Homemade shot maker problems

[JCarter]

Recently I’ve attempted to build a homemade shot maker from an old aluminum pan, and a camping stove. Below is the link to the video I posted on YouTube. I’m using an aluminum door plate for the lip. Fabric softener as coolant. I also don’t know the temperature of the lead. The lead bunches up on the lip when it drops and seems to explode when it hits the coolant. The lip is about a 1/4 inch from the coolant. The lead is mixed with antimony and tin. Can anyone tell me what I’m doing wrong? Much appreciated.

https://youtu.be/2d2jXR7mpT8

[too many things]

yea a bunch. you lead mix wont work, the heat is not hot enough to heat the lip and the junk you are useing to cool will leave dimples in the shot if it ever made round shot. if you dont use PURE CLIP ON WW it wont ever work if you could get temp up to 650 700 on the lip

[rancher1913]

search gosthawks thread on homemade shot maker, it has everything you need to know in it.

[jimb16]

I use a COWW mix for mine. And I use fabric softener for coolant. I get decent usable shot. Sounds to me like you aren't coating the aluminum lip with chalk or soapstone. The lead will stick if it is not coated. Get some soapstone and coat the ramp and see if it solves your problem.

[GhostHawk]

Anything below 50% COWW and I started seeing more "funky" shot.

Fabric softener will work if you use enough of it. I'm estimating mind you, but I would guess I was in the area of 70% softener to 30 % water when I had my best run.

At the time I did not have chalk or graphite so I used 2 coats of Ben's Liquid Lube. Sock wrapped around a stick, dunked in the jar, went over the lip several times as the pot heated. The BLL would evaporate, then bake into a kind of enamel. And I'd put another layer over the top. Somewhere between 2-3 layers nothing stuck anymore.

Popcorn, or lead exploding when it hits coolant to says too much water and lead too warm.
Dimples, I would say warm up your coolant some. But your probably close.

Best shot is never going to be in the first 20 minutes. Seems to take about that long to get everything working right. Dry that first bit and remelt it next time.

As to to temp, I watch the corners. If I drop a cold muffin tin ingot up on the slope of the pan and a minute later the corners are creeping in I'm about right.

The last tough variable is head pressure, how much liquid in the shotmaker.

It is ART, it takes practice. So go practice and play till you get it right.

To me the limiting factor is the ability to find COWW or soft lead with enough antimony.

But I am no guru, just an old farm boy who loves to tinker.

[Rcmaveric]

CWW make the best shot. I can still make decent shot from RS though and pretty good shot from half CWW and RS. I am curious if you are mixing water with the coolant. If you are, then don't. Run to the dollar store and fill the coolant vat with undulleted fabric softener. Next your drip ramp angle may not be steep enough. Think somewhere 150 deggrees if you can picture that. Also you need direct flame on that drip ramp. If it is not hot enough the lead will stick to it and not skip down it like a stone across water. Take a look at my shot maker thread http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?358102-Driped-lead-shot. You can't see it, but my camping stove hits the feed ramp with direct flame.

[too many things]

anything with a water base will make dark shot that will be hard to keep

[JCarter]

I gave it another go this morning with some tweaks suggested. I moved the flame closer to the ramp, adjusted the ramp to make it steeper and used some graphite lubricant on the ramp. Got some decent product. Gonna load up some shells this afternoon and see how they pattern. Thanks for all the replies and help!

[anotherred]

anything with a water base will make dark shot that will be hard to keep

What do you mean by that?

[megasupermagnum]

What do you mean by that?

I don't know either. Every single recommended coolant is water based. I use RV antifreeze myself, and my shot comes out bright and shiny.

[GhostHawk]

I have a couple of 2 liter soda bottles filled with shot. Shiny as all get out and used roughly 60% softener and 40% water.

So I am not sure that I agree with that statement.

And the pro's all seem to suggest tumbling with graphite to prevent oxidation.

No master here, just a retired jack of all trades who likes to tinker.

[jimb16]

All I know is that uncoated (no graphite) shot will get a dark oxide covering if left for a long period. So clean and dry your shot soon after making it then give it a coat of graphite and it will keep fresh for years.