Making catapult ammo

[ateallthepies]

Had the lead melting gear out today and had some left after another project so decided it was time to try out my 12mm lead ball mould and make some catty ammo.
The first batch was a bit iffy but I now know the mould works best when hot so the rest came out fine. A better pair of snips that can get closer to the ball would be handy and save some finishing work, I used scissors this time.

Some of the pics are in other threads...

The mould is from ebay and works fine. I see Milbro do a better version but it is four times the price and if I ever get into cattys big time I may invest in one as the balls come out near perfect with only one drip-snip required.

Steve.

 

[Everything Mac]

cool.

atb
Andy

 

[JohnC]

I use one like that, a fishing weight mould, I think. Your right about the hotter mould working, I found that too.
I pick up the lead car wheel weights that you find by the road when I'm out running, you get a surprising number, especially near junctions!

 

[Colin.W]

I will have to think about making some myself soon, at the moment I'm still using the bearings I got from trips to our local car breakers before they started calling themselves "modern vehicle dismantlers" and stopped people getting bits off themselves. the ones out of the mini drive shafts were the best size

 

[demographic]

I will have to think about making some myself soon, at the moment I'm still using the bearings I got from trips to our local car breakers before they started calling themselves "modern vehicle dismantlers" and stopped people getting bits off themselves. the ones out of the mini drive shafts were the best size

CV joints contain fairly decent (if possibly a little on the large side) ball bearings. I assume that's what you're using?
There's still two good scrapyards round here where you amble off down the bottom end with a toolbox and come back with the bits you need.

Mind, one of them stores them two vehicles high and it can be hard work jacking up a Transit van with a Ford Ka on its roof to get something from underneath it. Needs a few spare wheels to heap under it in case the jack fails...