Making shot dipper from bottom pour furnace

[barrysuperhawk]

Hey guys long time no me, I've ended up with a Lee electric bottom pour furnace that I don't really have a use for, and I am kicking around the idea of making a shot dripper out of it. It seems like I can attach a small bit of aluminum plate or aluminum channel directly to the bottom of the pot and it should stay hot enough (because Lord knows the outside of the pot stays hot), and angle it out just long enough to clear the base and then set my little bucket of antifreeze next to it and I should be good to go.

Granted I won't be making a hundred pounds of shot in 10 minutes but for the next best thing to free, I think I'm willing to give it a go. After having read to the other shot dripper threads I think the only problem I might have is my orifice is pretty big by the standards of shot drippers. So the worst thing I might have to do is make up a small tray with two or three smaller holes intermediate between the main orifice and my quench.
Assuming it doesn't get too cold, I may have time enough to get this up and running this weekend. .If I do get this up and running I will try to post pictures and some fashion of after-action report.

These are only going to be for three gun practice loads so the shot size does not really have to be that consistent to knock over steel plates.

Does anybody any guess on what size of the shot I might be making just ripping it straight out of the orifice? I don't have any way of measuring how big the hole is other than I think I've used a 1/16 bit to clean it out when it was clogged with junk.

[dsh1106]

If you can get it to drip straight out of the current nozzle, my guess you would get BBB size shot.

I have a shot maker, I run a nozzle with a .031 hole and it drops between .110 / .120 depending on the pressure. I've played with the .031 nozzle for over ten hours and can never get "ROUND" shot. There are so many variables involved, alloy, heat of the alloy, type of coolant, temp of coolant, ambient temperate, angle of the drip edge, and I'm sure I missed a few more important items in there.

Awesome idea, I hope it works!!!

Keep us posted !! I'm all in for new ideas and different ways to process shot !

Scott

[barrysuperhawk]

Okay I think BBB might be entirely too big, I was hoping for something between 5 and 8, but maybe I put in a intermediate trough with two or three smaller holes. Maybe if I try to find a 1/64 drill bit several of those will be able to keep up with the full flow and the flow of molten lead should keep the trough hot enough for it to continue to drip? W
I understand what the drip plate is for, and I guess I'm sort of assuming that if I keep my whole assembly small enough, physically attaching it to the furnace will have enough heat transfer to keep everything more without having to and any fire to the mix.

[dsh1106]

I'm using a .020/.021 nozzle for my 7 1/2 - 8 shot .

If you keep it short and easy, it may just work.

Scott

[rancher1913]

very intriguing concept, if you can, document it as you go and post photos.

[barrysuperhawk]

One other quick question, I've seen in a couple of other threads people talking about using welding tips as shot drippers, and that intrigues me because I do have a bag of them from my handy-dandy Harbor Freight welder that died a painful and ugly death several years ago. Any idea how I tell the size on those chinesium tips, so I can figure out if they will be useful?

[Ginsing]

They will likely be either. 030" or .035"

[GhostHawk]

My concern with the tips would be with them sticking out in the air and cooling off.

Still what have you got to lose, give it a shot, learn some in the process. Always a good thing.

[Cap'n Morgan]

Just a suggestion - and the following is purely speculation on my part:

1) Make a small "pan" from the bottom of a small tin can or similar. The smaller the can and the thinner the can material the better...

2) Put a number of holes in the bottom of the pan using the sharpened point of a nail. The holes can be adjusted in size using different nails or a needle. Don't place the holes too close together.

3) Mount the "pan" over a suitable container filled with brake fluid, detergent or whatever coolant will do. The height of the pan should be adjustable and close to the surface of the coolant.

4) Remove the base plate of your Lee Drip-o-matic and put it on backwards - this will allow you to mount the dripper on a table with the nozzle clear off the table. Use screws or a C-clamp to prevent the pot from tipping.

5) Place the container under the nozzle of the Drip-o-Matic. As close as possible to the pan to avoid splatter.

6) Fire up the pot and start pouring molten lead in the pan making sure to keep the surface of the molten lead a constant level in the pan.

If everything works as planned the molten lead will keep the pan at a constant temperature preventing the holes from clogging and the drops of lead will form into globules while sinking to the bottom of the container - solidifying during the descent. By working the lever on the pot the rate of dropping can be adjusted - don't raise the lead level too high or you'll end up with lead wire instead of shot.

DISCLAIMER:
I have no idea if the above suggestions will actually work, but it's easily tested and should be worth a try. :p

[barrysuperhawk]

Actually that was very close to what I was intending to do already, I think that I'm going to use some sheet aluminum instead of I can, mostly because I want it to conduct heat from the pot down to the drip area, I might also have an easier time getting itty bitty holes in aluminum but that remains to be seen LOL

[mic]

sounds like it will work to me. im keen to see how you go.

[pashiner]

if the aluminum sheet doesn't pan out and you take the welding tip approach, they are cheap and commonly available down to .023. The size is usually roll marked on the side of them. Another interesting nozzle option might be to check out oxy-acetlene torch nozzles. they are all copper, and available in a huge variety of sizes.

[MyFlatline]

getting the holes small enough is going to be the biggest challenge IMO.

[jimb16]

You may need a ramp for the shot to roll down before it hits the coolant to make the shot round.