finally finished my shotmaker :)

bertn

bertn

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SW Ontario
Build from scratch pretty much.

A big thank you to Yomomma for some advice on the wiring and to OverUnder725 for advice and help trouble shooting after the initial test run.
Also thx to Safehunter for giving me a good deal on a big pile of hulls, looks like I need them now.

Features:
Steel ladle with temperature controlled 220v heating element
Brass drippers
Coolant circulation with temperature control
and lead shot filtration bin.

The current drippers 0.55 mm / 0.022 inch make #8 shot so I'll soon make another set 0.024" drippers to see if I can get #7 1/2 shot.

Of course some pics because we all like those :)

ddevsm.jpg


m26uu.jpg


ej5ul4.jpg


2n67o20.jpg


15wif48.jpg


and a short video

 
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Very cool. So walk me through the process here... haven't seen this before.

The molten lead gravity drips out the nozzles? Then it hits the plate and rolls down in order to round it a bit? Then hits the coolant and finishes rounding as it sinks? Is it just regular automotive coolant? Why not oil? Do you have to do anything to the shot to keep it from sticking to each other? How big could you conceivably go? Like, buck shot big?


Very cool set up. I'm impressed :)
 
kodiakjack said:
Very cool. So walk me through the process here... haven't seen this before.

The molten lead gravity drips out the nozzles? Then it hits the plate and rolls down in order to round it a bit? Then hits the coolant and finishes rounding as it sinks? Is it just regular automotive coolant? Why not oil? Do you have to do anything to the shot to keep it from sticking to each other? How big could you conceivably go? Like, buck shot big?

Very cool set up. I'm impressed :)
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Exactly it drips, bounces a few times (does not roll) and drops. The surface tension makes it holds its sphere shape.

Coolant is laundry detergent. Did try using water but got dimples in the shot because the outside cooled too rapidly and then the inside cooled later causing inside to shrink and creating the dimple.
Oil would perhaps be a better coolant but it would be a pain to wash off, so its a trade off basically.

Shot won't stick together once off the ramp. If one sticks to the ramp you get a big mess because it quickly turns into a big blob of lead of other droplets running into it.

From what I have been reading is #6 the max you could do this way. Maybe someone else with experience can chime in on this.
For clay shooting we are not allowed shot larger than 7 1/2 on our range anyways.
 
Collint2005 said:
That is sweet! How fast is it? Looks really fast in the video.
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Don't know the lbs per hour yet since I only did a very short (10 lbs) run because the lead was sticking to the ramp.
I picked up some soapstone today to coat the ramp with so it should be fixed then.

The 220v element can melt the lead really well so that won't be the bottleneck.
If I wanted it I could drill two drip holes in each bolthead, doubling the capacity.
 
Good job. That big ole radiator made chuckle. Your shot is great and the aparatus is awesome.
I used many coolant fluids with success but the fabric softener was the best overall. They all have pros and cons but keep in mind as you said that oil based fluids are a pain to clean. The fabric softener wash of really easy and the shop smells like springtime.
Ya must have a heck of a pump or the detergent is not very viscous as I've seen a strong fluid jet being pushed out. Whatever works is the best no matter what it is.
I had a long and frustrating experience with the lead sticking to the ramp and blobbing on it. What a mess. There are few methods. One is the good ole soapstone rubbed against the ramp. Then is a red grease that resist to high temperatures. I think is branded Lucas, in a cylindrical tube. Mixed with a bit of graphite powder works like a charm. The best I found yet is copper anti-size paste. Try them one by one and see what works best for your ramp. Different ladles, different materials so different results. Making shot is a trial and error process so don't get frustrated for some details.
I found that the nozzles are really important in the process. I'll build myself anything except for the nozzles. Those I buy them.
The alloy is also important. COWW is the best hands down. As soon my new aparatus is ready I will start recreating the COWW composition from pure lead, linotype and arsenic. If I can make it I will post the recipe with no hesitation.
Shot is the most expensive component in the process of reloading shotshells and to have it for free it's a must. At least for myself.

Keep up the good work. I like when I see other people getting into it.
The last but not least thank you for sharing. Respect.
 
Thanks Moose_Master,

The radiator is the cheapest one I could find on Kijiji and is from a Honda civic.
It has a decent size submersible pump LOL, could have been smaller but that was what I had laying around.
The fabric softner is not thick at all, hoped it would be a bit thicker but I guess that's what you get when you buy the cheapest you can find. (2.99 per gallon at CT)
Indeed it never smelled so good in my pool shed.

I used the copper anti seize on the ramp in the video I posted but still after a little while drips started to stick so hope to have more luck with the soapstone.
The nozzles are working great, no issues here. Decided to make them myself from brass bolts because they will not corrode and have better heat
transfer properties than steel bolts.
Besides that I could not find brass ones for sale anywhere and did not feel like spending US$30-40 + shipping for a set of 7 alu/steel drippers.
 
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Don't use a thick layer of anti-size. Just take a lil bit o ur finger and when the machine is cold spread it on the ramp. In time the ramp will "break-in" and it will not stick anymore. Keep fiddle with and you'll find your way. Remember: the lead drips has to ROLL on the ramp and not slide.
You're doing it just right. Keep on.
 
Ok, the brass dripper vs. steel dippers got me to thinking.... When I run a mixture of 50-50 WW to range scrap, I notice the drips are slower than when I run 100% WW and the roundness suffers. Now, I know I have diluted the alloy of the WW by 50% and this is the culprit but would brass drippers have an advantage in that situation? How much better would the heat transfer to the lead, if at all?

I guess what I'm trying to figure out is if two sets of drippers, one brass and the other steel, are at the same temp, lets say 650*, would the same volume of liquid passing through the brass dripper gain more heat in the process vs passing through the steel drippers?
 
To figure that out you could replace a few steel ones with brass, run it and see what the difference is between them.


OverUnder725 said:
Ok, the brass dripper vs. steel dippers got me to thinking.... When I run a mixture of 50-50 WW to range scrap, I notice the drips are slower than when I run 100% WW and the roundness suffers. Now, I know I have diluted the alloy of the WW by 50% and this is the culprit but would brass drippers have an advantage in that situation? How much better would the heat transfer to the lead, if at all?

I guess what I'm trying to figure out is if two sets of drippers, one brass and the other steel, are at the same temp, lets say 650*, would the same volume of liquid passing through the brass dripper gain more heat in the process vs passing through the steel drippers?
Click to expand...
 
Overunder, the roundness is caused by not enough arsenic in your alloy as you now diluted the mix. The slow dripping I would rather suspect a colder environment when you were making shot last time. Your Oasis is using 110V so it is a known issue with them 110V shotmakers to have a hard time keeping up the temperature. Even the Littleton have the issue. In warm or hot weather they work flawless.
To be honest I've never seen brass drippers but I've seen aluminium ones. I thing because it's easier to work with aluminium or brass than steel.
 
Another reason for aluminium would be: Quickest heat transfer over brass or steel, and while lead as a tendency to bond with brass and sometimes steel, It's hard to get it to stick to aluminium...
And there my question: Would the ramp go without lubrication by anti seize or soap stone if polished to hi gloss or a aluminium ramp, preferably also polished?

CG
 
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