FatherandSon Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 How do you heat your lead, is there a correct temperature that it needs to be? Is it possible to heat it with a camping type stove like this? I remember being told roofing lead need to be made harder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 I heat my lead to between 310 - 350c with the smaller shot being at the top end. You actually want it as cool as you can as long as the shotmaker still drips adequately because you get less thermal shock that way and so less dimples in the pellets. If you get it too hot it will crackle as it hits the coolant and explode into tiny balls of lead wool a la popcorn. Cool ambient temperatures and draughts are the shotmakers enemy because they will cause the ramp to chill and the lead ball up on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatherandSon Posted February 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 Great thanks, so I could happily use a burner like that pictured. I just need a thermometer capable of those temperatures!! I need to look at some plans for a dripper next! What size holes are required for 7.5 shot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 (edited) I use 0.6mm for 7.5 shot. There are plans for a shotmaker at the top of this forum section Maplins sell a mini thermometer with probe that goes up to 1200c for about £20 Edited February 11, 2014 by sitsinhedges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatherandSon Posted February 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 SiH, thanks very much for the info, I will look at getting one made whilst Im off this week!! The plans will be followed, but is the front wall (where the drippers are) perfectly upright (90° to the bench) and the base of the pan angled slightly to force the lead down the ramp to the drippers? If that make perfect sense!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 The front wall is at 90' to the base. You need less lead in the pot that way because the back end of the drippers aren't pointing upwards inside the pot. The ramp is angled at something like 18' to that and it sits on a 12' base making a total of 30 degrees of tilt to throw the lead forwards into the drippers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatherandSon Posted February 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 Right, I get you. I was thinking the bottom of the pan was welded at an angle. I thought when you were referring to the ramp you were meaning the bottom of the pan. Or do you. Ive drawn it in paint but I cant work out how to paste it into a reply! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 Just read the shotmaker dimensions thread carefully, all the info is there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnphilip Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 Great thanks, so I could happily use a burner like that pictured. I just need a thermometer capable of those temperatures!! I need to look at some plans for a dripper next! What size holes are required for 7.5 shot? would it not work out cheaper if you could get a electric ring, bottle gas is dear , it all ads to the price of reloading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatherandSon Posted February 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 I can get part filled gas bottles free thats all. Would it work or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 I can get part filled gas bottles free thats all. Would it work or not? Of course it would with a decent burner, I believe fruitloop uses gas for his shotmaker. Most of us just find electricity more convenient. Look for 'lead shot maker' on youtube to see plenty of examples of what others are doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitloop Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 I did have a gas burner at first but decided to go electric as it was cleaner and moor compact and less risk of fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatherandSon Posted February 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 (edited) Well its started. Ive fluxed my lead with saw dust. Theyre now in tidy little ingots! I think I'm ready to make shot tomorrow!! It's incredible the **** that comes out of it!! Edited February 19, 2014 by FatherandSon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeh Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 That's cool, I'd like to see a picture of the results! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatherandSon Posted February 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Ha ha ha ill keep you updated!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Well done and welcome to the mad world of making your own shot!! The ingots look good, but still might be dirty. They tend to look more like aluminium when they're really clean and not shiny like yours. Hopefully, they will be ok, but if you find the drippers clogging and not running consistently, you may have to clean them some more. Good luck, report back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Well done and welcome to the mad world of making your own shot!! The ingots look good, but still might be dirty. They tend to look more like aluminium when they're really clean and not shiny like yours. Hopefully, they will be ok, but if you find the drippers clogging and not running consistently, you may have to clean them some more. Good luck, report back That's probably because they're pure lead without anything to make the shot hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 That's probably because they're pure lead without anything to make the shot hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatherandSon Posted February 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 That's probably because they're pure lead without anything to make the shot hard. Is that a bad thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
super sharp shooter Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Pure lead it soft as sits said. You could do with adding some lynotype to make it a little harder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deershooter Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 The shot will not be as hard as the cheapest factory shot not that good when you don't add Linotype Good luck in the black art of shot making Deershooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatherandSon Posted February 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 What the heck is linotype! I thought it was some sort of type writer!!! If not, where can I get it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitloop Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Linotype is the lead type sets off a printing press Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deershooter Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 What the heck is linotype! I thought it was some sort of type writer!!! If not, where can I get it!! Shot making really is a black art I would of thought that you might have done a lot more research on the subject before you began Sitsinhedges has posted about where to obtain Linotype on here many times in the last 4 years read some old posts on the subject search for Linotype this should bring it up ,I have even driven to the blokes house to collect it in Wales when I was at the .410 world championship he lives half way up a mountain (the car boiled up on the way up ) you need about 3-1 lead to Linotype for good shot . With soft lead shot you can get a lot of balling this is where because of the high pressure each ball of lead is squashed against one another and they cold weld to form a solid mass .This could affect just a few pellets or the whole load dependent on the pressure generated by the powder charge. Lead shot can be tested in the home by manufacturing a test gauge where a known weight is dropped from a known height on to it I use a piece of factory lead from a premium cartridge of known hardness, measure it with a micrometer then try your home made shot of the same size and compare if it crushes more you need more Linotype Deershooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatherandSon Posted February 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Well here it is!! Ive had the dripper lit for the first time and here is the result. Not too bad for the first time ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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