Lyman 450 Lubesizer Old Lube

[vp146b4]

I bought a used Lyman 450 Lubesizer from a gentleman along with a rifle. I did the best I could do to remove the stale old lube out of the "hopper". How much lube is in the cavity between the hopper and the die? Is there a way to clean it out, or do I just keep pushing new lube til it finally comes out the die?
Thanks

[Heavy lead]

The last 450 I bought I filled the slop sink with hot water, 180 degree water and melted it out.
After stripping it of all the hardware.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Several ways to remove the old lube, both involve heat. The first way is to strip off the luber all mechanical parts leaving only the luber itself. Now immerse it in a tub of VERY hot water and wait for the lube to start flowing out of the sizer die hole. Keep the water as hot as possible to keep the old lube flowing out, the tub on a burner is a plus for the constant heat. The other method is using a source of hot air on the stripped luber back lube compartment and the front sizer die compartment. The hot air being directed on these places will start the lube flowing out. Usually the lube chamber on the back and on the front will hold about 1 1/2 +/- sticks of lube when full. It will be messy when the lube starts flowing, so be prepared. Trust me when I say that you`ll be getting traces of the old lube mixed with your new lube for awhile afterward as it comes out of the tiny crevices it is in.Robert

[labradigger1]

Disassemble everything you can, boil in water in a pot submerged. WARNING, the pot, brush and everything else WILL make your wife mad because the old lube sticks to everything. Lube-sizer will be lube free after this.
Lab

[uscra112]

Disassemble everything you can, boil in water in a pot submerged. WARNING, the pot, brush and everything else WILL make your wife mad because the old lube sticks to everything. Lube-sizer will be lube free after this.
Lab

One excellent reason I'm single. The other is the bench lathe in the living room along with all my reloading gear.

[Pepe Ray]

No doubt that the hot water will work but, I'm happyer with my method.
You need an old metal container ,about 12 qt bucket will do nicely.
A yard sale hair drier. & electricity at outside source.
Drop sizer, complete, into bucket. Arrange hair drier to blow into bucket. Plug it in, turn it on and check
progress in 30 min.
When finished you can then decide if you wish to do further reclaimations.
Depending on ambient air temps (winter?) It may take longer. Use judgement.
Pepe Ray

[Airman Basic]

Well, my method was to use the lube in the sizer 'til it ran out, then add some more.

[Wayne Smith]

Well, my method was to use the lube in the sizer 'til it ran out, then add some more.

Me too! Had some real interesting color combinations there for a while.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Disassemble everything you can, boil in water in a pot submerged. WARNING, the pot, brush and everything else WILL make your wife mad because the old lube sticks to everything. Lube-sizer will be lube free after this.
Lab

First, I don't have a wife, so that's not a problem, but I did make trip to the local Goodwill and buy a big pot that's now my 'gun stuff' pot.

Got a new Mosin-Nagant bolt full of cosmoline? Strip it and boil all the pieces.

Bought a Lyman 45 off *Bay? Strip it and boil the lube out of it.

If the pot's big enough to allow you to completely cover the big piece, then all the old lube will float to the top. Allow the ater to cool and you get a big pancake of hardened old lube. Of course, then you have to put the body of the sizer in the oven for an hour at 200 degrees to dry it out.

If you want to 'skim' the lube (or cosmoline) off the HOT water, then I recommend oil absorbent pads
(http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/OIL0/L90851/N0431.oap?ck=Search_oil+absorbent_-1_-1&keyword=oil+absorbent). We call 'em 'diapers' in the electrical biz. Toss one on top of oily water, the pad soaks up the oil, leaves the water behind. Works ofr gumbo, too.

dale in Louisiana

[Ed_Shot]

I used my cast iron smelting pot (bought at Academy) to boil my disassembled 450 body. Run a piece of coat hanger wire thru it so you have a handle to fish it out of the boiling water then hang it to dry. Found the process was easy and did a good job.

[tward]

Just add lube, did on mine had black and red stripes for quite awhile but no leading! Tim

[ubetcha]

When I decide to change to a different lube in my 450,I disassemble it and place it a metal pie plate . If the plate is small enough, the sizer will set at an angle. Then I place it in my old toaster oven,sit back with a beer and watch the lube melt out.Of course you will have to have another beer or so while the sizer has time to cool down.:drinks:

[myg30]

When I decide to change to a different lube in my 450,I disassemble it and place it a metal pie plate . If the plate is small enough, the sizer will set at an angle. Then I place it in my old toaster oven,sit back with a beer and watch the lube melt out.Of course you will have to have another beer or so while the sizer has time to cool down.:drinks:

I REALLY like your way of thinking !! But I used the hot water method... and Beer of course !

Mike

[paul h]

Just add lube, did on mine had black and red stripes for quite awhile but no leading! Tim

No doubt. I decided to go from LBT blue to BAC. I'm on my 4th stick of BAC and still get red and blue bullets.

I have cleaned out my 450 when the lube I had in it was one I didn't like. I just removed the pressure ring, sizer die, plunger and linkage, put a container under the 450 and used a heat gun until all the old lube was gone. I have found in testing that while many lubes protect against leading, not all lubes are accurate. I'm not a fan of stick alox or rcbs green due to poor accuracy. LBT blue, BAC, Appache blue and lithi-bee have proven to provide top accuracy and protection from leading.

[rattletrap1970]

I heat it with a torch till it runs out like water, then rinse in Prep-sol

[Vinne]

JUST ONE BEER??!!! Well you have your heat set too high!!!!

[ubetcha]

JUST ONE BEER??!!! Well you have your heat set too high!!!!

Of course you have to have a few beers as you SLOWLY disassemble the sizer. You don't what to forget how it went back together. :D

[BACKTOSHOOTING]

I bought a RCBS lam2, Dissassembled and used a hair drier gun and melted out the old lube.
Then used Orderless mineral spirits to get every last trace of lube off and out of it and all the dies and it came out looking like and working like new.

[Spruce]

I Didn't care for the water method, so I bummed a gallon and 2qt. metal can from restaurant. I placed my RCBS Lam in one and Saeco in the other and placed on edge of wood stove. Any heater would work. Lube melted from Lam and ran out, 50/50 I think, a bit stinky. Lube from Saeco softened and came out in gelled stick with melted liquid. I poured liquid lube in small pan and set outside to solidify, and saved for later use.