Arug my sizer luber gave out !

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
This has happened before. 2 times!!!!
So now I will do an experiment.
Last time I posted , on this subject , some made negative comments about RCBS.
I WAS ALL PRAISE . As they replaced my very old Lube a Matic, with a new lube a matic 2 in a weeks time. Free of charge, no questions asked.

So this time I sent both my broken lubers back for repair.

To Lyman my old sizer luber 450, handle is broke, lube resavior piston leaks, lube resavior base leaks, ratchet handle is broken.

To RCBS my Lube a Matic2, the lube piston screw has messed up threads about 2/3's of the way down.

We will see which company gives better customer service. :Fire::Fire:

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

well, we know what RCBS will do (I'm 99% sure they will repair or replace)



To Lyman my old sizer luber 450, handle is broke, lube resavior piston leaks, lube resavior base leaks, ratchet handle is broken.
but, I wonder if Lyman will do anything with an old broken 450 ???

Jon

[44man]

Darn Boom boom, you sure are hard on those things! [smilie=s:

[10x]

well, we know what RCBS will do (I'm 99% sure they will repair or replace)



but, I wonder if Lyman will do anything with an old broken 450 ???

Jon

RCBS will indeed repair or replace. They have also sent me letters back with the new part telling me the fault (factory defect) was imaginary.
Very nice and courteous service.

I have yet to have an issue with a lyman product.

[adrians]

nowadays you may have to jump through hoops to get Lyman to do anything :evil:.
no question about RCBS customer service,,, top notch [smilie=w:.

[Moonie]

Sounds like time to move up to the Mark VI

[ShooterAZ]

nowadays you may have to jump through hoops to get Lyman to do anything :evil:.
[smilie=w:.

This is true, I very recently I ordered the #4 cast bullet handbook, they sent me the reloading handbook. I called and they told me I would have to pay shipping both ways to get what I originally ordered. Their mistake. I won't be ordering from them again any time soon. RCBS has taken care of me every time.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
The Lyman 450 was my 1st sizer, 1969 or '70, it is possible (likely) I sized & lubed more than 50,000 boolits with.
:Fire::Fire:

[leadshooter5]

Last night the threaded rod down the center of the lube reservoir on my old orange Ideal broke loose on the bottom. No excuse for such shoddy workmanship.

[rockrat]

I am sure Lyman will take care of you. Fix your lubesizer, return it and only bill you for twice what a new one will cost!!

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
The threaded rod broke loose on my Lyman 450 as well. Tried brazing it back ,broke loose again, tried welding, but base leaked afterwords.:Fire::Fire:

[Bret4207]

I've got a Lyman 45, a 450 and a RCBS. If you guys are stripping rods and breaking them then I think you should look into either changing lubes or warming the sizer body to soften the lube. Sometimes things break, but sometimes it's US doing the breaking. Just sayin'....

[10x]

I've got a Lyman 45, a 450 and a RCBS. If you guys are stripping rods and breaking them then I think you should look into either changing lubes or warming the sizer body to soften the lube. Sometimes things break, but sometimes it's US doing the breaking. Just sayin'....

That is profound.
Some times folks have the attitude to "never force anything, just use a bigger hammer".

I learned long ago that a lube heater - a sheet of 1/4 inch thick aluminum with an old household iron placed on the back of it would make the lube sizer run much easier.
I also learned that working the handle of a sizer, press, or any gear gently with constant pressure allowed me to learn what proper function feels like.
Unlike the guy who grabbed a 45 caliber bullet and tired to size it to 358 in my sizer. He was reaching for a hammer to drive the handle down to size the bullet.
His explanation " I wanted to see if I could do it and what the bullet would look like..."

[Lance Boyle]

This is true, I very recently I ordered the #4 cast bullet handbook, they sent me the reloading handbook. I called and they told me I would have to pay shipping both ways to get what I originally ordered. Their mistake. I won't be ordering from them again any time soon. RCBS has taken care of me every time.

I hope you paid with a credit card. I'd simply dispute it as a bait and switch with the seller refusing to remedy their mistake without you paying more. You'll get your money back.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I've got an old #45 and a newer 450. I have rebuilt both of them with parts from Lyman. I paid for the parts for my #45 but Lyman paid for the 450 parts. I don't know if parts are still available for the #45 but they should have them for the 450. It is very easy to do the rebuild.

I am quite sure that it was my on doings when the #45 broke as I used to put a lot of pressure on the ratchet and the pressure rod. I even broke the handle once. I found a beater at a gun show and bought it for parts, the handle was all that was worth saving. I paid $5 bucks for it.

[gwpercle]

I have read in other post about how hard a time a fellow is having resizing boolits and about all the broken parts etc.... only to discover he is casting and quenching then trying to resize hardened boolits with hard lube and no heater. Well of course you are going to break something ... just like running a 45 cal boolit into a .357 die and taking a hammer to the handle.

I bought a 450 lyman lube sizer in 1968 when I started casting, I have run nothing but air cooled , wheel- weight cast bullets with soft lubes, like the old black Lyman lube or NRA 50 / 50 lube , and as of today not one thing has broken , stripped, come lose or fallen off. Am I just lucky to have gotten a good machine or does not putting undue stress on it have a lot to do with it's lasting this long ?

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
I have actually honed out all my sizer dies so that they just guide the bullets in to seat the gas checks & apply lube. This to get a better bullet fit to my bores.
I have only used the stick of RCBS soft lube, Lyman Moly lube, & White label Canadara Red lube. All soft lubes I believe.
I also preheat the lube sizer with a propane torch around the base area before starting to lube.
Have been going to buy a heating element for it .

[Danderdude]

A 40 or 60 watt incandescent light bulb works great as a heater as well, and is still dim enough to not blind you. I just clamp an old heat lamp fixture to the wall and have it hanging an eighth inch away from the bast on the right side.

With the 80 degree days we're having it's not necessary, but White Label BAC has a temperature sweet-spot of about 95F.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
1st result, the Lyman sizer is back, not fixed, past 1 yr. warranty & they don"t make that model anymore.

[DRNurse1]

Hey Boom Boom: I have an extra Lyman 4500 and a .452 die.... DRNurse1

[BLTsandwedge]

This is a timely thread.....

The threaded piston rod on my old 450 finally broke free of the press' base. I had no time to fix it for the forseeable future so I bought a new 4500. I set that press up and within 1/2 hour of use I got beautiful 1/2" wide nanoribbons of my 50/40/10 straight out from the side of the piston wall- where the press casting itself failed. So, I bundled it up and shipped it back. Waiting for a reply.

Meanwhile I found the time to fix the 450- turned out to be extraordinarily simple. I removed the offending small, brass washer from the bottom of the piston chamber (so that the piston rod would freely travel through the base of the piston). I then peened hell outta the piston rod bottom so that a 2" washer would not- could not slip off without some vigorous pressure. I re-assembled the piston/rod/washer combo (had to take about 1/4" off one side of the washer so it would clear the press body.....A smaller washer? This is MY fix- no clever ideas will be entertained) and re-bolted the press to the bench. The piston rod has to turn freely but remain fixed to the base so I mounted the press assembly on wood with a small recess to allow the piston rod to spin. The 2" washer acts brilliantly as intended- and the pressure of the press being mounted on wood acts like a gasket- it keeps the piston from leaking lube from the bottom. Cost- $.37 for the 2" washer. Time- 1 hour. Will it hold? Maybe for a half-year or whenever the piston rod works its way back through the 2" washer. Then I'll be out $.37 and hafta re-do the fix. By that time I'll perhaps have the 4500 back..................

But really- listen to Bret. If you HAVE to use hard lube or are sizing in the cold, heat the press with a propane torch to get things moving if you don't have a more sophisticated way to heat the press to temp. Think of it as Ex-lax for your press.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I broke and then repaired and sold two RCBS lubers. Then I bought a Saeco lubersizer. A true quality product but slow. I stumbled onto a Star luber and I just use that now for pretty much everything except my Holy Black loadings.

I still use that old Saeco for the Holy Black and the smokeless stuff gets done with the Star. The dies are kinda pricy but once you have them you ain't gonna have to spring for more buck again.

I added an air cylinder thingie to mine and it holds a lot more lube now and makes the sizing thing a really easy process. As a bonus now I have a twin cylinder 20 gallon tanked wheeled air compressor parked out in my shed.

I lucked out on Craig's list and found a very decent compressor that puts out 8 SCFM of air at 90 PSI for only $175. Pretty much all of out local carpenter/framers have lost their work and have been selling off all their tools recently and nail guns and the like are flooding the market and air compressors are everywhere.

I also found a deal at Lowes and picked up a 5 tool kit for only $49 and change. Now I can utilize the tools to sand my porch railings, paint my truck hood and rotate my tires a lot eazier. At my age I like easy..............

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Have heard of the light bulb heater idea. might try it next time.
Do you just lay the bulb against the sizer casting (touching the casting) or does that make the bulb break?
How long does it take to warm the lube?
Would making a cover out of a tin can to focus the heat & shield your eyes help?:Fire::Fire:

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
RCBS has returned the LUBE A MATIC fixed.
It took longer than I expected, but that is sure better than the Lyman response.

Still hoping for some guidance on the LIGHT BULB LUBE HEATING METHOD.

Was thinking to cut out a tin can as a light shade. have a small wood base 3" square with wire & light fixture made . Puts out blinding light just leaning against the sizer base.
How do you guys do it???????????????
:Fire::Fire:

[white eagle]

to heat luge in my 450 I use one of my wife's
old hairdryers ....works in under 5 min more like 2=3 min

[C.F.Plinker]

I have one of those flex neck fixtures. I put a 60 watt bulb in it and get it close to, but not quite tiouching the sizer. If i do this at the start of a sizing session, by the time I get everything ready the sizer has warmed up. I turn the light off when the lube gets too soft and then back on again after 10 minutes or so.

[MBTcustom]

A few years ago, I was lubing 45 boolits with my 450. It was a cold day, and I was just cranking the heck out of the screw to make up for the stiff lube (I was still a little dense back then). anyway, as others have stated, the screw stripped the shoulder on the bottom of the press. I happen to be a machinist, so I shrugged and took the screw to work with me to produce a new one from scratch.
First I had to decide what thread series it was.
I measued the diameter of the screw and quickly concluded that it was a metric thread.
"Figures" I thought.
So out with the thread gauge to determine what metric pitch to cut.
Nothing fit.
I scratched my head and pulled out my standard thread pitch guage.
I found a match.
scratching my head even more, I got out my micrometer and rechecked the threads, sure enough, there was no way that thread was ever meant to be a standard size! They created their own thread for these things! I dont know why that would make sense except that it might get guys like me to scratch their heads and turn down a request from a customer to remake the parts, or start selling parts cheaper and better quality than factory? Who knows?
Anyway, no step for a stepper! I just cut the screw with the metric major diameter and threaded it with an American thread. Now I use the clothes iron trick and have never broken another one.

[Moondawg]

An old hair dryer also makes a good inexpensive lube heater. I have been using my Saeco sizer since 1990 without breaking anything. Works like a champ.

[1Shirt]

I have two RCBS, two 450's, and two old 45s, mostly dedicated to one cal. I use a $2.00 goodwill hair drier, for about 2 min on the tube and die. Then I put a small hanogen lamp behind the sizer to maintain the heat. Have no idea of how many blts i have sized and lubed over the years. Do know however, that I have not had any big problems. I do try to size and lube the same day as I cast however, and for rifle blts in particuar, I water drop them all. Tend to agree with Bret!
1Shirt!

[Larry Gibson]

I've got a Lyman 45, a 450 and a RCBS. If you guys are stripping rods and breaking them then I think you should look into either changing lubes or warming the sizer body to soften the lube. Sometimes things break, but sometimes it's US doing the breaking. Just sayin'....

+ another. I've still got the 450 I got in '68 and it's still going strong. I have 2 others and they too give good service and have not "broke". Agreeing that a softer lube or a heater is needed..........and a little judicious TLC when using maybe...........

Larry Gibson

[Tag]

I broke and then repaired and sold two RCBS lubers. Then I bought a Saeco lubersizer. A true quality product but slow. I stumbled onto a Star luber and I just use that now for pretty much everything except my Holy Black loadings.

I still use that old Saeco for the Holy Black and the smokeless stuff gets done with the Star. The dies are kinda pricy but once you have them you ain't gonna have to spring for more buck again.

I added an air cylinder thingie to mine and it holds a lot more lube now and makes the sizing thing a really easy process. As a bonus now I have a twin cylinder 20 gallon tanked wheeled air compressor parked out in my shed.

I lucked out on Craig's list and found a very decent compressor that puts out 8 SCFM of air at 90 PSI for only $175. Pretty much all of out local carpenter/framers have lost their work and have been selling off all their tools recently and nail guns and the like are flooding the market and air compressors are everywhere.

I also found a deal at Lowes and picked up a 5 tool kit for only $49 and change. Now I can utilize the tools to sand my porch railings, paint my truck hood and rotate my tires a lot eazier. At my age I like easy..............

Lathesmith on this site will fix you up with star dies pretty cheep

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Got a empty tomato juice can cut a slot in it , so now my 60 watt light bulb & base fit in it & leans against the sizer.
No glare & heat is focused better. IT works faster I think.:Fire::Fire:

[dbarnhart]

Sounds like time to move up to the Mark VI

I called Ballisti-Cast the other day and asked about the lead time on a Mark VI. They told me they were waiting on castings for the main body and that I should call back in July. :-(

I really want one of those things.

[RoGrrr]

Sizing last week with my 450 and the head broke off the pressure screw. I didn't want to spend $15 (ebay) plus shipping, I welded a blob onto the screw and cut it into a head on my lathe. It seems to work well.

Goodsteel
Thanks for mentioning the strange thread on the screw. If I ever have to redo mine, I'll either go the ebay route or make a completely new assembly with a standard thread.

Now all I have to do is fixture the main casting and drill a hole in the base for the $7 heater I bought thru ebay. I watched for a while and couldn't figure out why I could only find 220 volt heaters. Finally I found one that is 110 volts so I bought it. Came from china and with free shipping, at $7, you just know it'll probably burn out. If it does, I might go with the baseplate-type heater. What do you guys think about them ?

[10x]

I mounted my Lyman lube sizer on a sheet of aluminum from a bent road sign. (cuts with a fine tooth saw blade) and put a $1.00 yard sale steam iron on low heat on the aluminum behind the sizer.

[jonk]

Funny. When my LAM I gave out, RCBS said, "those parts aren't available." They refused to do anything- but did offer to sell me a new LAM II. SELL mind you.

Another in a long line of RCBS failures to honor what I perceived as iron clad warranties on anything more complex than a decapper pin. I'm apparently the ONLY customer to ever experience this, but take it for what it's worth.

[dodgyrog]

What's the old saying?
Oh yes:
'You can't please all the people all of the time'
RCBS have always come up trumps for me. You seem to have been unlucky.