Mid term clean up.

[canebreaker]

Before Christmas break I got an invitation to help clean up my grandson's ROTC high school pellet rifle range room. 3 students and I spent about 45 minutes sweeping the floor and replacing the target backers. 2 sheets of 1/2" plywood, 2 sheets of cardboard the size of a paper target from 20 frames. I got about 4 gallons of pellets along with wood and paper chips, 2 50 lb feed bags of backers with pellets embedded.
I've had a lot going on since I brought it home so saturday was the first day I got to melt any of it. Seems like I only get out when my chickens get to scratch in the yard in this cooler weather. I built a fire in the pit, filled the cast iron pot with the clean up with a bottom layer of stick on wheel weights. Sat the pot on coals and added more wood around the pot. The chips on top would burn and would need to be stirred. When I had more ash than chips in the pot I added more wood to the pot and pit, covered it with the screen and came in after locking the chickens up.
Yesterday I dumped the ash and a 2 1/2" cake of lead from the pot. Cleaned out the pit and started over. It will be about 3 pm before I get out today. I have one more pot of the chips to do before starting on the backers. The plywood is larger than the pot so each sheet will have to be held up so it won't flip into the pit. I'm thinking 2 sticks of rebar will hold them up when laid across the pit, I'll see.

[canebreaker]

I got another cake of lead about the same size yesterday. I did a repeat, filled the pot about half, placed the rebar on the pit and added a few backers. The plywood and cardboard make more ash and coals to the pot so I won't be getting a thick piece of lead this time. I've got 1 1/2 bags of backers and 2 5 gal buckets of stick on wheel weights to melt. Then I'll set up the fryer base to clean and cast ingots.
I picked up 2 350 gal totes. I got them up on a stand and started pumping water from a 275 gal tote into one of them to rinse out. I did a search for cleaning the residue, 1 16 oz bottle of Dawn and 2 gals of distilled vinegar. When I get the first tote filled, let it sit for 48 hours or more. Then pump the mix into the other tote and let it sit.
Also I'm removing the floor from the camper and watching the chickens while outdoors.

[canebreaker]

The cake of lead I removed yesterday wasn't as good, 1 1/4" thick on one side and 1/2" on the other side. After I burnt all the backers I added the cake back to the pot.

[STUMP HUNTER]

It is good to hear the lead is being saved and will be put to good use. Lots of work it must have been.

[canebreaker]

It's labor that I don't mind.
The lead cake from yesterday was 3" thick. I built a fire and filled the pot with stick on ww while waiting on the telephone repairman. When he showed up I added more wood. When he left I spooned off the burnt glue.

Their target frames are a wood box that will hold 2 paper target side by side. 3 boxes per station, prone, sitting and standing. Some of the other schools we've been to have a self contained target box on casters. It's flat on the front with 3 square holes for the paper targets, angled on the back. The back is a metal sheet. The pellet goes through the paper target, hits the metal and goes to the bottom. Very few pop out of the box. Some schools have the box that will hold one target per possession while others will hold 2 targets per possession. We are looking into a grand for these boxes for the school. Either we make them or order them.

[canebreaker]

I got 5 pure lead cakes from my 10" cast iron dutch oven that vary from 2 1/2" to 3 1/3" from the pellets and stick on wheel weights. I'll set up the fryer base to melt it again, clean it and cast 1 lb ingots. I'll move to the production pot and cast split shot and pinch on sinkers. Each member of the rifle team will get an assortment of them at the awards dinner.
I'm looking for plans to build a 3 position pellet trap with casters. Each trap will hold a target or 2 for pron, kneeling, and standing.

[canebreaker]

The commander called the closest school for me to measure their pellet trap. I'll have to wait until the 25th and call before meeting with them.

[Fatman]

Don't know why the post I made on this didn't go through, but there's a YouTube video of a guy who built one, don't know if it's what you're looking for but I'll see if I can find it again.

[canebreaker]

I've looked at u tube. All I can find are singles and up to 3 across. The singles would have to be stacked 3 high and casters added to the base.
The units these schools have are made of plywood, 4' high with casters on the base. 4" deep at the top and maybe 18/24" deep at the bottom. One piece of sheet metal on the back. The fronts will 3 square holes to hold 1 or 2 11"X12" paper targets side by side with space. About 4" of trim on each side of holes.
The past commander from this closest school designed the single target model, passed it to the booster club and had a cabinet shop make them. The school with the double target model copied the other school's singles. Passed it to the booster club and the parents made them. Each of these schools have 20 traps. Each ROTC unit can have up to 10 shooters on their team.