How to Create Consistently Sized Granules and Shot
On the Ball
Creating a handy measuring tool to guarantee same-size granules and shot
By Helen I. Driggs
It’s easy to create evenly sized granules or shot without the time-consuming hassle of measuring or weighing tiny pieces of metal. With a quick trip to the hardware store, you can create this handy measuring tool in a few seconds, and it will guarantee same-size granules in less than a third of the time it would take to measure the wire used to make them.
1. For this project, you’ll need six fender washers, which are about 1.5 inches in diameter and about 1.5 mm thick. You’ll also need a few inches of tape, sharp side cutters, and scrap silver wire. This is a good way to use up mangled bits of wire or cutoffs from your scrap box.
2. Stack the desired number of washers together. To change the size of the granules, reduce or add washers to the stack.
3. Tape the stack securely using the tape on four sides of the washers to prevent them from shifting or slipping. Be sure to leave the center hole of the washers free of tape.
4. Before cutting the wire, lightly sand it to remove tarnish, as a long section of wire is easier to clean than short sections once they’ve been snipped apart.
5. Place the side cutters so the jaws lay flat on the stack of washers. It is very important to maintain the exact position for consistent results and not to allow the cutters to angle up or down from the flat table created by the washers.
6. Insert the wire into the hole of the washer so the lower end of the wire sits flat on the worktop and then snip the wire level with the top of the washer stack.
7. Snip as many sections of wire as you need for your project. It’s a good idea to torch the snipped wire sections immediately to prevent tarnish from forming on them.
To create the granules, place the wire sections on a clean charcoal block and heat them one at a time with the torch to ball them up. Leave them on the block until they are black and cool and then pickle them. For larger granules or shot, combine two or more cut wire sections by pushing the wires together with a solder pick before they reach liquidus. Hold the molten metal until the ball of metal has a clean surface and the impurities burn off before removing the torch flame.
I clean granules and shot in a small plastic sieve I made from a coffee scoop. Simply drill small holes in the bottom of the scoop and suspend it in the pickle pot via a copper wire handle. Rinse well and then dry granules on a clean white rag before soldering them onto your project.