What to use for a lubricator heater?

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ironhat

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I jsut bought an old but serviceable Lyman #450 bullet sizer/ lubricator - my first experience with this process. I had no idea that the lube for these things was this stiff! I haven't gotten it bolted down to the bench yet but I had to put the thing close to the wood stove to get the ram to move and the sizing die out of it. I see that $40 will buy me a heating pad for the unit but that's about $39.55 more than I can spend right now. Have any of you used something in place of the stock heating unit? I was thinking that I could heat the casting up with a small ceramic space heater and cycle it on/ off as the lube got cold and stiff. What do you think?
 
In the winter, I heat the oven to 150 then turn it off and put the Lyman in and let sit for an hour. Sizes with ease all day.
Have fun!
 
Clamp on light fixture w/100 watt light bulb does it for me. Have to let it heat up for 15 to 20 minutes tho.


Makes it easy to see what going on to.
 
I have heard of people putting a metal plate under the sizer before they bolt it down with enough sticking out the back for a steam iron to set on.
Rusty
 
Before I bought heaters for my lubrisizers, I used both the light bulb and an old hair dryer. You can just place an old shoplight with a 60 watt bulb right next to the reservoir and that will eventually heat it up.

The hair dryer is fastest, and I sometimes still use one to heat it up if I don't want to wait for the base heater to do the job. I'll warm the whole machine with the dryer and then let the base heater maintain the temperature.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
+1

I have used a heat lamp placed strategically next to it.

But more later, I just use a 1,200w heat-gun to get the cast iron up to operating temperature when it's cold weather. Very fast, and once it's hot enough, it stays warm enough quite some time while you are using it.

rc
 
Get rid of that stiff wax based lube, then go with Javelina alox/beeswax lube. It don't require a heater at room temps,(70 degrees). It works very well, it's all I use!

Use NVMM's procedure to get the whole sizer very warm to get the old lube out of the sizer. You may have to melt the last bit out of the reservoir, to keep it from showing up in the new lube.
 
An old hair dryer.

One of these day's I'll have to mix a batch of that Beeswax lube for my Star. I hear that that stuff really pushes through well.

I've still got two sticks of the Lyman lube to use up though.

-Steve
 
Snuffy and Jack, are you talking about the same thing? Snuffy's sounds like a brand name (I'm not familiar with casting products yet) and Jack's sounds like a home brew. While I have you on the line, guys, what are you fluxing your melted lead with?

TIA,
Chiz
 
I make up my own lube, not because of cost or supply, just because I like to and I get no leading, except with 9mm and have never found a way around it. Lets not get into a long deseration on what to do for 9mm as I just don't shoot it that much.

I know I could get my lube in sticks ready to just drop in my luber but I'm happy with my wax lube.

I'm not snuffy or jack but I flux with sawdust, or a popsickle stick.
 
Since I'm the OP I'm going to open another channel here (but, I'm still interested in knowing about the lube issue you guys). THe model 450 was apparently replaced with the 4500 and the manual says that the 450 (no manual available) didn't have the ability to install gas checks. Then, I found a reference to doing just that on a 450 (just my luck I can't find where I saw that). So, which is it? Like I've said, I'm completely new to this so I'm not sure how this is accomplished but I figure that I can manufactue some sort of die to use in my Rock-Chucker to accomplish it.

So, back to the lube and the 450...
 
No truth to that.

The 450 was seating gas-checks way before the 4500 came along.

And the "Ideal #45" was doing it way before the 450 came along.

rc
 
Right on with what rcmodel says. I have 2 of the old #45 lube/seaters and use them to seat gas checks on rifle bullets with no problem.
I do not use gas checks on pistol bullets or for my 30 cal carbine.
 
THe model 450 was apparently replaced with the 4500 and the manual says that the 450 (no manual available) didn't have the ability to install gas checks. Then, I found a reference to doing just that on a 450 (just my luck I can't find where I saw that).
Click to expand...

I'm seating gas checks with my Lyman 450. And I have the lube heater underneath it. Hot weather is when I cast bullets, cold weather is when I size and lube.

ReducedLyman450with308bulletreadyto.gif
 
Or you could use the real heat plate from Lyman for your 450. Click here:

Snuffy is talking about a brand name, Here on Evilbay, but there are at least two really good recipe's for BeesWax lube that veteran casters swear by. I have enough wax based to last me a bit. When I run low, I've got a friend that mixes his own. I'll hit him up to stir up a cookin session.

To learn all you can, and more than you want, you need to join CastBoolits.com Great bunch there that have decades if not centuries of casting knowledge between them.

----
I had a 45.. Then got me a little used 450... Then I got me a Star Luberasizer. SCHWEET!

-Steve
 
I bought a case of Lee Alox stick lube off evilbay for less then nothing a while ago back.

It is a soft lube that works very well!

rc
 
The earlier suggestion of the clothes iron is a very good one. It has a built in thermostat so you can control the heat easily and they are about $1. at a yard sale. I've got my Star sizer setting on a piece of aluminum plate with the iron right behind it. Works great.
 
Thanks for the great input, folks. You have just effectively torqued the wife's knickers because I don't need another hobby, she says. I told her that I was practicing for retirement and she said in that case I can't go on disability for my heart condition (still recovering). I'd kill myself with all the fun I'd be having!!:eek::D
 
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