Shot maker

[Goose18557]

RH

This is the soapstone I use.
https://www.amazon.com/Hobart-770087...ords=soapstone
Should be available at just about any place you can buy tools.

[rancher1913]

soapstone is used for marking metal and can be bought anywhere welding supplies are sold. my heat source is a old turkey cooker burner that I modified so the shotmaker is secure. the hdy oil is a water based cutting oil if I'm thinking right. just look at goasthawks photos and you can see how it should work. you can watch some utubes to figure out the cooling system or just use a big tank and quit when it warms up.

[GhostHawk]

Depends on how much you are willing to invest and how long you want to sit and watch it.

Me I prefer to park the car out of the garage for a week and do a series of 1 to 1.5 hour sessions.
YMMMV.

Next thing I want to play with is some way of getting the shot out without having to transfer all the fluid then pour the shot into a container. Maybe as simple as a square basket of something like 1/2 hardware cloth lined with window screen.

I have to admit I think I have watched near every shotmaker vid on youtube before jumping into this project.

The unit itself is not big, but it is capable of running a lot of shot in a hour once you get everything setup and running.

A way to pre-melt lead and bring it close to temp would be something to consider.

[shootinfox2]

RV antifreeze works great as a coolant. Non toxic and it rinses clean. Not as messy as fabric softener.

[True.grit]

We use my homemade shot today. I missed just as many times as I do with store bought. Lol

[rancher1913]

just about got mine all graphited and bottled, should be good on shot for several years and now I can always make more anytime I need to.

thanks again ghoasthawk for doing your write-up.

[Hellgate]

IIRC weren't the old time shot towers pretty high in order to have the shot cool considerably and have a chance to "round up" before they fell into a large water bath. Why not set the melter up on a platform or deck and let the shot drip and fall 10 or more feet into water (kids plastic wading pool)? Small shot ought to be pretty hardened in cool outside air. Just thinking.

[Cowboy_Dan]

IIRC weren't the old time shot towers pretty high in order to have the shot cool considerably and have a chance to "round up" before they fell into a large water bath. Why not set the melter up on a platform or deck and let the shot drip and fall 10 or more feet into water (kids plastic wading pool)? Small shot ought to be pretty hardened in cool outside air. Just thinking.

As the molten lead falls it morphs through several shapes from the air resistance. To get round shot it has to either almost not fall any or fall a considerable distance.

[jdfoxinc]

1 shot towers were/are 200' +- tall to give shot time to harden.

2 I am thinking about a commercial fryer basket lined with Al screen to catch the cooled shot. Sure some shot would fall to the bottom while you empty the basket butwhen you are finished with your runs recover that shot.

[Littleton Shot Maker]

Have the shot maker so you can lift/ tilt back to stop flow, while you switch out any drop cans / baskets etc test with weight before using inside the tank.

My shot maker has been mounted to hinges and we used a 2x2 block to hold it up ,

[dsh1106]

Alan

When you get time can you upload a video of one of your makers in action? I'd love to see how these things are suppose to work.

Thanks
Scott

[GhostHawk]

That is a very good idea. Would simplify several operations. Thank you sir.

Have the shot maker so you can lift/ tilt back to stop flow, while you switch out any drop cans / baskets etc test with weight before using inside the tank.

My shot maker has been mounted to hinges and we used a 2x2 block to hold it up ,

[Littleton Shot Maker]

I am simple and like to keep the "system" simple also, plus the wood block was scrap and door hinges came off old gate we took down . There is always a way . Some cheap and simple , some less cheap and way more complicated . Keep it simple and low tech. And be happy , you're doing something they told me could never be done at home!! Proving " them" wrong Hass been nice for the last 16 years since I took over from Me. Jerry Littleton !
Keep shooting - teach someone new about the sport! We need more shooter's out there!!

[19ellis93]

I've been fooling with a homebuilt shot maker for awhile now and I have the thing working but I make odd shaped shot. I've used numerous liquids for cooling it and multiple positions of the ramp (angle of it vs spout),I've also varied the height of the ramp over the coolant and each and every time I drip shot from it.....I get the same effects on the surface of the BBs.
So far I've used three different antifreeze,trans fluid,and two separate kinds of fabric softener. I've just started using G/V brand softener and so far I've had the best results with it. It has taken the dimples out of the shot but I still am not getting perfectly round shot.
I will try to load some pics to my Photobucket account to show my shot and would like some pointers or suggestions as to why I can't get these things more round.

[19ellis93]

My latest attempt with some of the worst picked out

Also my humble attempt

[dsh1106]

I've been fooling with a homebuilt shot maker for awhile now and I have the thing working but I make odd shaped shot. I've used numerous liquids for cooling it and multiple positions of the ramp (angle of it vs spout),I've also varied the height of the ramp over the coolant and each and every time I drip shot from it.....I get the same effects on the surface of the BBs.
So far I've used three different antifreeze,trans fluid,and two separate kinds of fabric softener. I've just started using G/V brand softener and so far I've had the best results with it. It has taken the dimples out of the shot but I still am not getting perfectly round shot.
I will try to load some pics to my Photobucket account to show my shot and would like some pointers or suggestions as to why I can't get these things more round.

Here's some thoughts....
Lead temperature, from my experience, needs to be in the range of 675 to 725 F.
Distance from the drip edge to the coolant level should be no more than 1/8 of an inch.
The drip ramp needs to be coated with chalk or soapstone, I use a dry moly film spray and it seems to work pretty well.
Coolant, this is probably the 2nd most critical thing that I found. Hydraulic oil will produce amazingly round shot, but the clean up is time consuming and messy. I have found using Wal-Mart brand fabric softener makes nice looking shot. It's not perfectly round but it's awful close. Use it straight no mixing.

HTH
Scott

[19ellis93]

Here's some thoughts....
Lead temperature, from my experience, needs to be in the range of 675 to 725 F.
Distance from the drip edge to the coolant level should be no more than 1/8 of an inch.
The drip ramp needs to be coated with chalk or soapstone, I use a dry moly film spray and it seems to work pretty well.
Coolant, this is probably the 2nd most critical thing that I found. Hydraulic oil will produce amazingly round shot, but the clean up is time consuming and messy. I have found using Wal-Mart brand fabric softener makes nice looking shot. It's not perfectly round but it's awful close. Use it straight no mixing.

HTH
Scott

The softener is straight concentrate right out of the bottle. Strangely the straight synthetic-antifreeze (peak brand) made round shot but the shot had (lack of a better word) a pucker on one side. It was odd looking so that's what made me go (plus this tread) with the softener.

The ledge was almost touching the coolant.....coolant splashing onto the ledge made me raise it to about 1/4".
The ledge is coated with sidewalk chalk......I know not soap stone,but it works the same. No difference between the two that I've seen....except I have more of it.

I may try hydraulic fluid if that makes it rounder. I'm not afraid of using it and having a flare up (my flame source is captured/partition blocking it from outside contact.
As for cleaning......I am not bother by that either. I just want round shot lol
Tractor Supply is having a sale on that stuff too lol

[dsh1106]

The softener is straight concentrate right out of the bottle. Strangely the straight synthetic-antifreeze (peak brand) made round shot but the shot had (lack of a better word) a pucker on one side. It was odd looking so that's what made me go (plus this tread) with the softener.

The ledge was almost touching the coolant.....coolant splashing onto the ledge made me raise it to about 1/4".
The ledge is coated with sidewalk chalk......I know not soap stone,but it works the same. No difference between the two that I've seen....except I have more of it.

I may try hydraulic fluid if that makes it rounder. I'm not afraid of using it and having a flare up (my flame source is captured/partition blocking it from outside contact.
As for cleaning......I am not bother by that either. I just want round shot lol
Tractor Supply is having a sale on that stuff too lol

I guess the only thing left to verify is the lead temperature. I had a really smart person look at everything I was doing and said It was going to be something simple. After several attempts and multiple videos it was narrowed down to lead temp or lead alloy. I knew my alloy worked early on, so I adjusted the melt temperature until it started dripping round shot. Anything under about 675 came out tear drop shaped over 750 I got flat spots and popcorn....

Look at your lead temperature.

check this thread - post #31 is a pic of what my shot looks like.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...question/page2

[19ellis93]

I guess the only thing left to verify is the lead temperature. I had a really smart person look at everything I was doing and said It was going to be something simple. After several attempts and multiple videos it was narrowed down to lead temp or lead alloy. I knew my alloy worked early on, so I adjusted the melt temperature until it started dripping round shot. Anything under about 675 came out tear drop shaped over 750 I got flat spots and popcorn....

Look at your lead temperature.

check this thread - post #31 is a pic of what my shot looks like.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...question/page2

I tried playing with the temp some....also let the level of the melt stay just covering the hole in the dripper. They started looking better

Guess I'll keep playing with it till I find that sweet spot.

[dsh1106]

I tried playing with the temp some....also let the level of the melt stay just covering the hole in the dripper. They started looking better

Guess I'll keep playing with it till I find that sweet spot.

What alloy are you using? Your shot looks pretty shiny, hopefully your alloy has some antimony if not that maybe your problem. The pics I posted are using a 94/3/3 alloy.

Scott