Author Topic: balls up  (Read 11374 times)

Offline PK

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 369
  • Country: au
balls up
« on: October 30, 2016, 05:34:34 AM »
For.. my own reasons.. I needed a whole lot of 12mm lead balls.
Previously I had cast a bunch of 9mm balls using a modified fishing sinker mold, an old sauspan, the gas hotplate, and my wifes absense....

But now I needed a WHOLE LOT of 12mm balls.
So I lashed up the below, part of which consisted of a commercial, 50 cal ball mold (which I highly recommend).
If you google 'bullet casting' you'll find lots of pics that give the general arrangement of the lead casting pot.
My tips are:
The pot is about 110mm diam by 110mm deep. I used 2x 300W cartridge heaters, inserted through stainless compression fittings welded to the rear of the pot. This gives a 15-20min melt time for about 7Kg of lead.

The Temp-o-matic is just an ebay PID controller and solid state relay that has a GPO and thermocouple plug on the back. I use it for all my seldom used temp controlled devices.

The 'valve' is just a tapered pin in an oriface welded to the bottom of the pot.  I lapped it in, but I really doubt that this was necessary.  What IS necessary is some means of adjusting the lift on said pin to limit max flow.  I used a collar and grub screw arrangement. Fiddly to set, but I haven't had to adjust it. Other setups use a screw as a stop.


At a sitting, I'm making about 100 balls, I guess that's about a Kg lead... Happy with that.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2016, 06:04:49 AM by PK »

Offline angus

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 57
  • Country: gb
Re: balls up
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2016, 08:02:54 AM »
liking that :clap:

Offline howsitwork?

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 360
  • Country: england
Re: balls up
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2016, 04:51:27 PM »
neat arrangement but WHY ??? :headbang:

Offline Will_D

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 668
  • Country: ie
    • National Homebrew Club of Ireland
Re: balls up
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2016, 06:59:06 PM »
neat arrangement but WHY ??? :headbang:
Easy: He just needs a load of balls!
Engineer and Chemist to the NHC.ie
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/