How much graphite should I add to new shot?

[mikenbarb]

Im starting to make my own shot and wondering if theres a standard for how much powdered graphite you should add to the shot? I am making size BB,2,4,6,8 and 9 shot if it makes a difference with how much to add. Thanks in advance, Mike

[smkummer]

Try about 1 teaspoon first. I added maybe 2 TABLESPOONS to my batch at first and really blackened the tumbler that I have. I had to wipe it out before putting the media back in. When you add it to the tumbling shot wait about 10 seconds to see if it starts turning dark. I added the the first TABLESPOON and didn't wait so I added another and then it turned black really fast.

[mikenbarb]

Thanks and im going to be doing between 20-30# runs. I will start light and work my way up till it looks good.

[Sitsinhedges]

Far too much IMO, a quarter of a teaspoon is plenty for a 25# bag or you'll just make everything filthy black.

I am intrigued as to how you are going to make such big shot as 2s, 4s and BB cos I found that once you get bigger than 6s they begin to become out of round quite quickly.

Cheers
Andy

[mikenbarb]

Its still in the works for the larger shot but so far thay have come out ok with a 50 foot drop into a bath of antifreeze mix. Im going to raise the drop to 75-80 feet and see what happens when its that high but it should give me a nice round pellet hopefully. I am working on a shot machine with different size nozzles and an adjustable pour speed to give me the pellet size I need. Its still in its rough stage but its getting closer to what I want for the final machine. I have been doing lots of reading of old books on making shot and a company in Germany was dropping large shot from a 150 foot tower to get a nice pellet. This is old book stuff from the 50's and 60's but seems to still work good today. Sometimes older is better than the new technology because its simple and just simply works good. I have access to make a drop of 160 feet if needed and you proably wondering how. I have a 40 ton crane with a man basket and a 160' boom with the jib on.LOL. It works great but its gotta be done early morning or late afternoon because the wind raises hell with the shot and blows it all over the place.
If all turns out good, I will be selling shot for a pretty good price compared to what the market is selling it for now. Jut hopefully my lead supplier wont run out on me but I got a few places to get it cheap.

[Cap'n Morgan]

Mike,

If you're going to drop your shot, you probably have to add arsenic to the
lead to avoid 'tails'

I ran some drop forming experiments many years ago, and couldn't get the pellets round. They all had a tiny toad tail! In desperation I tried pouring some re-melted shot from a factory loaded shell. Bingo! Beautiful round shots in first attempt.

Later I talked to an old guy, who had actually worked in a shot tower. He told me they added arsenic to the smelt via a perforated 'cup' in the bottom of the smelter. The arsenic would the dissolve into the lead, but almost half of it would evaporate during the process.

Here's a link to an interesting NYT article from 1881.

A VISIT TO A SHOT-TOWER; HOW PIG LEAD AND ARSENIC ARE CONVERTED INTO SHINING SHOT.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstrac...679D94609FD7CF

[mikenbarb]

Yummy arsenic.LOL. Im gonna go get some arsenic and try it with it. I was getting pretty good smaller shot but was having problems with the larger and thats gotta be why. Thanks much. I will let you know how they turn out when I do a drop.

[wiljen]

Im gonna go get some arsenic and try it with it.

If you want to keep breathing, don't go get elemental arsenic. It is about as nasty a substance as you could wish to play with. You would be well advised to find some arsenical lead that contains 1 or 2% arsenic and use it to add the .1-.2% arsenic generally needed.

[mikenbarb]

Thanks wiljen and im going to research it in some old shot making books I have to see what I come up with but im surely going to be wearing a good respirator when im melting and mixing up the goodies needed to drop a good round pellet.

[wiljen]

Thanks wiljen and im going to research it in some old shot making books I have to see what I come up with but im surely going to be wearing a good respirator when im melting and mixing up the goodies needed to drop a good round pellet.

Arsenic can be absorbed through the skin as well as by inhalation or ingestion. Please be super careful as we hate adding members to the "In Memorium" page.