Electric shot dripper

[RED333]

I picked up one of the 5 hole pans off ebay, http://www.ebay.com/itm/lead-shotmaker-/263061679765?hash=item3d3fb2ae95:g:bJ8AAOSwNnRYgW8 9
Picked up some drippers as well and want to use it indoors. I do cast boolits in my reload room, yes I have a powered vent.
I did try a 208 volt stove top element with 120 volts applied but it did not get hot enough. However I did not have a reflector under it. Wife is out for the day so I tried the stove top and at 1/2 heat it did melt lead.
Now 1/2 heat is not 1/2 power, the control is cycling the power from full to none at a 50% rate. So next step is to get a reflector and try my element and see if it will melt, might have to insulate the element as well, we shall see.

[labradigger1]

I can't help you with your quest but that "my wife is out for the day" has gotten me in trouble many times.

[RED333]

No worries digger1, what she dont know she cant yell at me for. :roll:
Now on to the good news, it worked, well melted lead and dripped!!!
The element is a 1130 watt 208 volt stove eye element, the small one. I am using 120 volt to power the element. Use about 20 layers of Alu foil for insulation, will get real high temp insulation at work. It did take a good bit to melt and did not do well around the drippers. I used a propane torch to get things going and lead started dripping from all 5 holes.:) This was just a test for electric heat and it does work. My water bucket was way to far away so all I got was "swan" shot but it look good to me at this point.
For my 1st try I say I won, just have to refine things and I am off to the races!!!

When I get things going well I will get some pics up, hope for a video.

[GhostHawk]

Anyone ever considered taking a cheap lee melter and pull the rod. Install a dripper in the bottom hole?

[GoBig]

I've considered it, but never tried it. I built my own bottom pour pot to avoid the cost of a lee pot. Would be interested to see if it could be done though. I imagine results would change as the level of the lead changed. Most shot drippers are wide but shallow.

[copdills]

glad to hear it worked, just work out the bugs and make some shot

[RED333]

Did another "test" with the bucket filled with 50/50 antifreeze, I know it should be pure.
Got the level close to the bottom of the lip of the pan. Still got some "swan" but got some round that looked good.
All in all I am making what looks like .090 or #8 shot. Still no pics, sorry.

[copdills]

change the 50/50 like you said , sounds like you'll be there shortly , will keep an eye out for more of your progress

[True.grit]

You need to have no more than a 1/4" drop to the coolant. Good luck it works for me.

[RED333]

You need to have no more than a 1/4" drop to the coolant. Good luck it works for me.
I was closer than that, as the shot fell the level of the coolant started to rise and was touching the ramp.
Still working out the bugs for using one of my bottom pours to keep the small pan full. I am doing this indoors so I have to be careful not to make a mess.
So just one step at a time.

[True.grit]

If it touches the ramp it will cool the ramp or super heat the coolant. You need to have an overflow container so the coolant spills out of what the shot drops into. Next you will find the coolant gets to hot and you will get snowflakes. This will require some means of cooling the coolant. There is other threads on how to make it work. Learn by doing and share your results with the rest of use. Good luck

[RED333]

Well I won, made some shot that just might work, need to get it sized somehow.
I know I can get screen of diff sizes but that can wait till latter. Here are some pics,
the drippers are .020.

[RED333]

That is about 5 Lbs in close to 30 mins. That coolant is from wally world, the cheap stuff.
This is more of a test to see if I could do this inside with house power and small bit of gas heat. I do use
a Mapp torch(yellow bottle) to keep the flow going. Guys it can be done in side this winter.

[copdills]

Great results, Looks good

[MOA]

Well I won, made some shot that just might work, need to get it sized somehow.
I know I can get screen of diff sizes but that can wait till latter. Here are some pics,
the drippers are .020.


Great job Red, I need to get mine set up too. Thanks for the pictures. That's a nice vintage L. S. Starrett box I see on the counter, what was the tool it contained? Looks to be some type of caliper.

[RED333]

Great job Red, I need to get mine set up too. Thanks for the pictures. That's a nice vintage L. S. Starrett box I see on the counter, what was the tool it contained? Looks to be some type of caliper.
It still has a 0-1 inch mic. Making shot is a labor of love, yes we could buy it. Local gun shop has some, MidSouth is about an hour away, being able to make your own is priceless!!!

[True.grit]

Good job. I don't worry about size. It all shoots good.

[RED333]

Good job. I don't worry about size. It all shoots good.

Yes my shot does shoot well, got out today, loaded up my 12ga muzzle loaded. 2 drams of powder, thick felt wad, store bought shot cup and an over card. At about 30 feet it spread close to 4 feet, nice and full with no open areas.

[RED333]

Made some more today, came out just like first batch just made more, about 20 lbs.

[skeettx]

well done, keep the reports coming

Will you ever go 220V?

[RED333]

well done, keep the reports coming

Will you ever go 220V?
Thanks and would have to run a 220V line to my room, not gona happen any time soon.

[copdills]

looks good man , thanks for all the updates

[pls1911]

Reclaimed shot,, seems like folks love it, or hate it.
For me, it's among the best bargains remaining in the sport.
Years back I bought 100 pounds of reclaimed shot from a local skeet range for 20 cents a pound. The mix was mostly #7.5 or #8, with maybe 5-10% #6. Oddly shaped like it was shot (Duh!), there were fused doublets, hammered round, flattened frisbees, and other odd shapes of every description.
I'm still working off that shot, and while I'm sure there are fliers with every trigger pull, several hundred doves, snakes, squirrels, varmints and vermin have been dispatched with this mongrel shot. Even poor man's slugs work well (wads with petals taped closed).
Quite frankly, an normal ranges (10-40 yards) I can't tell the difference between this stuff and new chilled shot in Modified or Improved Cylinder choked barrels.
Load it, point the shot gun, pull the trigger, and objectives fall.
I wish I could find a 100 pounds of similarly reclaimed #6...

[megasupermagnum]

Reclaimed shot,, seems like folks love it, or hate it.
For me, it's among the best bargains remaining in the sport.
Years back I bought 100 pounds of reclaimed shot from a local skeet range for 20 cents a pound. The mix was mostly #7.5 or #8, with maybe 5-10% #6. Oddly shaped like it was shot (Duh!), there were fused doublets, hammered round, flattened frisbees, and other odd shapes of every description.
I'm still working off that shot, and while I'm sure there are fliers with every trigger pull, several hundred doves, snakes, squirrels, varmints and vermin have been dispatched with this mongrel shot. Even poor man's slugs work well (wads with petals taped closed).
Quite frankly, an normal ranges (10-40 yards) I can't tell the difference between this stuff and new chilled shot in Modified or Improved Cylinder choked barrels.
Load it, point the shot gun, pull the trigger, and objectives fall.
I wish I could find a 100 pounds of similarly reclaimed #6...

Maybe at that price, but around me reclaimed is $35 a bag. I'm sure some sort better than others, but that's not worth it to me to be shooting beat up old lead shot, mixed with dirt, steel shot, and who knows what else. If you buy in bigger quantities, I've found some good deals. Better yet is auctions and estate sales. It doesn't really matter when target shooting, or ranges are short, but a good magnum shot definitely puts more holes on target. I've got a shot maker, but I don't think I'll be using it for lead shot at this point. Wheel weights are a thing of the past here in Minnesota, and all my casting alloys are around $1.25 a pound when ready. With time involved, it's just not worth it to make. I use my shot maker to make bismuth shot, and the savings are huge, much less than half price.