Cleaning up Home Made Shot

[Agent1187]

For those who make their own shot - how well does it need to be washed?
I use a Better Shotmaker (fantastic machine by the way) and one of the recommended coolants is Sun laundry detergent, which is the type I use with good success. When it comes time to wash the detergent off, I find it takes a Loooooong time to wash all the soap off, which isn't much of an issue when doing small runs like the first few I've done.

But now that I'm running 100 lbs at a time, it takes me about as long to clean all the soap off as the rest of process does.
So for before I go messing up a pile of shot, do I necessarily need to wash ALL the soap off, of can I leave some amount on without affecting anything important?

I also try to do a bit of a tumble with graphite, so that may either make soapy shot better or worse.

[LUBEDUDE]

I do not make shot, however it has always interested me.

It seems that you need to get the soap off so the graphite can stick to the shot. But why can't you leave a "clean" soap on like SUN, and use that as your lubricant INStead of graphite?

[Vinne]

LDude, I have made shot for over 20 years and think it is not a good idea to leave anything on the shot but dry graphite. It may become sticky (SUN) after a while and not feed in the reloader. I always made small batches so I made sure the batch was rinsed well. There is no better feeling than seeing the shot that is made by hand.

Agent, if you want to grow bigger you have to go bigger. You may want to try an old rotary concrete mixer and run water in the drum to wash your large batch of shot. Rig a hose to run water into the drum. This way you can do other things while the shot is "washing". After the shot has drained, maybe you can use a hot air blower to dry the shot in the drum while you are making another batch.
You must be lucky to have an on-going supply of WW to be able to go big!! Let us know the route you take and send some pics. Good luck, Vinne

[LUBEDUDE]

Ah, the sticky factor! Makes sense.

Thanks Vinne

[Agent1187]

Yeah, the SUN soap seems to be the equivalent of WD-40 - slippery when wet, then gummy when too much is left to dry. I didn't know if there is a point of diminishing returns where really clean isn't much better than kinda clean.

I have to agree Vinnie, shot making is really exciting - especially since you see such a huge amount of consistent end product.

I can't say I'm planning on going to such lengths as to need a cement mixer, but some kind of automated shot washer does have alot of appeal.

Mercifully, I don't use wheel weights for my shot material (I haven't been able to score a bucket before it hits the scrap yard in two years!), however I have been making due with reclaimed range lead. It's a bit softer than I'd like, but it still comes out to the right size, and patterns as well as I can shoot.

[jimb16]

Try pink RV antifreeze as coolant. It rinses off easily.

[turtlezx]

i heard you can only use ww for lead ??
what would be wrong with pure lead or range scrap ??

zinc would mess things up big time

[shotman4]

ww has arsenic in it that is like the surfactant to make the shot round . lead and rest wont work.
as for washing you need to get all the water type coolet off. and then make sure you coat with graphite to seal the lead or it will oxidize. I have tried all the coolets and oil is by far the best. It takes a little more time to clean. but the shot dont have to be coated. I have shot that is 10yrs old in 5gal buckets and is as bright as day it was made.
one other thing
MAKE SURE you dont get a zinc wheel weight in the mix . 1 will mess up 50lbs of lead

[saint_iverson]

I have tried all the coolets and oil is by far the best. It takes a littlemore time to clean. but the shot dont have to be coated.d

What type of oil do you use?

[Agent1187]

I've heard that absolutely pure lead is aweful for shot. I personally use range scrap but it's the pistol range mix, so part bullet cores, part boolits making it a bit harder than pure, but not much so. Here's a picture of my last run I did after being graphite tumbled, but before size sorting. They aren't perfectly round, but the price is right for me. The picture shadow makes them seem a bit more oblong than they really are.

[Vinne]

Agent, your shot looks better than mine. keep up what ever you are doing.
I was told by the guy that makes the shotmaker that straight antifreeze is his 2nd choose for coolant. It works well for me so far, it rinses easy but a little costly. Drying is what takes up a lot of my time.

I am working on a 5 gal bucket mixer to coat the shot with graphite. Pictures to follow when it is up and running. I have seen some 5 gal bucket coating ones on the web that have the cover screwed down tight and the motor is on a timer...very nice!!! There was even one that had a large screen basket that he dipped in a series of buckets (4) to wash the shot then poured in a tray to air dry. Now that was production!!!