updating Lyman 450 lubrisizer

[milprileb]

I have a 1974 purchased Lyman 450. Has that bent "L" handle. That handle has been kind of awkward for me but it works. I noticed Lyman has a upgrade kit to replace this handle and new linkage. It makes the Lyman have a link and handle system like the RCBS model.

I bought and installed this upgrade kit and its really great for my needs. Only rub is two things (I over came both and will describe):

a. upgrade kid comes with a straight handle like RCBS unit and not the round ball handle like new Lyman 4500 does. I called Lyman and they said if I want the 4500 handle, that is $16 and I am good to go. NO NO No... that dog won't hunt ! I pulled a $2 wood round ball handle off my Lee turret and it fits. Then I remembered I had a dull lee trimmer cutter with same ball handle on it. You got it: Lyman 450 (improved updated now) has a wood Lee ball handle and so does my Turret press. Now my Lyman 450 is a 4500 in features that I want and have found to be very productive.

b. Once upgrade kit of linkage was installed , it jammed up on the thick milled steel reservoir cap (the one that the threaded rod goes thru to push lube south). Now what is with this?? Called Lyman and they found a tech guy old enough to remember: " Oh yeah, we changed that cover for a thinner tapered one so you need to buy one (cost is like $6). Well now....I can file down this one, buy a new one or better yet, I took the red plastic top off a can of Bulleyes powder that I had left over when can was empty.... I wonder if that will fit in that reservoir if I put a hole for the rod in it. Well, its a perfect fit.

So there you got the blue print of how I upgraded my Lyman 450 to 4500 and over came two things , ball handle and reservoir cover , with out spending money, delays ordering stuff or degrading the upgrade of the 450.

I am rolling hot with this upgraded 450. So if you go t hat route, just beware of the handle issue and that reservoir cap. Of course if your 450 is made in 80s , the cap issue is not going to bite you but if you got a older model, it will.

I like the upgrades to the Lyman 450. :drinks:

[GP100man]

I`ve upgraded all my 450s ,had to grind 1 cap down & a bit of flashing on 1 of the L linkages.

Is the kit still less than $20.00 ????

But a definite inprovement !!!

[milprileb]

Not sure now of price but it was 2 yrs ago.

Round ball on handle is a most positive improvement to the straight
bar handle in the kit. However, that is of course, a matter of
personal preference I guess.

I find ball handles on presses, lubrisizer and priming tools to be
infinitely more sensitive, user friendly and less tiring.

[Dframe]

My congratulations on your innovative solutions to common problems. I love Innovators!

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

I haven't done the handle yet, but I did bore the hole in the rear base of my 450 to accept a 50watt cartridge heater such as the 4500 uses, ('cept I got my heater off ebone for 12 bucks) then wired in a dimer control to control the heat.
I got the OE handle off my Dillon(converted to roller handle-nice!) that is screaming to be modded and put on the 450

[milprileb]

Jim

Where did you get the heater unit for your 450. I would like to do that modification very much.

ON the handles, I got to say the roller handle on the Dillon 650 has me wanting to put one on my Dillon 450 and my RCBS Rockchucker presses. Round ball handles on 450 lubrisizer, RCBS bench model priming tool are a joy to use.

It all may be that I am 63 and like a little comfort which these handles seem to give.

[ColColt]

Pics!

[Ausglock]

Pics!

+1
as they say... A picture is worth 1000 words....:bigsmyl2:

[GP100man]

I`ve posted this pic before but Here`s the handle update kit .

http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/GP100man/102_0564.jpg

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Pics:)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/James64/450.jpg

Hole is drilled in the base exactly like the 4500 press, including the setscrew
for retaining the cartridge.Light dimmer mounted in old Sierra jword box,
mounted to a piece of sheet metal sandwiched under the press and cork gasket
The heater came from an ebay store, seller is Freedomresources.
A search for "cartridge heater" will get you thousands of hits. this one is 50 watts,
a higher wattage may heat the press faster, just make sure the dimmer
you select can handle the wattage of the element. I got the 50 watt, so
when I forgot I turned it on, it wont liquefy my lube
(I turn up the heat to warm up the press)

Green paint leftover from an air compressor rebuild, dang near perfect RCBS green
Hope the Lyman still works ok being green [smilie=l:

[468]

Sorry to be such a bone head...

Where exactly does the "heat cartridge" go? I can't tell by the photo. I DEFINITELY want to add this to my 450...along with the handle upgrade. I'm tired of the softer lube and the "dirty" boolits.

Thanks.

[milprileb]

This is so cool ! I want to know too ! Talk about innovative approaches!

This is awesome.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I put the handle upgrades on both of my 450`s. On one the old lube cover was still good to go with the new handle, not so on the other luber. I solved the cover problem by putting a 3/8" center hole fender washer onto the threaded bolt and it works great. Didn`t like the straight handle with the cheap black bicycle rubber grip. Went out to the barn with both handles and ground down the rod ends and threaded them for the round knobs from shift levers from some old Yale fork trucks.Robert

[Echo]

a. upgrade kid comes with a straight handle like RCBS unit and not the round ball handle like new Lyman 4500 does. I called Lyman and they said if I want the 4500 handle, that is $16 and I am good to go. NO NO No... that dog won't hunt ! I pulled a $2 wood round ball handle off my Lee turret and it fits. Then I remembered I had a dull lee trimmer cutter with same ball handle on it. You got it: Lyman 450 (improved updated now) has a wood Lee ball handle and so does my Turret press. Now my Lyman 450 is a 4500 in features that I want and have found to be very productive.



I too dislike the straight bicycle-grip type handles. I went to Michael's craft store and bought a couple of hardwood balls of correct (for me) diameter. Put one on my old LAM handle (drill & epoxy), have the other in reserve. Can't think of a reason to get a roller handle for the Dillon...

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Sorry to be such a bone head...

Where exactly does the "heat cartridge" go? I can't tell by the photo.

Thanks.

see where the bullet box touches the bottom rear of the press? I drilled the hole from the back, just above the bench( & parallel to the bench), towards the bottom of the lube reservoir.

if you go to Lymans website and look a the 4500 model, there is a link to the instructions on the page, one page of the instructions shows exactly where the heat is in the 4500.

Never mind, here it is easier

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/James64/img003-1.jpg

[Frozone]

Only the later model 450s have the thicker base with the hole and set screw.

I doubt there is enough 'meat' in the older ones to drill it out, but I haven't measured it.

[468]

Thank you!!!

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

you only need a 1/4" hole
this one had plenty of meat even after milling the egg shape bottom flat. This does have the later reservoir cap with the relief so it is not a real early model

[Frozone]

One change I've made to a couple of my presses is to replace the wood ball with a 2" pool cue ball. I like the way it fits my hand.

They can be had new for ~ $4.50