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wingshooter
PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 8:35 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 26 Jun 2005
Posts: 425
Location: Big D

That's what my son says they look like. Or dimpled pancakes. Either way, I'm at the end of my rope trying to figure out why my shot comes out like this. Anybody out there making shot successfully? I've tried all the coolants except brake fluid, and read a million pages on the web and can't figure this out. I don't have a way to check the alloy content, but this batch is mostly wheel weights and the antimony should be close. If you have any ideas, I'm all ears.

Mike


_________________
Consistency is the currency of credibility

Manufrance Ideal 314:
Barrel set 1- (choke) .000 , .007 , chamber 70mm
Barrel set 2- .025 , .047 , 65mm
Barrel set 3- .005, .015
Manufrance Ideal No. 5:
Choke: .000, .010, 70mm chambers
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AmericanMeet
PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:50 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 3172
Location: NCWa

Just a guess but I'd say the shot is not cooling sufficient as it drops to firm up round before it hits the coolant. Is their a way that you could have the molten shot drop a little farther before it hits the coolant?
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wingshooter
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 6:58 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 26 Jun 2005
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Location: Big D

I'm using a shotmaker similar to the Littleton or Better Shot Maker. There is a plethora of confusing and outright contradictory "information" out there...

About the only consistency seems to be that the ramp below the dripper is only a quarter to at most a half inch above the coolant. I'm wondering if my lead does not have enough surface tension.

What's really driving me crazy is that there's even one guy on the web that poked a hole in an old ladle with a sharpened nail and is getting round shot. Evil or Very Mad

_________________
Consistency is the currency of credibility

Manufrance Ideal 314:
Barrel set 1- (choke) .000 , .007 , chamber 70mm
Barrel set 2- .025 , .047 , 65mm
Barrel set 3- .005, .015
Manufrance Ideal No. 5:
Choke: .000, .010, 70mm chambers
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Doggai
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:22 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 01 Jul 2005
Posts: 640
Location: Crow River Bottomlands of Minnesota

Are you preheating your ingots before dropping them into the ladle? Temperature of the ladle steady? On my two makers I never have the lip more than 3/8" above the coolant, try to keep it at 1/4". I do that by having an automatic drain system (the coolant level rises as shot is dropped into the tank causing splatter onto the lip). As I remove made shot I replace the coolant up to the 1/4" level.

What's the temp of your coolant, are you recirculating it to maintain a level tank heat/coolant curve? Is the ramp and lip of the maker clean and allowing the shot to flow quickly into the coolant, or is it unclean(?) and causing the shot to slow down on the way to the coolant?

Changing to brake fluid is not going to correct any or all of the above mentioned.

_________________
E.J. Churchill Hercules Grade 16
W.W. Greener Crown Grade 12
Stevens 311E 16
Browning Double Auto Twelvette
Browning Double Auto Twentyweight
Remington 1100 12 2 barrels
Charles Daly SxS 28
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wingshooter
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:55 am  Reply with quote
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Location: Big D

Let me see if I can answer your questions. I do not preheat the ingots, but do not seem to have a problem keeping a reasonably stable ladle temp. I have not progressed to a circulating system yet, as I haven't even made it to first base so to speak. I keep the coolant as close to the edge of the ramp as possible, never more than 3/8". The ramp and lip are clean, and flow nicely into the coolant. Spray on graphite solved this issue. The problem may be that the coolant temp is too low, flattening the ball and cooling it too quickly. One site said don't let the coolant get above 140, another said if you're using water and dish soap you have to pre-heat it to 200. lots of different opinions out there.

What do you use for coolant and what temp does it average? I have an infrared thermometer gun by Fluke, but it seems to have trouble reading liquids. What do you use for thermometers? Thanks for responding.

_________________
Consistency is the currency of credibility

Manufrance Ideal 314:
Barrel set 1- (choke) .000 , .007 , chamber 70mm
Barrel set 2- .025 , .047 , 65mm
Barrel set 3- .005, .015
Manufrance Ideal No. 5:
Choke: .000, .010, 70mm chambers
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Doggai
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 11:07 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 01 Jul 2005
Posts: 640
Location: Crow River Bottomlands of Minnesota

I use lo-tox antifreeze. It pricey, around $13 a gallon. Been using the same stuff for 4 years. It's down to 10 gallons in the 14 gallon tank. So I fill empty AF jugs with water and put them into the tank to raise the level to where I need it.

I generally wait until the ambient temp is above 70 degrees here in MN. That's a long way off. If I have to, I raise the temp with a horse stock tank heater floater device and get it up to around 80F before I start to make shot. The temp rises to about 95F when I'm making. I recirculate off the top, then through a coil of copper tubing submerged in an old laundry tub and back up into the tank.

_________________
E.J. Churchill Hercules Grade 16
W.W. Greener Crown Grade 12
Stevens 311E 16
Browning Double Auto Twelvette
Browning Double Auto Twentyweight
Remington 1100 12 2 barrels
Charles Daly SxS 28
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wingshooter
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 1:35 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 26 Jun 2005
Posts: 425
Location: Big D

Well, tried pre-heating the coolant to 160- no change.

_________________
Consistency is the currency of credibility

Manufrance Ideal 314:
Barrel set 1- (choke) .000 , .007 , chamber 70mm
Barrel set 2- .025 , .047 , 65mm
Barrel set 3- .005, .015
Manufrance Ideal No. 5:
Choke: .000, .010, 70mm chambers
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skeettx
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 1:47 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9455
Location: Amarillo, Texas

What is the drop height to your coolant?

Can you show us a picture of your setup?

Mike


Last edited by skeettx on Fri Apr 25, 2014 2:09 pm; edited 1 time in total
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wingshooter
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 2:40 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 26 Jun 2005
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Location: Big D

Mike, I'll get a pic up soon. Haven't put much more than the bare essentials in yet as I haven't produced a single usable pellet. If I get it workin', I'll ad the wi fi, polychoke drippers, and unleaded gas enhancer.

Shot drop is a 1/4" to 3/8" to the coolant. I have the shotmaker sitting on a turkey fryer burner/stand, dropping the shot into an ammo can with the coolant.

Mike M.

_________________
Consistency is the currency of credibility

Manufrance Ideal 314:
Barrel set 1- (choke) .000 , .007 , chamber 70mm
Barrel set 2- .025 , .047 , 65mm
Barrel set 3- .005, .015
Manufrance Ideal No. 5:
Choke: .000, .010, 70mm chambers
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skeettx
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 5:54 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9455
Location: Amarillo, Texas

Some fun reading

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/archive/index.php/t-27239.html

and LOT of pages of reading here

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=15776


Last edited by skeettx on Fri Apr 25, 2014 2:09 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Doggai
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 6:18 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 01 Jul 2005
Posts: 640
Location: Crow River Bottomlands of Minnesota

Final question from me. What are you using for lead???

_________________
E.J. Churchill Hercules Grade 16
W.W. Greener Crown Grade 12
Stevens 311E 16
Browning Double Auto Twelvette
Browning Double Auto Twentyweight
Remington 1100 12 2 barrels
Charles Daly SxS 28
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wingshooter
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:41 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 26 Jun 2005
Posts: 425
Location: Big D

For this batch, about 70% wheel weights, the rest plumbing scrap.

_________________
Consistency is the currency of credibility

Manufrance Ideal 314:
Barrel set 1- (choke) .000 , .007 , chamber 70mm
Barrel set 2- .025 , .047 , 65mm
Barrel set 3- .005, .015
Manufrance Ideal No. 5:
Choke: .000, .010, 70mm chambers
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Doggai
PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:22 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 01 Jul 2005
Posts: 640
Location: Crow River Bottomlands of Minnesota

I'm stumped without watching your making routine. Seems like I had that same experience once or twice early on, too. But the solution I arrived at escapes me. Perhaps when I fire up next month the solution will come to me, as for now . . .

AHA! A light bulb moment.

You say - "I'm using a shotmaker similar to the Littleton or Better Shot Maker."

One last shot - what does similar mean and who made the drippers?

_________________
E.J. Churchill Hercules Grade 16
W.W. Greener Crown Grade 12
Stevens 311E 16
Browning Double Auto Twelvette
Browning Double Auto Twentyweight
Remington 1100 12 2 barrels
Charles Daly SxS 28
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wingshooter
PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:40 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 26 Jun 2005
Posts: 425
Location: Big D

Got both off ebay, don't remember the seller...drippers work great. Did more testing yesterday, problem seems to be what happens to the shot once it hits the coolant. Here's a pic of my simple set up, basic bare bones:




_________________
Consistency is the currency of credibility

Manufrance Ideal 314:
Barrel set 1- (choke) .000 , .007 , chamber 70mm
Barrel set 2- .025 , .047 , 65mm
Barrel set 3- .005, .015
Manufrance Ideal No. 5:
Choke: .000, .010, 70mm chambers
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View user's profile Send private message
Doggai
PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 10:18 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 01 Jul 2005
Posts: 640
Location: Crow River Bottomlands of Minnesota

If that's your setup ready to make shot, I see that the coolant level in the tank is more than an inch below the lip of the maker. I don't see any coolant in the tank at all. The rim of the burner is at least 1 1/2". The solution you're looking for is to have the maker on a table of some sort (not a wood table cause it will catch fire) with the upper edge of the coolant tank flush against and even with the surface edge of the table. The maker should be on the table with the lip over the edge. The front edge of the maker should be touching the upper edge of the tank with the lip in the tank and above the coolant. The coolant should be right under the lip of the maker not more than 3/8", preferably 1/4".

JUST SOME ADVICE
From looking at your setup, it appears you are in a hurry to make shot with your new equipment. Slow down, you're not taking the time to think through the long term approach to shotmaking. You need to get the maker up on a table, get rid of those mickey mouse leveling logs, get a stand to put the coolant tank on and do it right. You should realize that the bottom of the maker will get pretty hot and might set a wood table top afire. Get a steel surface table if you can, or a steel sheet that can be used as a raised table top. There's plenty of help out there if you ask for it.

_________________
E.J. Churchill Hercules Grade 16
W.W. Greener Crown Grade 12
Stevens 311E 16
Browning Double Auto Twelvette
Browning Double Auto Twentyweight
Remington 1100 12 2 barrels
Charles Daly SxS 28
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