Shotmaker

Bikemender

Bikemender

New member
Rating - 100%
37   0   0
Location
Bentley Alberta
I'm looking at getting into making lead shot and am wondering if anyone has experience with this or knows where I could pick up a shotmaker. I know of the Littleton and Better shotmaker, but was hoping to find something used to save some cash.
 
Over the past while I've been fooling around with a homemade shotmaker, similar in design to the Littleton. I've got more time than money (and a decent stockpile of lead) so for me it's been a worthwhile project. I made mine mostly out of material I had laying around and a cousin of mine fab'd the pan for free. I also made my own drippers . . . very delicate drilling but it can be done. Heat source/wiring is from a single element hot plate, bought on sale for $15 at Crappy Tire. My shotmaker looks pretty rough, but it's working quite well. I'm still "tweaking," but so far I've only got about $100 into it. I'm highly pleased with the shot I'm making.

In my opinion, a person would have to make an awful lot of shot to justify the cost of a Littleton or Better shotmaker. And of course, you need lots of lead.
 
Keep in mind my shot maker is still very much "unfinished" . . . but it does work a lot better than it looks! It's more or less similar to the Littleton shotmaker. I used plans that I found on another website which gave dimensions/angles for the pan. A cousin of mine fab'd the pan for me, using 1/8" stainless steel. I cobbled up the rest. Originally, I had it setup with the pan on a fixed angle, but I didn't like that setup. I added the "stilts" at the back so I could tip it up/down and start/stop the dripping at any time. I would like to build some kind of a lever arrangement to tip it . . . that's a winter project. The hardest part was making the drippers. I made a few different sized drippers, but settled on .018", which gives me approx #7-1/2 shot (once I've screened out the few oversized ones). I've tried several different lead alloys, my last batch was a mix of Linotype and lead I salvaged from the backstop at my range. I use liquid fabric softener as coolant.











 
Thanks for the photos. That looks great and well worth the build if it saves the $450 or so a commercial version would cost.

Do you still have the plans?
 
willysman said:
I would also love the plans for this if you are able too. jleneveu@hotmail.com
Click to expand...

No problem, email sent.

For anyone else who may be interested . . . I would be more than happy to share my "plans," but all I have are the plans for the shot pan itself. For the metal case I just winged it, following the basic size/shape of a Littleton shotmaker. The tilting arrangement was my own idea (patent pending, LOL).
 
Otto V said:
No problem, email sent.

For anyone else who may be interested . . . I would be more than happy to share my "plans," but all I have are the plans for the shot pan itself. For the metal case I just winged it, following the basic size/shape of a Littleton shotmaker. The tilting arrangement was my own idea (patent pending, LOL).
Click to expand...

I would love a copy of the plains too please. quinnbrian420@gmail.com . Thanks for the great pics...you may think, your shot machine is in the "rough" but it looks GREAT to me!! Nice work!!
Cheers
Brian
 
A very nice design.

Can you change the size of the orifice to change the size of the shot?

A PID controller and a way to start and shut off lead flow would make that complete.
 
10x said:
A very nice design.

Can you change the size of the orifice to change the size of the shot?

A PID controller and a way to start and shut off lead flow would make that complete.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the compliment. I can't take credit for the design though, it's basically a ripoff of the Littleton Shotmaker.

The size of the orifice in the "dripper" does affect shot size. My first drippers had .024" holes (#73 drill) but the shot was a bit bigger than I wanted. The maximum allowed at my club is #7-1/2. My second drippers have .020" holes (#76 drill) and that is about right. At this point I have no plans to attempt making bigger shot.

Re a "way to start and shut off lead flow" . . . my shot maker does have that. If you look at picture #1 and #2, you will notice that the shot pan is in a level position. In this position the lead level is way below the opening of the drippers (i.e. no lead flow). To start the lead flow, I tilt the whole thing up at the back . . . look at picture #3 and #4 and note the position of the "stilts" at the back. There is a hinge at the front, so while this setup may look flimsy, it is safe and works perfectly. Someday I want to make some kind of lever arrangement to do the tilting. Winter project.

Re PID . . . not sure if it's necessary for shot making. My heat source is a 1000 watt electric element from a Can Tire single burner hot plate. I use the simple temp control that came with the hot plate.
 
Otto V said:
Thanks for the compliment. I can't take credit for the design though, it's basically a ripoff of the Littleton Shotmaker.

The size of the orifice in the "dripper" does affect shot size. My first drippers had .024" holes (#73 drill) but the shot was a bit bigger than I wanted. The maximum allowed at my club is #7-1/2. My second drippers have .020" holes (#76 drill) and that is about right. At this point I have no plans to attempt making bigger shot.

Re a "way to start and shut off lead flow" . . . my shot maker does have that. If you look at picture #1 and #2, you will notice that the shot pan is in a level position. In this position the lead level is way below the opening of the drippers (i.e. no lead flow). To start the lead flow, I tilt the whole thing up at the back . . . look at picture #3 and #4 and note the position of the "stilts" at the back. There is a hinge at the front, so while this setup may look flimsy, it is safe and works perfectly. Someday I want to make some kind of lever arrangement to do the tilting. Winter project.Re PID . . . not sure if it's necessary for shot making. My heat source is a 1000 watt electric element from a Can Tire single burner hot plate. I use the simple temp control that came with the hot plate.
Click to expand...

By the looks of your set-up, your mechanical aptitude shows you probably need no suggestive help but if I were making a smooth tilting tool, I would look at using the lobes on an old cam shaft as a lifter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom