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Jumping Frog wrote:

Don2 wrote:We need to make this 2 man thread even longer....

I am just hanging out on the sidelines waiting for the story to develop.

It will, I know when I built one it was a long and winding road.
Too hot, not hot enough, not hot in the right spots, wrong drop height etc...etc...etc.
Takes money and time...I had the time...

It never really worked the way I wanted it to.
BUT...Andy is starting with one complete part, the important part.
I tried it from scratch. ( can be done and is, but thats where the money part comes in. ):smilelol5:

I ended up partnering with a fellow reloader that bought an old small shotmaker that works well enough for our needs. modern ones are around the $500 - $700 range.
Now I wish I had bought one when they were $250!!!!!

Oh well.
Don2

Well shucks Andy, I had planned on making shot all weekend long BUT....
My 2.5 year old Grandson came to visit all week long and put a stop to that.

I was planning on sending you some pics of the shot I made to get you going.
Just kidding, can't wait to see your shot maker in action.

Oh...I did make about 250 - 00 buck a few days ago, I had already started and just finished the batch. Came out good. Used the Lee 18 cavity mold. It works great.

We need to make this 2 man thread even longer....

Good Luck

Don2

saltydog452 wrote:This isn't relevant to making shot. Maybe it can be of some use to someone, tho.

The Civilian Marksmanship has surplus 3" .410 FMC all brass shot shells. Supposededly no good in repeaters, but single/two barrel smooth bores are good to go. CMP did some patterning and, as best I remember, those patterns were tolerable. Don't know.

salty

WoW, send me a case...I have 2 single shot 3" 410's.

I have 2 - 25ea. boxes of Magtech 410 brass that I have not loaded yet.
I need to figure it all out first. Wish I had some of the 410 brass that uses 209 primers, but they are expensive.


Don2

texasmusic wrote:Just thought I'd drop by and say, good luck. And congratulations on making the longest 2 man thread (I think, maybe) on the forum!

Interesting stuff.

Geeee....Now I feel like a Hog.

Shucks, I guess we had a lot to say??
I didn't even notice.
But I'm still going to make shot this weekend unless the Wife DRAGS me off somewhere..!!!
Hate when that happens.

Don2

Andy, I'm NOT going to bug you, just tell you that my reloader friend and I are going to make shot this weekend with our Little Bitty shot maker.
I'm getting the lead out now.

I can't wait...I'm running low.
We have not bought any factory shot in many years. I know it's way more expensive now than it was the last time I bought it @ $25 a bag..!!!

Can't wait to see yours in action, you going to have to make a short video of it.

Nudge...Nudge...


Don2

Well, any progress with the shot maker?

Don2

Yes, I'm sure your fryer has more than enough BTU"s.

When I make one, I have a small bathroom propane heater burner that is about 8" long and 2" wide I will use for under the pan. I'm hoping it will work.
I also have an old water heater propane burner I'm going to use if I have a melt pot attached too??

I'm sure it will need to be experimented with to get all the correct parts working together at one time.
You will have a killer shot maker when you get it tuned up.

Good Luck
Keep us informed
Don2

I hope your feeling better..!!!
No fun being sick..


Don2

10-4 Good Buddy

Man I'm sorry your sick...Thats no FUN..!!
You just take all the time you need....We need you well and hitting on all eight.!

I'm not really trying to bug you, I'm just interested.

Hope you get better soon....


Don2

Yea I know things don't happen quick when you want them to..!!
Stuff like work,money etc. always gets in the way.

Pretty soon, you'll be pumping out shot like you want.
I'm just here to nudge you along...So get cracking..!



Don2

I was hoping that if you could get some lead melted in the pan, then after it all got up to operating temp, that you could use your bottom pour furnace to supply hot lead???
I saw a guy on YouTube do it, but maybe he faked it...I would not put it past some people who just want to be on "TV" no matter how they get there..!!!

Ok,
I know that the lead needs to be the lowest temp to pass through the drippers.

Too hot and it makes crazy shapes, too cool and it wont flow through drippers. ( YOU KNOW THIS )

See if you can go back in the old posts at the 1911 reloading forum and look for JMorris post on the one he made..It's so cool.

But he apparently has money to play with and the time...Which that combo makes cool toys and such.
He has a shop full of automated Dillon presses with bullet and brass feeds..!!

I don't even have a Dillon any longer, sold it a long time back...(Needed the money )
What I use the most now is a Redding T7 press...With a Hornady LnL Case activated powder drop system I installed with the PTX so I can skip a few steps.
It's actually pretty fast to load bullets in just a few easy steps. ( Off topic )

Keep trying buddy, you'll get something going soon.
Does not matter how you do it, just that it works for you.

Let me know if I can help.

Don2

I have an idea.

I know that when a guy gave me about a 50-75# chunk of lead, I wanted to cut it up into smaller pieces, that was way too hard.
Then I thought about using my Oxyacetylene cutting rig, NOPE.....That did not work either.
That big mass of lead worked as a big heat sink.....It would NOT cut with the torch.
I almost gave up, when a buddy told me to use a log wedge and a small sledge.
What the heck, I tried it and it worked enough to get some smaller pieces, then used Sawzall to finish, then melted in big pot over gas burner. ( IT's history now )

Point is, maybe if you had smaller pieces of lead, they would melt easier in your pan with modest heat.??????
Just a long way around to say try smaller pieces of lead, or start a small ingot or chunk of lead melting with a torch then let it get hot and add more as needed.??

I found out the hard way a bigger chunk of lead needs massive heat to get it to start melting..!!!
Especially if it's old lead and has a hard oxidized layer on outside. ( Inside melts and outside shell holds up. ) strange.................

Thats just an idea for you to think about.

Sorry for being long winded.

Don2

I still have not seen my neighbor since friday...I guess they took off for the weekend????
I've been trying to go look at the shot maker for you, but..???

Well this weekend was a bust for reloading for myself.
I did manage to get 2 boxes of 20 gauge #3 buck shells loaded.

Thats something I guess.

Don

Well it looks like my neighbor is working real late tonight, so I'll have to check tomorrow on the length.
I do not like going in his shop when he is not there, I don't let myself get in that kind of situation.
He does the same too. ( Good Neighbors )

Where's the Shot pics ??


Maybe you put it all together and it makes nice shot, or you may have to tweak it some.
But your smart, you'll figure it out.
Being a handloader, you are use to tweaking stuff to make it work......

If I make a shotmaker from scratch, I will put an adjustable ramp under the drippers, plus an adjustable base for the shot tray to vary the amount of tilt the pan has, could help head pressure on the drippers too???
I like adjustable everything....!!!

Don2

AndyC wrote:45 degrees? That's interesting - how long is that plate, Don?

Oh heck, the one thing I did not measure, I will this evening when my neighbor gets home...It's at his house at this time.

It looked to be 1.5" - 2" long, but I will measure it for you asap.

In the last few weeks, I have made 4-2 ltr coke bottles full of shot,( It didn't take me that long, just done in spare time). that should last me a while because I don't shoot much any more but I need to resupply my stock.....Been making some target 20 gauge loads with 7/8oz shot and some with 1 oz to go in my stock. Now I'm working on some 20 gauge buckshot loads, #3 buck, going to make them with BP gas seals and fiber wads.

I like them, they hit pretty hard for a 20 gauge....


Don2