I'm sure you have it figured out by now. Nice looking machine. A few things that might help, clean lead ingots, won't plug up the holes as bad. Drip deflector needs to be baby butt smooth and lubricated. I use soap stone (used for marking metal while welding) as a lubricant for the deflector. Coolant should be very close to the bottom of the drip deflector. some people use a pump to circulate the fluid to keep it cool and full to the rim of your container. your drip container placed inside a bigger container so overflow will run out and be caught by larger container. (which also keeps the deflector to coolant distance the same throughout entire batch). I use a tall ammo can inside a shorter wider one. The tall can lets the lead cool before it hits the bottom so it doesn't clump together. (Then I use them to store the components in while not in use). I believe they are 30mm and 60mm. water cools it down too fast causes pitting and bubbles on each lead ball. a few choices of coolant include undiluted RV antifreeze, automatic transmission fluid, or my favorite liquid laundry softener undiluted of course. It is water soluble, cleans up easy, and smells good. I buy it at the dollar store. I have had real good luck using these methods.
I'm sure you got it figured out by now. Higher heat and more lead to make pool deeper. Leave the oxide alone. Once it films over the lead underneath stays clean and flows smooth.
Gantz4 was pretty much right on. 1. angle of drip is too steep 2. cover the drip pan with soapstone. 3. Much too high of a drop. 4. Drop should be about 1/2". 5. Use liquid soap to drop the hot shot into. 6. We used copper tubing coiled in the soap hooked to cold water. It helps remove the heat from the soap.
The angle on the front plate is too steep and the drop into coolant is too high. The lead rolling across the front plate is what makes it round. The front plate should be mirror smooth and just enough angle for the shot to roll off. The drop into coolant should be immediate to not allow the shot to deform into a teardrop from gravity. The coolant tank should be deep enough for the shot to be solid before it touches the settled shot.
"The drop into coolant should be immediate to not allow the shot to deform into a teardrop from gravity." Guess all those 200 foot high shot towers all over the world were for naught.
Great job! Maybe try using fabric softener as your cooling medium so it doesn't slash. But I love the design of the shot maker. You could patent it and sell those. Amazing!
You need a tube for overflow of the soap as the lead fills the bucket. I used a round colander to rinse the lead and to sort the shot. Perfect shot will easily pass through the colander (spaghetti strainer) but any little imperfection will not pass through. We bought wheel weights by the 55 gal barrel and used two weed burners for heat. Melting pot held about 400 to 500 pounds a time. A 55 gal barrel will give you two 5 gal buckets of the steel part of the wheel weights and the occasional valve stem (really stinks). A chunk of bees wax was used for fluxing. You flux and clean the lead BEFORE the lead hits the shotmaker or real problems if you plug the drip holes. Your heat source in the shot maker is NOT producing enough heat.
You can make the lead run faster if you heat the drippers with a propane torch. Use soapstone on the ramp so lead won't stick to it. Use hot water (not too hot) in your collection bucket to get round shot.
if you take a small torch like a benz o matic and preheat the driping bolt heads as you melt the lead you should not have any problems, hot lead and water can be very dangerous . be safe and happy new year,,
Can I suggest melting lead in a separate pot and filling up your tray that way you can skim the dirt off and have nice clean lead for pouring. works for me making slingshot ammo for moulds.
You are correct that when water is dropped onto a sizable quantity of molten lead = explosive force. However when BB sized droplets of molten lead come into contact with water all you get is a soft sizzle. It has to do with the ratio of mass to heat.
If you have enough drop to get speed but not enough to cool the shot to the point that it's no longer soft then it splats and deforms when it hits the water. I'm working on a spray cooled vertical short drop at the moment. So I'm discovering all about these things. Look up 'shot maker mhd'
This was an experiment that didn’t go well, and I retired it. All I was making was lead popcorn. I’ve gotten a lot of good ideas from viewers of my shot-dripping trial but so far I haven’t had the itch to try again. Mebbe when it gets colder. As to specs ... I used a #70 drill bit. I used a caliper to measure the tiny drill bit. It was .028” as best as I could determine. Tough drilling ... very easy to break ... I went through several dozen before I got six holes made in the brass bolts.
Okay, I've been looking around on how to make one of these drippers. My main issue is finding how to make the bolts. Do I need to buy them? If anyone has a link to a tutorial of some kind I would greatly appreciate it.
Hmmm. Safety first hey?! Melting lead with a single glove for PPE. No face shield, eye protection or respirator mask. At least you’re wearing shoes but it’s not a great idea for a pregnant woman to be inhaling the fumes of melting lead... it’s not the best product to have in your system.
I'm sure you have it figured out by now. Nice looking machine. A few things that might help, clean lead ingots, won't plug up the holes as bad. Drip deflector needs to be baby butt smooth and lubricated. I use soap stone (used for marking metal while welding) as a lubricant for the deflector. Coolant should be very close to the bottom of the drip deflector. some people use a pump to circulate the fluid to keep it cool and full to the rim of your container. your drip container placed inside a bigger container so overflow will run out and be caught by larger container. (which also keeps the deflector to coolant distance the same throughout entire batch). I use a tall ammo can inside a shorter wider one. The tall can lets the lead cool before it hits the bottom so it doesn't clump together. (Then I use them to store the components in while not in use). I believe they are 30mm and 60mm. water cools it down too fast causes pitting and bubbles on each lead ball. a few choices of coolant include undiluted RV antifreeze, automatic transmission fluid, or my favorite liquid laundry softener undiluted of course. It is water soluble, cleans up easy, and smells good. I buy it at the dollar store. I have had real good luck using these methods.
I'm sure you got it figured out by now. Higher heat and more lead to make pool deeper. Leave the oxide alone. Once it films over the lead underneath stays clean and flows smooth.
Gantz4 was pretty much right on. 1. angle of drip is too steep 2. cover the drip pan with soapstone. 3. Much too high of a drop. 4. Drop should be about 1/2". 5. Use liquid soap to drop the hot shot into. 6. We used copper tubing coiled in the soap hooked to cold water. It helps remove the heat from the soap.
The angle on the front plate is too steep and the drop into coolant is too high. The lead rolling across the front plate is what makes it round. The front plate should be mirror smooth and just enough angle for the shot to roll off. The drop into coolant should be immediate to not allow the shot to deform into a teardrop from gravity. The coolant tank should be deep enough for the shot to be solid before it touches the settled shot.
"The drop into coolant should be immediate to not allow the shot to deform into a teardrop from gravity." Guess all those 200 foot high shot towers all over the world were for naught.
Great job! Maybe try using fabric softener as your cooling medium so it doesn't slash. But I love the design of the shot maker. You could patent it and sell those. Amazing!
You need a tube for overflow of the soap as the lead fills the bucket. I used a round colander to rinse the lead and to sort the shot. Perfect shot will easily pass through the colander (spaghetti strainer) but any little imperfection will not pass through. We bought wheel weights by the 55 gal barrel and used two weed burners for heat. Melting pot held about 400 to 500 pounds a time. A 55 gal barrel will give you two 5 gal buckets of the steel part of the wheel weights and the occasional valve stem (really stinks). A chunk of bees wax was used for fluxing. You flux and clean the lead BEFORE the lead hits the shotmaker or real problems if you plug the drip holes. Your heat source in the shot maker is NOT producing enough heat.
You can make the lead run faster if you heat the drippers with a propane torch.
Use soapstone on the ramp so lead won't stick to it.
Use hot water (not too hot) in your collection bucket to get round shot.
if you take a small torch like a benz o matic and preheat the driping bolt heads as you melt the lead you should not have any problems, hot lead and water can be very dangerous . be safe and happy new year,,
great work guys, you're going to get there don't give up!
Can I suggest melting lead in a separate pot and filling up your tray that way you can skim the dirt off
and have nice clean lead for pouring. works for me making slingshot ammo for moulds.
ive seen high temp copper grease used on the ramp/deflector....also fabric conditioner used as a coolant as it doesnt splash
you need a primary heating pot , so you can flux it and pull the dross. then into your awesome dripper.
Ive been using rv coolant. Like you would use to winterize a rv pink stuff works well
You have to grab a torch and heat the orifices in the front that'll help all the stuff you got clogged in there come out
Might have to hit those bolts with a little bit of fire to heat them up a bit more
Do you have any updates on your shot maker? It would be nice to see some of your design criteria for this project. Thanks for the video.
Where did you get the lead shot maker you are using?
To do it like this, you need really clean led ingots. Nice video othervise
The roll plate needs to be hot as well, this I know.
My issue is they flatted when they hit the liquid.
How To how do you fix that
Congratulations, nice setup! Which diameter have you drilled the drippers and what's the resulting shot #?
Drop a little bit of beeswax in your lead or you could use candle wax.
Also with my lee lead pot I use a paper clip to unplug the discharge hole 🕳.
cool shotmaker ! Are you able to tell me if your drippers are made in brass ?
Do you know if brass drippers will works ?
I’ve seen some really scary things happen when molten lead comes into contact with water...
You are correct that when water is dropped onto a sizable quantity of molten lead = explosive force. However when BB sized droplets of molten lead come into contact with water all you get is a soft sizzle. It has to do with the ratio of mass to heat.
Have you thought of using a shot tower? It would simplify the process.
jranneba even if the tower was only 3 ft tall it would help.
If you have enough drop to get speed but not enough to cool the shot to the point that it's no longer soft then it splats and deforms when it hits the water.
I'm working on a spray cooled vertical short drop at the moment. So I'm discovering all about these things.
Look up 'shot maker mhd'
Did it make good round shot? Nice video
take a graphite pencil and full coat the drip lip it will keep the lead from sticking
GOOOOOOD JOBBB
put powdered or spray graphite on the drippers and ramp,good job making prob30_50 lb,hr
I would like to buy one please or release the specs so I can make one
This was an experiment that didn’t go well, and I retired it. All I was making was lead popcorn. I’ve gotten a lot of good ideas from viewers of my shot-dripping trial but so far I haven’t had the itch to try again. Mebbe when it gets colder. As to specs ... I used a #70 drill bit. I used a caliper to measure the tiny drill bit. It was .028” as best as I could determine. Tough drilling ... very easy to break ... I went through several dozen before I got six holes made in the brass bolts.
Hey Butch , be still with the camera
Please do an update. Please.
Is that pure water only you've use a coolant?
Hola me puedes ayudar con las medidas de los agujeros en las tuercas
how many inclines were given to the plate
ive heard of people coating with copper grease
Graphite from the feed store on your drip plate.
Nice work I need me one
Okay, I've been looking around on how to make one of these drippers. My main issue is finding how to make the bolts. Do I need to buy them? If anyone has a link to a tutorial of some kind I would greatly appreciate it.
Do the dripper nozzles have to be brass or can they be regular steel bolts?
Brass is preferred 'cause it's softer than steel and easier to drill w/the *tiny* drill bit.
What make is this aka the manufacturer
chalk for a black board on ramp , lead needs to be over drip bolts ,, and stop hitting it ....
ola boa noite preciso de uma forma dessa vc pode me ajudar sou do brasil
voce poderia me dar alguma explicaçao sobre como fazer esferas de chumbo
Оксидную пленку целый день будеш снимать лутше не трогай в закрой крышкой от кислорода
SCIENCE!!!!
Hmmm. Safety first hey?!
Melting lead with a single glove for PPE. No face shield, eye protection or respirator mask. At least you’re wearing shoes but it’s not a great idea for a pregnant woman to be inhaling the fumes of melting lead... it’s not the best product to have in your system.
you really should be wearing masks
Why? The mild steel pan would melt before the lead would evaporate.
Yes you do. Guess you love the smell of lead
Hey come on, they are not thát ugly.