My Boolit Master

[Littleton Shot Maker]

Redlion: for controllers they are better and cost less, and if you get the right one you can rebuild them when they burn out, the folks working there know their stuff-- not Wattlows.
1st thing we did to our "new" machine was pull the elements, install 1000 watts all around, pull out the controllers installed : Redlion controls ( they have some newer stuff, just as good less money), switched out the dayton junk, switched out the motor, the ears - tabs that mount broke on several we had.

The really old units with those emersion style elements all went away, upgraded them with the 90-100 pound pots. try getting all the lead out of the pot when the element goes bad and 50 pound of lead stuck around , then what tip the machine over, no, dip a spoon in there and pour out the lead a little at a time. NO
Changed- added & relays so the machine could not pour the pot out onto the floor any more. It would reset and re-ingage after the machine would rotate and then pour again, , turned off the valve pour solenoids ( those thing suck get the air system you'll never go back) turned the motor off with that switch to keep from bending the **** metal bar that pulls from the back to front, Bent it so many times, we chucked it and replaced it with thicker metal, better grade ends to, they wore out too fast.
Keep on trucking, love to see you do this. Are you going to market them too??

[Uptickk]

ReloaderFred (or anyone else),

I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing the zoro part number for the spruce/mold tappers you picked up. I finally got around to firing up my machine this past weekend and had a lot of spruce and boolits sticking to my molds. Someone in another thread posted these http://www.trossenrobotics.com/p/large-solenoid.aspx but you mentioned your are air powered. I am not too versed in that area and what to get something that provides enough force but not an excessive amount (probably the benefit of using air). Looking at the Magma instructions it looks like they recommend a setting of about 40 psi.

Thanks

[Uptickk]

ReloaderFred

Upon watching your video for the umpteenth time it seems as through you might just have one solenoid that fires multiple air cylinders (pour, spruce, and mold) at the same time. If you wouldn't mind sharing both the cylinders and solenoid I would greatly appreciate it.

[cast emill]

Yea I was planing on using a digital controller for the valve. I was also thinking of making the 4 hole manifold with a small heating element and wiring into a pid to add some heat to it to keep it from freezing up. I have been on the forums for a while just looking at things but never posted until now. I live in Georgia near Atlanta.

[ReloaderFred]

Uptickk,

Here is what I bought for the sprue plate knocker:

Air Cylinder, Single Acting, Round Non Repairable, 1 1/16 In. Bore Dia., 1 In. Stroke, 250 Max. Pressure (PSI), Mounting Style Nose, Cushion Type None, 1/8 NPT Cylinder Ports (In.), -10 to 165 Degrees Operating Temp. Range (F), 3.56 Total Le(more...) 12.59 12.59 G1990152

The part number is: G1990152

On my Mark 6, there are knockers at the bottom of the carrier on each side of the mold, plus the sprue plate knocker. The mold knockers strike the mold halves from each side to knock the bullet from the mold. The sprue plate knocker hits the sprue cutter just hard enough to jar the sprue loose. It has an aluminum "hammer" on the end of the piston, so it won't deform the sprue cutter. You just want it to tap the sprue cutter, not knock the holy bejesus out of it.

I don't know what the number is for the solenoid, since we haven't had to replace it. There are actually a couple of solenoids, since one activates the air for the pour spout, and the other activates the knockers. Magma's diagrams aren't a lot of help, either. They appear to have been written by someone who knows the machines inside and out, so they skipped a lot of the detail when they printed the manuals.

The key to getting the sprue to fall out at the proper time is lubing the sprue cutters. I've been using the cheapest Pam product I can find ($2.99 a can) at the restaurant supply store. It works just fine, and smells like you're cooking popcorn while casting bullets. I spray the cutters about every 1,000 casts, whether it needs it or not, since I hate picking out the sprues from the bullets.

I need to take another video of the machine in operation, since it's working smoothly now. I've cast about 80,000+ bullets on it, and I think I've finally got the knack of it, though the bullet I'm casting right now is a 105 gr. .38 caliber bullet, which has very little bearing surface and it's hard to get them to fill out properly. I've experimented with more tin, different temperatures and pour times, and I'm now getting very few rejects.

We had to take the old M-A Systems collator off our Lube Master, since it's oxidized badly and was chewing up the bullets, and about 20% of the bullets dropped into the tube the wrong way. M-A tells us that's not a bad percentage, but that's not acceptable, since those 20% have to be remelted, since the lube is all over them, and it's wasting lube and time. We've been loading the bullets into tubes, which is a pain it the butt, but we don't get any rejects that way......

I'll try to remember to take another video the next time I'm at the shop and the Bullet Master is running. I'll also try to get a more detailed view of the actual operation, if that will help, but it's going to be at least a week before I get up there again.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Uptickk]

Thanks ReloaderFred!

Are you saying that the spruce plate knocker and the carrier knockers were not originally the same type of knockers? I was hoping to just get 3 of the same air cylinders.

No need to worry about the solenoid. I am currently using one for my pour spout but don't see why I couldn't use the same one for my tappers. Maybe just step down the pressure on the leg going to them. If it doesn't work I will just pick up another solenoid. I used Blaster, a spay graphite lubricant on my spruce cutters. Once I get the tappers going I will see if I need to change up lubricants.

Someone else posted that they think the collators are a *** in the following forum, http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-Master-Caster, but I am not sure what other alternatives are out there.

Looking forward to your next video and thank you once again for your help!

[ReloaderFred]

Uptickk,

The sprue knocker is very different from the mold knockers at the bottom of the carrier. I wasn't even sure what they were until we were able to get the pour timer replaced and the machine working. They barely move, and they're a completely different configuration from the straight forward sprue knocker, which is basically just a piston with a soft hammer on the end.

Those mold knockers are hard to see, and I don't understand why Magma didn't build their machines with door panels, so you can reach in there for cleaning and maintenance? Our machine may end up with those panels cut into the sides, since one of the partners has a plasma torch.

It's supposed to rain buckets here this weekend, so I just may go up and cast bullets on Saturday. If I do, I'll try to get more pictures and a video with more detail. Like I mentioned before, it's set up in one of the partner's shop, and it's about 30 minutes away from me.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Littleton Shot Maker]

That was me.
But you are asking the right question, What else is out there now these days.
Didn't dillion put out their copy of the collater.

In principle the way it works sucks.
Little tabs of thin sheet metal to push the bullets down off the plate.
I always thought the base plates should be style and shape specific, the bullets can never go in upside down for example.
The stupid little clear tube with springs hold them together with are weak will and do fail- or break and bullets go all over the place,
AND I hope you have at least two of every single part on that thing so when it does break you can keep going.
The set screw in back will back out I don;t care what you do. UNLESS you drill it and put in a heavier screw then a screw that locks that in place.
The clear tube in the top, at the back, breaks real easy if a bullet does not drop, gets hung in between and the motor does not get turned off right then,

I just can not remember all the bad we dealt with in 20+ years using them

KEEP in mind the collators where not designed to handle THAT much weight, pills, nuts, bolts, tiny stuff okay, heavy lead stuff not so ok.

I was running 3 big casters sometime 4 and at the same time running 2-3 sizer lubers, ALL at the same time. Yes I had helpers, but they didn't know why it did what it they just sorted bullets, or fed bars in , or feed bullets into collators, NEVER never did I let any of them ever hold a tool or fix any stinking thing in the shop. That was my main job, fixing and teaching and more fixing.

[Uptickk]

Thanks for the information Alan. I not sure about Dillon but I thought the Hornady collater was only to be used with jacketed or plated bullets, I could be wrong about that.

I ended up pulling the trigger on 3 air cylinders for the spruce and mold tappers. Based on ReloaderFred it doesn't seem that the mold tappers use air cylinders but without any other ideas I figured I would do a little trial and error.

RoGrrr, I cannot help but feel like I highjacked your thread. Just say the word and I can start a new one. I didn't intend to detract from your Boolit Master but simply to get more information about bullet masters in general.

[ReloaderFred]

I didn't get to cast when I thought I would, so no video. We had freezing rain, so I stayed home where it was safe. We've had crappy weather ever since...... Next time I'm at the machine, I'll try to get you some better pictures.

Fred

[Uptickk]

No harm done, I am glad you are safe and sorry to hear about the weather. My time at the workshop is in limited supply so I have to make things fit when I have the free time (workshop is about an hour each way to get too). Still looking forward to your pictures. Hopefully I can finagle the air cylinders into working...

[No_1]

Great info in this thread. I would love to find an older machine such as this at a reasonable price.

[RoGrrr]

SNIP
RoGrrr, I cannot help but feel like I highjacked your thread. Just say the word and I can start a new one. I didn't intend to detract from your Boolit Master but simply to get more information about bullet masters in general.

Fellas
Don't worry about hijacking the thread, even tho it was about my bullet master. I've enjoyed reading all your posts and have learned some things. I'm considering a few changes based on some of your thoughts.
That said, I have to get back in my shop, back to work on my caster. I've been way behind and am running out of boolits so I do need to shake a leg.
Keep posting.