does one NEED the heater for the Lyman 4500?

[1911fan]

I am spending my christmas money on a 4500 lubrasizer. I am also having to buy a new bullet mold and of course the top punch and sizing die, so that leaves me no money left to get a heater yet. Does one really need the heater, are there lubes that will work without it? I am going to add it later, just want to try it out when it arrives but do not want to break anything.

[btroj]

Too many variables for a simple answer.

Soft lubes don't need heat unless you size someplace cold, like below 60 degrees. A hard lube might need he's unless the tempos pushing 100.

Want lube are you using and at what sort of ambient temp?

Anything that gets the sizer around 100 degrees is enough. It shouldn't be called a heater but a warmer. Hot is too much, we want warm.

[462]

When required, I use a small goose-neck lamp and a 100-Watt bulb.

[geargnasher]

When required, I use a small goose-neck lamp and a 100-Watt bulb.

+1. 30 minutes and it's ready to go, even with really hard lubes.

Gear

[Whiterabbit]

I use a heat gun. Temp control can be achieved by distance.

[Moondawg]

I use an old hairdrying in the winter or when it is cool. I also use BAC and it just needs to be room temprature. It seems to like a room temprature in the mid-70s or a little more.

[Recluse]

A quarter-inch piece of aluminum (or steel) approximately four inches wide, twelve inches long and an old iron--drill out the holes for your lubesizer to bolt into on top of your bench, plug the iron in and set it on the aluminum, there's your heater--even with heat control (control temp on the iron).

I bought my iron at a Walmart or Walgreens or someplace like that for ten bucks brand new. You can get them half that price or less at flea markets, Goodwill stores, garage sales, etc.

I've found that it's good to have the ability to heat lube, even though I don't always use a lube or blend that requires it, especially with the mild/hot temps down here in Texas. But I do like having the option and ability.

:coffee:

[MtGun44]

IMO, the best lube to start with is NRA formula 50/50 and it needs no heat unless you
are using the machine in a very cold garage. If you are at 70F you will need no heat, if
you are at 50F put a trouble light near the lubrisizer about 30 minutes ahead of starting
or warm it with a hair dryer and you will be fine. At 60F it will be a bit stiff at first but will
work, and might benefit from a warming with a light of hair dryer for a few minutes.

Personally, I have zero interest in hard lubes, and therefore, zero interest in a lube
heater. I have been casting since 1976 without one.

Bill

[Freischütz]

462 has it nailed. My basement in about 60 ºF. All I need is a 100 watt bulb and about 20 min for warm up. The pet cage heating lamps work well too. I shoot for 85-95 ºF. Too hot and the lube migrates around the pressure piston.

[GP100man]

+ another for a lamp !!

http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/GP100man/sizerlamp.jpg

[DukeInFlorida]

My setup is in a crate for moving to FL. However, I bought the electric heater accessory for my Lyman 4500. I didn't like that it was either on FULL BLAST (too hot) or off, and not warm enough for the wax lube I use.

So, I bought a two gang electrical work box, and installed an outlet plug in one half, and a rotary dimmer switch (500 watts) in the other half. And, I wired them, with a wall cord, such that I plug my controller into the wall, and plug the Lyman heater into the controller. I'm now able to fine tune the heat for whatever lube I am using.

The controller cost me less than $15.

[canyon-ghost]

I have 4500s, use the heater on Carnuba Red. You can use soft lubes until you get heat. It will do 50/50 and other soft or semi-soft lubes, just not the harder lubes. I load a lot of handgun rounds so, I use hard lubes.

When I first started, I loaded 22 Hornet and 32-20 with 50/50 alox lubes, works okay.

[engineer401]

BAC works with no heat and a lot of pressure. It is a much better lube than the "complimentary" moly-lube that comes with the sizer. BAC leaves the bore cleaner and is not as messy to use.

[Reload3006]

I would say you dont need it but it is the reason i went with the 4500 over the RCBS .... sorry I did now but its made for an internal heater they aren't that expensive so I would recommend one. the heater is about the only thing I like about my 4500

[cajun shooter]

To add a bit of information to this Baskin Robbins answers. What I mean by that is that your question has many different answers that are all correct in doing what you ask.
My personal experience is that a lube that requires heat must be done carefully or you will go from too hard to use to how in the world do I stop this stuff from flowing.
The reason that I entered that bit of information is that several things like light bulbs and other things will work but can also create a huge mess.
To be accurate with heat you need a thermostat to control the amount you receive at a certain temperature.
Before I purchased my Star heater I did some research. I found in a old consumers report a story about travel irons. The story advised that almost all travel irons had a better and more accurate thermostat for controlling heat. It had to do with most of them having the same one and that it was the top one available.
I also used a thicker piece of aluminum than was used by the other member. My reason for this was twofold. One it would retain heat longer and better and two it would transfer less heat to it's clamping surface for safety.
This type of set up was used for over two years and worked to perfection. The only reason I'm not still using it is that I needed to down size my Star footprint and the factory unit is pre drilled to hold the Star and it's heater in a very small area.
If you decide to try the iron another advantage to the travel iron is size. It is almost half the size of my wife's home iron. Take Care David

[selmerfan]

A cheap lamp or heat lamp gets it done w/o buying the heater. Very easy

[Casting Timmy]

Before you buy just the lubrisizer, look up the master casting kit from Lyman. You can sell off a couple of the extras so that you end up with a cheaper sizer.

I bought the kit and then sold off the casting pot and ingot mold, ending up getting a sizer cheaper than if I bought it outright and also got a book, casting ladle to go with it.

[mtnman31]

I use the set up Recluse describes - aluminum plate that the sizer sits on top of. For a heater, I use a small travel iron that I also use for waxing snowboards. It works great and cost nothing since I used items I already had on hand. In the winter when the garage is cooler, I have to use it on some softer lubes that normally don't require heat. Maybe I should buck up and get a decent heater for the garage.

[Rockchucker]

I thought the 4500's came with a heater.

[Reload3006]

I thought the 4500's came with a heater.

they come ready for a heater but you can save about 20 - 30 dollars buying one without a heater.

[Irascible]

Just a warning, I used hard lube in my 4500 and put too much pressure on it while the LBT "Blue" lube was cold. I pulled the threaded rod right up through the casting. A washer under the head of the threaded rod repaired it, but then I had to space the sizer up off the bench.
ALSO, lube/oil the ram. I got a lot of play in the ram within a short time

[Iron Mike Golf]

Now, I don't have a 4500 or the RCBS one. Mine is a black-paint SAECO. I tried the lamp thing but recently went to the Lyman heater plate. I find this does a way better job of getting heat where I want it (in the casting) and not where I don't (in the lube reservoir).

I find it much easier to adjust and operate using the heater plate and have less "ribbon candy" leakage. If the budget's tight, then the desklamp will work OK. I never tried the metal plate + iron, but I expect that would work nicely.