Anybody ever tried to make a shot sorter

[beagle]

I was once told that ammunition companies that manufactured shot used a short sorter. This would be for one size only and should be fine for a home shot maker.

It was explained to me that they used a trough of smooth wood with a gentle "speed bump" in it. Just on the other side but very close to the speed bump was a small shelf or scoop. This would have to be adjustable as to height and distance from the bump. You'd have to experiment with the radius and height of the bump. The bump could probably be made from epoxy or caulk.

The angle of the ramp would have to be adjustable.

The theory of operation of the sorter was that shot was gently fed into the chute. It rolled down the chute and hit the speed bump. Normal,round shot ran more or less smoothly over the bump and odd shaped or irregularly shaped shot bounced a bit at the bump and jumped up and were caught on the shelf as culls for recycling.

Anyone else ever hear of this method of shot sorting?

I'd like to see a discussion of this idea if anyone else has an interest or would like to make one. Personally, I doubt my ability to do the fitting required but would like to see it tried./beagle

[too many things]

most use screen
what are you trying to sort ?
I have some pans left that I sold few years back that will sort 7 and smaller. if you want to sort 9s out you would need to get screen wire . I have had some luck with the plastic vent soffet for the small stuff . but I only used it to get some small stuff for pistol load . rest I just loaded as is

[GhostHawk]

I think he is trying to seperate the good round shot from the not so good. Not size sorting, quality.

[runfiverun]

I think they sort shot like they do potato chips now days.
they fall over a gap and a blast of air blows the offender out of the stream.

the best I ever got to was sorting for size, I drilled holes in a pizza pan and run everything through it.
all the globs and junk got caught on top and all the correct sized and smaller stuff went through.
then I run it through a smaller holed pan to drop out everything under sized.
the bump sorter sounds interesting and would need some experimentation to get the angle and length just right.

[beagle]

Supposedly, this was the way that factories sorted shot way back when. The different size gap over the hump differentiated the out of tolerance and deformed shot while the in tolerance shot passed through. Was wondering if anyone had read of it but me over the years./beagle

[Cap'n Morgan]

I read somewhere that the shot was dropped onto an inclining ramp. Perfectly round shot would run straight down the ramp. Less than perfect shot would veer off to either side and become trapped by plates along both sides of the ramp. Further down the ramp the shot was sorted in size by jumping across gradually larger slots. The smaller shot would fall through sooner due to less speed and inertia.

[runfiverun]

ahh I can picture that in my head.
but you'd need some room to make it work.
I'm thinking just doing 7-1/2, 8, and 9 shot would need 6-8' to get working pretty well.
maybe an old Ping-Pong table could be sacrificed?

[woody1]

Google is your friend

https://books.google.com/books?id=VidRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA402&lpg=PA402&dq=how+is +shot+size+sorted?&source=bl&ots=y1cQ_bjECE&sig=KC XewGg9fH74LxxBJsHi6V7VZNE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiy nIiRg_nPAhWijlQKHUYLAyUQ6AEIWTAJ#v=onepage&q=how%2 0is%20shot%20size%20sorted%3F&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=Ws...page&q&f=false


http://takecourage.info/files/The_Shot_Tower.pdf

[beagle]

That's kinda what I recall reading. Was thinking there was a hump involved./beagle

I read somewhere that the shot was dropped onto an inclining ramp. Perfectly round shot would run straight down the ramp. Less than perfect shot would veer off to either side and become trapped by plates along both sides of the ramp. Further down the ramp the shot was sorted in size by jumping across gradually larger slots. The smaller shot would fall through sooner due to less speed and inertia.

[beagle]

I've read that. This was later on in the process when they really started production of fairly precision shot in larger quantities./beagle

Google is your friend

https://books.google.com/books?id=VidRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA402&lpg=PA402&dq=how+is +shot+size+sorted?&source=bl&ots=y1cQ_bjECE&sig=KC XewGg9fH74LxxBJsHi6V7VZNE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiy nIiRg_nPAhWijlQKHUYLAyUQ6AEIWTAJ#v=onepage&q=how%2 0is%20shot%20size%20sorted%3F&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=Ws...page&q&f=false


http://takecourage.info/files/The_Shot_Tower.pdf

[Ed_Shot]

I hesitated to enter this thread because I must be cursed. I bought a Better Shot Maker direct from Mr. Stewart in 2014 it has #8 drippers and from the very first try I get 99% very round and very uniform shot. Of course there were some obviously visible "lead goobers" in the mix and I tried using a long incline plain to cull what "goobers" there were. Problem was, no matter how slight the angle to get the round shot to roll the mass of round shot carried along even obvious goobers. Had better luck if I only tried to roll an ounce of shot at a time but it was hardly worth while.

GRAINGER sells a 12" x 12" SS mesh wire screen (#3GPH8) with openings of .097 for $16.34. Samples of my #8 shot were measuring .088 to .092 so the .097 openings satisfied me. I found it quick and easy to sieve 130# of shot at a time and I've never had more than 12 oz of culled shot for a 130# batch of shot. The piece of SS mesh wire is heavy and stiff and I expect it to last forever.

GRAINGER also these 12 x 12" SS mesh wire sieves with openings of .088 (#3AKC3) for $17.15 and with openings of .093 (#3DLJ7) for $8.57......and no I don't work for Graingers.


Grainger SS mesh sieve with .097 openings

[too many things]

ed has it right only thing will add. the pans I have will take about 80% of the messed up ones out .
I use a 2x4ft piece of glass at a 5% grade. have a plastic tub at bottom. if you take a cup full of shot and pour on top slowly the good will make it to bottom . the bad will not . It don't take long before you can run 200lbs .
I set I cup in the tub and then rake the bad stuff into the cup
and as ed said there is not much bad. after his wire of my pan.
I use the wire ed had pics of but only to sort sizes , the wire is called 8x8 but the opening is determined by the wire ga.

I use the pieces like ed shows and a 18in piece of 6in pvc pipe. cut hole in side of pipe and attach the wire over the hole. have 2 caps ans put shot in and shake the pipe.
remove the cap and then go to next pipe .
you cant do much with a flat piece as the larger will fill the holes and stop the small from going through. the pipe works and the caps interchange so you don't have a lot of money in the caps that are costly. I tried several ways to attach the wire. Duct tape worked the best, BUT use the good stuff . its usually the white or black that cost about $10 a roll
shot making is not as easy as it sounds . I have done it for 15yrs and still am learning . un like bullet casting 10* room temp can be a game changer , and only CO wheel and NO zinc
10wa hydraulic oil is the best. last for ever and you don't need graphite. It takes more time to clean but in the long run its worth the time
I have 4 or 5 5gal buckets that are 10yrs old and shot is just as silver as when made .
I also has a side effect. if you shoot at night with a bright light behind you . can see the shot string

[jdfoxinc]

I was using two 8x8in pieces of glass with 1/8" gap at about 30degrees from horizontal. The round jumped the gap, most out of round fell through. Used copper pipe an Hager type drill bit and a rotissery motor to trickle the shot down the slope.

Then used multiple geologists sieves stacked for sizing.

[psychicrhino]

The sound of the gap jumps catching the out of round pellets sounds pretty slick.

[Littleton Shot Maker]

Old thread- new life??
Thin metal flat metal sheet SS or Al. 1/3 thickness of the target size of shot you want, drilling or laser punching the holes that you want ( .002 under the target size (7.5) ) then roll into cylinder
HOLE spacing is the issue- if you want to smooth out the shot then few hole- if you want to sort allot many holes-
Cylinder or TUBE needs a base- ( bottom) and a 'lid' or open mouth your choice- needs to be smooth inside too- no less than 12 inches diameter ?? but it can be made bigger- bigger is not alway better or easier- better to have 2-4 small units than ONE BIG GIANT ONE!!!!

TUBE is canted- 3-10 degrees (You will find what works for you based on size- dia. speed- time- ) to the rear so shot does not Roll out mouth ( lid will be helpful)
Front of tube support by two caster or rollers at lip- say 4 inch wheels- rear is supported with 1 - 2 inch casters.
the area in the middle is the work surface- have a tray - pan - trough some thing to catch the shot that will fall out or TUBE SEIVE

the work surface has two more rollers LIKE rolling pins for dough positioned at the 5 and 7 o'clock station and the 12 o'clock IF you want that added roller-
these are used as swipes- push the shot back into the TUBE that does not fall out- these rollers also help support the weight of the lead- but is should not be much- it should sieve out any that satys needs to be removed before the next bunch - these will be the TOO BIG or the NOT round enough to get through holes

do this 3 times

1 - one size smaller than your 7.5 - and smaller fall out 1st but leave you with a ton of shot in tube
2 is the size for 7.5 + 001 trust you will need it
3rd- is for the size bigger-

If have seen it done both from small to big and then vice versa-
I think dropping the shot from big to small works best- leave all the 6 and bigger " in the 1st tube"- then melt , sell , shoot etc
then do the smaller size and then what ever stays in the 2nd tubes gets graphite and out- then the reject 7- 8 8.5 etc remelt.


NOW this can be hand rolled or cranked or motorized- go slow- speed in not good
this rolling motion will help to round out the shot- even really bad shot I have seen come out looking very smooth and round BUT that customer also added heat ( 100-120f) in the process to help soften short to polish faster-
He was doing 55 gallon drums of the stuff though so his process was / is if still alive0 very big- NO need to be that big if only doing 50-100 pounds per run- He had 4 or 5 55 gallon drums full of shot with 8 shot makers going full tilt. running 4 sizes- he'd run all them then sorted them all and then sold it all off ( what he did not shoot) at 4 drums of shot on the floor he told me he was getting low and that's why he wanted more shot makers...at the end I think he must have had 6 singles and 2 double machines...10 ladle at 40-45 pound per hour... and some machine had double drippers - that is a ton of lead and work.

[Reverend Al]

Years ago when I was working in the sporting goods trade I drove out to Edmonton with a friend for our annual gopher "safari" and we stopped in to see a vendor of ours that sold lead shot at the time so that we could buy some product to take back home with us. We watched his machine in operation and his used the same glass plate method you described. The plates were angled and had a fairly large gap between them (3 or 4"?). The round shot flew across the gap while the out of round shot slowly wobbled down the plate and then fell down into the gap and was collected in a bin for recycling back into his smelter. There were about 3 sets of plates all with gaps to ensure that all of the culls were caught. By the way at the end of the plates where the good, round shot was guided into a chute and directed down to a series of size sorting screens there was a plastic one gallon jug, mounted upside down on a heavy coil spring, with the bottom cut out and some small holes punched into the metal screw on cap that was now located at the bottom. It was filled with powdered graphite and a revolving gear would give the jug a light "shake" onto the newly dropped shot as it passed by about every 2 to 3 seconds. It was a very low tech way of adding graphite to newly made lead shot, but it seemed to work great for them! (The entire system was a short water drop unit that was manufactured by Bleimeister (?) in Germany.)

I was using two 8x8in pieces of glass with 1/8" gap at about 30degrees from horizontal. The round jumped the gap, most out of round fell through. Used copper pipe an Hager type drill bit and a rotissery motor to trickle the shot down the slope.

Then used multiple geologists sieves stacked for sizing.

[skeettx]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pUouuByOXo


http://ascscientific.com/sieves.html