272 replies to this topic

[Pyromaster2003]

hi all. i think if i buy the milling media for my ball mill from UN it will be a slight rip off, im starting to wish i had made my own ball mill since the overall cost came to ?70. I was planing on getting a 2 by 2 slab of hard wood 1 inch thick and drilling a load of 1 cm holes in it and then filling these with lead.

anyone got any other ideas on making the media which are relatively easy?also, how efficient will these lead media be at making BP and crushing chemicals?will they be better or the same as rounded lead media? Thanks, Chris

[bernie]

I would think it would wear down in short order. Musket balls would serve you better. Copper tubing filled with lead I think is your best bet. A ball mill is pretty good at what it does. It would grind down your hard wood in short order.
I think that if you expect to advance in the hobby then a ball mill is a great investment. I doubt you will be disappointed. When I first got into this I also made my own mill. What a contraption it was. It worked mind you.....
If my mill should go bad on me and I needed a new one it would not bother me one bit to spend $200-300 on a new one. Money does not grow on trees over here in the states either. I am happy to report that watermelons do grow on vines and with some luck they will end up in the ice box when ripe. Perhaps some rum injected through the rind will make them even more yummy.

[Pyromaster2003]

im not sure but i dont think i can get musket balls over here in the UK. i have a local gun shop though, they sell guns from BB to shotguns, they may sell musket balls. what if i soaked the wooden board in water and then filled her up?i would probably drill around 50 holes in the board and use them each around 3 - 4 times. would the board be ok with that amount of media making?you no any websites where musket balls can be bought?

[Edited on 29-5-2003 by Pyromaster2003]

[BigG]

Pyromaster, this question was asked and answered before on the forums. Please search the columns carefully.

First, you can buy ?'' lead balls in the UK. Ask your gun shop if they can direct you to gunsmiths that sell black powder. They are likely to sell lead balls as well. Those are used by amateurs for shooting antique weapons. You don't need a license to buy lead balls, and they cost around 20? for 50-100 balls.

Another easy option in the UK is to buy brass rod (not copper!!!) and cut it into segments. That will work fine as well.

BigG

[Pyromaster2003]

ye, i thought we had a discussion about the media some time before but i couldn't find it again and thought id imagined it hehe. ye thanks for that, il ask him next time im around that way. ?20 for 50-100?thats pretty dear.il have a look round anyway and see what i can find.

[Pyromaster2003]

it doesnt matter about the suppliers, iv found quite a few in the UK now.

[phildunford]

I made my own lead media 3/4 inch by making a mould out of aluminium and using a ball nosed end mill. Quite repectable results but you do need machine tools.

I've also tried drilling lots of 3/4 inch holes in a 1 inch pine board and using that as a mold - works almost as well and lasts a surprisingly long time - 20-30 goes easy..

[Pyromaster2003]

briliant, if these UK companies refuse to sell me the lead balls i will try and make my own then. what do you use as a heat source to melt the Pb?i am planning on using meths in the cut-off end froma beans tin, meths can boil water so i think it should be able to melt the Pb.

[BigG]

You will be surprised how easy it is to melt most lead/tin/antimony alloys. You can do it in an iron cup above a stove if you don?t want to invest in anything special.

[Pyromaster2003]

hehe i dont have a stove anymore, my dad threw it away when i almost blew ma self up:). meths would be the easiest option for me. how long does this Pb stay in liquid form for, roughly?

havnt had a reply from 3 companies i e-mailed about lead balls in the UK, maybe i will a bit later on today.

[PanMaster]

Have you tried cutting up brass rods?
You could always use steel balls as you only need lead media for grinding flammable compositions.

[Pyromaster2003]

i have 3 steel balls from computer mouses:)i have been e-mailed back asking if i want a .50" or a different caliber. i e-mailed back saying im just starting up and meassured a ball because i took them out f the box they were in and didnt no the caliber just that they were 1/2 inch in dia;)

[Pyromaster2003]

o no, looks like the only place that e-mailed me back has give me some bad news, this is the message he sent back:

I do not have .50" lead balls at the moment, I can order them, minimum order 500 @ ?9-40 per 100. I need to know where you are to quote delivery charge, also you did not say if you wanted a specific calibre eg .495"/.490"/ .50".

[PanMaster]

I've found 100 0.45.. dia lead shots for ?8.50 at www.Sutlers.co.uk

[Pyromaster2003]

nice one, im checking that out now. have you bought any or just found it?