Shot too small

[Littleton Shot Maker]

Got a call, form Greg in Canada. He looked for help but could not find this answer.

Why is the machine making shot too small? He has #5 drippers but shot make #7 1/2 all day! Round , perfect just wrong size.

Turns out Previous Owner of machine Modified it with stove top element. Way too hot. 2200 watts maybe? we are checking into that now to confirm..

As it turns out P.O. was making shot when it was very cold, way below freezing outside, SO his shop was too cold to work with our standard element.
NOW, that machine is being used in a shop not as cold and the drippers, and lead are getting too hot and making shot too small.

I never get this call in the winter. Most times the shot is bigger than we want because it is TOO COLD in out shops…so this was rare enough and unique, because when I do get calls about this issue is in the summer when folks are doing it in shops with our any ac or swamp coolers….thought I would share a bit...

[jimb16]

Thanks for the info. That explains why the shot size seems to vary depending on what time of year I'm making it. I thought it was the alloy.

[copdills]

Thanks for the information

[Littleton Shot Maker]

Temps are the main reason for 95% of the variation from one session to the next.

Most folks do it when they can be in the shop- every one has different ideas of what temps to work in but there is a specific range the "machine works BEST" at…

No way to do it here in the summer 120F in the shop on a cool day- sometimes hotter on warmer days…I don;t have a cooler in the current shop.

I would never try to make shot in my shop if it was near or below, 55-65F unless I wanted to make the bigger stuff 4's - 6's ….

Alloys will only effect you if you are changing from one type to another….pure now, bullets leads, or reclaim shot …all will give you something slightly off , bigger or smaller than Wheel weight alloy, that is what the drippers are Made For...

[Mr_Sheesh]

Wouldn't a better temperature control setup help here? PID perhaps? (A thermostat works, PID can keep temperatures closer to the desired temperature though)

[MOA]

I would be interested if I could use the same PID that I currently have for my master caster on my Littleton shot maker. If so, a schematic of the necessary wiring would be real helpful.