The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-10-03
HOW SHOT is MADE.
Description of the Process Used in the
Manufacture of the Leaden Missile.

Description of the Process Used in the
Manufacture of the Leaden Missile.
Situated among the great office build
ings of lower New York are the towers
where shot is manufactured by methods
which were devised when it was first call
cd into requisition. In this age of pro-
gress the fact that any industry Of con-
siderable proportions can thrive when
the machinery it uses is of antiquated
style is surprising, for nearly all manu-
featured articles in present use are being
made by modern machinery.
The two great centers for the manu-
facture of shot in the United States are
New York and st. Louis. There are
three shot towers in New York, two Of
which have no modern innovations, and
in the third the departure from the old
lines have been small. The process
through which lead must pass before it
is converted into shot is not complicated,
and a New York Tribune reporter who in
vestigated tells the process used to change
bar lead into shot
The first tower visited was latham &
Brothers in Beekman street. 1t is the
tallest tower in New York City, and
measures from the water tank to the
selves 2l5 feet. On the top floor are sit
uated two large kettles in which the bar
lead is melted, and contiguous to these
kettles, in the center of the floor, is
frame, upon which are fastened the
sleeves through which the molten lead
passes to drop 215 feet into tank of wa
ter The object of this long drop is to
afford the shot time to cool before strik-
ing the water, the shot being perfectly
formed when it drops through the seive.
When asked If the necessity of having u
| tower could not be obviated, the man
| ager said that as the present system was
so inexpensive little thought was given
to devising new ones. When the shot
reaches the bottom of the tank, which is
an inclined plane, it is run into the peck
cts OF an endless chain and carried up to
the top OF the tower, where it is run into
u drying cylinder, which is surrounded
by steam pipes. From the drying cylin-
der the shot passes into the polisher,
which gives the gloss by the rubbing of
the shot and the addition of small
quantity Of black lead. BY an ingenious
arrangement a series of steel tables,
from three to five in number, the first
set an angel Of 80 degrees and the sue
cessives at angles from to 10
degrees less than three inches from each
other, serve as a course over which the
shot is run. The perfect shot, rolling
easily, pass from one table to the other,
while most Of the imperfect shot fall be-
tween the first and second tables, but,
if successful in making the first jump.
seldom get beyond the second and when
the end of the last table is reached moth
ing but perfect shot pass on to the sort
ing machines. These machines consist
Of series of tareopizdal cylinders, the
surfaces of which are punctured with
holes the size of the shot desired to be
collected in the pans beneath them, be-
ginning with the finest size of shot. In
determining the size Of the shot the
measurement is calculated on the basis
of an inch divided into hudredths, shot
being designated as No. 8 being 6-100
of an inch in diameter. The shot after
being separated are put into canvas bags
containing 20 pounds each and are ready
for shipment.
The manager said that as many as five
or more sizes of shot might be obtained
from the same seive, the size being regu-
lated by the temperature of the lead
At the Caldwell Lead company's
tower, in Center street, the same process
was in use. Here it was learned that
the lead used in the manufacture of shot
was alleged, about 2 1-2 per cent Of ar
it drop from the sieve in perfect squares.
At the works Of the LIE Roy Lead com
pany, in Water street, there is no tower.
This company uses a cold blast, and the
manager said the plant was the most
modern in this country, and by their
process they get just the size shot they
want, and If any other firm in this coun-
try had an order for 10000 bags Of No.
, shot they would have to make 100000
bags to fill the order, as they get two
sizes above and two below the one re-
quired. He said that the method en-
ployed to secure this result was to put a
layer of scum, made from unrefned st.
John lead, over the bottom Of the sleeves,
which kept the lead from dripping
through too fast and secured a uniform
size.