making shot

[mongo404]

Is anybody making shot that lives around Kirklin Indiana? That is about 20 mins. north of Indy on St Rd 421. Need help! my shot maker is giving me fits and I think if I am able to look at another one I will be able to figure it out. What is the best coolant to use?
Thanks Daniel

[686]

what type do you have? new-used? what shot size? if it is a james stewert one he can give you all the help you will ever need. check out trapshooters.com do a serch for shot makers. lots of help there. i use dot type3 brake fluid. 3-4 others you can use. best advice is use only ww and get you lead clean before pouring your 1-1 1/2 lb. ingots. get all the ww you can find. it want be around many more years. always cary 2-3 5 gal buckets and scales with you. good luck.

[mongo404]

My shotmaker is home made using wire feed welding tips for nozzles I am using 50/50 antifreeze for coolant. I have my ramp about a 1/4 inch from the coolant. I am using ww and I have fluxed them before I use them in the shot maker. The problem that I am having now is I am getting alot of splattered shot with and it seems to happen when it hits the coolant. Other time I was gitting consistant shot dropping but it was making pankcakes but they were all the same size.

[686]

I STARTED WITH HYDROLIC fluid. works grate but hard to wash. went to antifreeze with liquid soap added . it worked good at first then after 2 or so mo. off i started getting splaters like popcorn . i gor some dot type brake fluid. one day i fired it up with the antifreez to see there was still making bad, it was . shut it down changed the tank to the brake fluid and have never looked back. i do get the little black pin hole in the shot but every thing looks good. one day i am going to retry the hydrolic fluid just to see if it does make a pin hole. i have been told it makes a better shot just harder to clean of. with 3 ladels making 9s , 8s , and 7 1/2 shot i have found each has its own twercks. to much lead in the pot can make to much presure which pushes the shot out the drippers and make foot ball looking shot. a rugh edge on the lip can make tails on the shot. if your drippers do not work try some of jimmy stewert ones. i had a batch of lead i did not clean good and the shot got remelted, so did the ingots. i have procon pump and a alum. car ratior hooked up to my coolent tank so it does not get to hot. be careful of the suckshon tube . keep it away from the shot in the tank. it can be bad for thr pomp. good luck get all the lead you can. if some one wants you to make them shot have them bring you lead. with no lead you can not make shot.

[Sitsinhedges]

My shotmaker is home made using wire feed welding tips for nozzles I am using 50/50 antifreeze for coolant. I have my ramp about a 1/4 inch from the coolant. I am using ww and I have fluxed them before I use them in the shot maker. The problem that I am having now is I am getting alot of splattered shot with and it seems to happen when it hits the coolant. Other time I was gitting consistant shot dropping but it was making pankcakes but they were all the same size.

Keep your coolant within 1/4" of the ramp and make sure you have at least 7" of coolant in your catch can. Brake fluid is probably the best thing as long as you bear in mind it can burn if it catches the ramp. I have had a lot of succes with cheap fabric conditioner, slightly watered down.

ATB
Andy

[shotman]

50-50 WILL NOT work. the straight Lo tox with some liquid laundry det added. is ok. I started with hyd fluid and have tried most everything else. I still like it the best. I did run into a cooling tank that works real good . Its a military ammo SAW can. Nice size .rick

[crowbeaner]

I tried several types of coolant and settled on pure undiluted antifreeze. Drop to the coolant is right at 1/2 inch. Even pure antifreeze will ignite if the coolant level is too shallow, so keep a spare tank handy. I use a 40mm ammo can with handles installed. You'll have to wash the shot with clean water and drain it before letting it dry or the shot will stay sticky. I make mine in the summer so I can dry it on a tarp in the sun. Stir the shot every couple hours to rotate what the sun is heating. Clean lead is a must; any dross or crud in your lead will cause blobs and clogs in the nozzles.