big drips? I have #8 dippers.

Thanks Kevin

[randyrat]

Pat, very cool tourch, cheap to boot. The Graphite to use is used in planting seeds ie..corn (keeps the seeds from clumping) Buy it where you buy seed corn,oats,barley,wheat,ect... normally a feed mill.. you were lucky i only got 2 nozzles to drip at a time today. BTW my nozzles were $60 for 7 of them.

[MT Gianni]

There are two types of orifice drills from #72-#80. One is the straight style that ends in a brass hexagon to chuck in a hand drill. I have broken many of these. The other and one I would recommend has a step of a #55 drill with just the last 1/2" or so being #80 or whatever size you get. It also will end in a brass base. An 80 bit is about the width of a human hair and fragile. Do not put one in a drill motor they are all designed to turn with a hand drill and brass and stamped aluminum drill easily. Some orifices are machine stamped with a D shape rather than a round hole. Naturallly these drill harder than the round ones. Gianni