[shot410ga]

For those of you that make shot in cold weather, how do you preheat your coolant? I've found cold coolant (anti-freeze) turns my shot into popcorn. My system is outside so heating the coolant to at least 80 degrees seems to be the magic number.

 

[shot410ga]

tt

 

[DecalDude]

How much coolant are you useing? I just got my shotmaker couple weeks ago, made my stand and adapted a cooler for catch tank. I am currently useing straight water, with decent results. I get the same bugger pieces if it doesnt roll off lip as any coolant. But if I start the machine when I am ready and fill the cooler to level with warm water seems to run nice.

Second batch my boy helped fill the tank and he used cold water and we had 10pounds of pop corn shot. We shut down and started fresh with warm water and was good to go again.

If I were to use anti-freeze guess I would leave in jugs in the house by heater vents till ready to use put it in when lead starts to melt.


BTW it was in the teens in the garage on the evenings we made shot.

Jerry Lewis

 

[sasquach]

I just heat it up on a turkey cooker that I also use to make ingots.

 

[Shooting Jack]

Jerry, you are the first I have ever heard that used straight water. Is your shot coming out good and round? I've had a shot maker for a couple of years but have never plugged it up and I'm ready to try it. Is the only thing you do is heat the water up? Thanks for your reply. Jackie B.

 

[DecalDude]

Yes the only thing I do is make sure the water is warm not too cold and dont run too long unless you have circulation to cool it. My shot is fairly round looks good the Mrs and I have shot it 2 weeks of league so far and she has done well cant remember the first score out of 50 but I remember there was a 25 straight in there and last week was a 23-25 for a 48, I was 44 and 46.

All I can say is try it. Most that can happen is you waste some water and dry out the lead and remelt. I have made 100pds so far this way and we shot 10 boxes so far with good result guys at the club have given me $10 for a 240z pop bottle full just to try it, cause they said it looked great.

Try it with the water level bout half inch below lip. whatis it cost ya but will save buying other stuff and lots of rinseing.

Jerry Lewis

 

[Tracer]

I built a commercial shot making machine a few years ago for a company. It

would make about 20 tons a day. In the system I used hot water ( 196 deg )

and dropped the shot 1/2 inch off a lip that was angled at 23 deg. I heated

the lead up to 720 deg to get nice round shot. The drop tank was 7 feet tall

with an angled bottom and a hole at the bottom of the angle that went into a

bucket elevator that was 12 feet high. It then dropped into a stainless wire

tube with a small fire under it for drying as the shot traveled through the

rotating tube. I used cheap shampoo in the water to break the surface tension

and a laundery softner to help the shot dry a little faster. The shot was

rolling when it hit the water off the 23 deg lip and the water formed a steam

bubble around the shot ball that helped it stay round since the pressure was

equal around the surface of the shot ball. Made a lot of really nice shot.

Del

 

[shot410ga]

There is a video of a guy making shot and dropping it into water on U-tube. It's easy to find. There is a lot of popcorn.

 

[Auctioneer]

Tracer you have a PM