Lead shotmaker project help!

I have a shotmaker pan but no ideas or the brains to have a heat source to melt the lead. Can anyone give me plans or ideas? I know I can use propane but prefer electrical path that way I can control the temps vs gas. If so what do I need? Where could I get the stuff? What are the steps? Tools needed? I seen a guy on youtube hookup one of those electric cooking coils to his shotmaker pan and install right under the pan as the heat source. That’d be awesome but again wanting to borrow ideas. Thanks!

I was looking at making a shot maker years ago, I saw a heap of youtube clips on how too and that is as far as I got.

there is a long thread on here about making your own from a pan bought off of fleabay. it has photos of several builds and covers coolant tanks and how to sort good from bad shot. I believe it was started by ghosthawk.

Yes it was, IMO if you want electric you are better off buying one built for that purpose not going off road as I did.

For what I wanted my project worked well. It made useable shot.

There are many variables, each of which can totally skew the results.
From Alloy used (Hard to beat clip on wheel weights) to coolant used (several of us have used dollar store fabric softener with good results) to angle of the dripping slope, to coolant temp.

Truly it is more like rocket science. One day It may work perfectly the next it might decide to not work at all.

I went with a jet type fish fryer and found myself throttling it back after the initial melt. But you almost need a way to introduce melted lead into the ladle at or close to the temp you want. Otherwise every time you drop an ingot onto the ladle everything comes to a screeching halt for 10 minutes.

Back to variables, melt temp is a big one as is head pressure. IE how full your ladle is.

This process is closer to black magic than science. The Gods all need to be happy with you and you have to hold your mouth right or it may choose to not work.

Good luck!

If you went with electric you wilo have to build your own because a hot plate wont get hot enough. If you bypassed the safeties on those hot plate they will possibly melt and catch fire.

You would have to build a custom steal or aluminum enclosure at the correct angle and then use a stove eye and stove rheostat. On the upside you could add a PID.

I personally use a camp stove from Walmart. Those little propane bottles will last day long shot run.

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Originally Posted by GhostHawk

Yes it was, IMO if you want electric you are better off buying one built for that purpose not going off road as I did.

For what I wanted my project worked well. It made useable shot.

There are many variables, each of which can totally skew the results.
From Alloy used (Hard to beat clip on wheel weights) to coolant used (several of us have used dollar store fabric softener with good results) to angle of the dripping slope, to coolant temp.

Truly it is more like rocket science. One day It may work perfectly the next it might decide to not work at all.

I went with a jet type fish fryer and found myself throttling it back after the initial melt. But you almost need a way to introduce melted lead into the ladle at or close to the temp you want. Otherwise every time you drop an ingot onto the ladle everything comes to a screeching halt for 10 minutes.

Back to variables, melt temp is a big one as is head pressure. IE how full your ladle is.

This process is closer to black magic than science. The Gods all need to be happy with you and you have to hold your mouth right or it may choose to not work.

Good luck!

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You got a link to your projects? I’d be interested in reading it. I don’t think gas prices are gunna go down anytime soon. It’s been estimated that gas prices are going to keep going up hence my wanting to go electric.

I used the search feature conveniently located in the upper right corner of the page.

GhostHawk shotmaker

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...Hawk+shotmaker

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Originally Posted by Dusty Bannister

I used the search feature conveniently located in the upper right corner of the page.

GhostHawk shotmaker

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...Hawk+shotmaker

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Appreciate it Danny.

I no longer "push" or support that project as we have a vender sponser who makes them.
So out of consideration for him I have been letting that project die. But, as noted, a good search will still find it.

Last, IMO it is indeed closer to "art" than "Science".
And it is not for everyone. Casting lead bullets by comparison is riding a tricycle on a wide road.
Dripping shot is more like a unicycle on a 20' high wire. It is just a whole order of magnitude different.

Both use melted lead or lead alloys. And that is about the only common ground.

well as said lot more to it than just the heat
i have one its the Stewart. ready to plug in if you want more in for send me a pm

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rcmaveric

If you went with electric you wilo have to build your own because a hot plate wont get hot enough. If you bypassed the safeties on those hot plate they will possibly melt and catch fire.

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https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...r-melting-lead

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Originally Posted by jmorris

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...r-melting-lead

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Well call me learned. I tried it with mine and it didnt work and it had to much plastic for me to trust rewiring it. That gives me ideas. Thanks Jmorris. Let me find another one of those lead shot ladels for sale on ebay again.

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From that thread, looks like a minimum of 1100 watt open element style would be what I would try.

I use a 3500 watt oven element to heat the pot on my casting machine. I have had to replace it over the years. The first one was $16 the last one $20. I just wrapped the element around the steel pot then made a band out of stainless to hold it in place. Use a PID to control a solid state relay turning it on/off.

You can see the end of it above the band on the right side in this video. The pot is 3/8” thick steel pipe and holds over 60lbs of lead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2U1ujg_nzo