Home Built Lube Heater

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Boys, Here's a shot of the lube heater I'm assembling for my new Star sizer. It started out as an 1100w Black & Decker steam iron, which I've stripped down to its sole plate and thermostat. It's temporarily clamped to the 1/2"x5" aluminum plate, to which I've bolted the sizer, to test the temperature at the lowest heat setting. It seemed too hot, so I've slipped stainless steel washers between the sole plate and the 1/2" plate. This seemed to do the job. I can always fine tune it by adding more washers. All that's left, is to drill and tap the plate for the sole plate and sheet metal cover which I haven't construced yet. As you can see, the top is off the sizer, I've cleaned and emptied it using a heat gun to remove the Alox lube. I'm waiting for my hard lube to be delivered (Jakes Scarlet Ceresin, a more cost effective(cheaper) alternative to Zambini Rooster).

While I'm at it, since I'm new to the board, I've taken the liberty to add a couple of photos of my reloading bench, in all its glory(spelled clutter):-D
Morgan

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa159/pgfaini/100_1777.jpg

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa159/pgfaini/100_1775.jpg

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa159/pgfaini/100_1778.jpg

[454PB]

My gawd man! Clean that up!

A while back I posted some pictures of a Star heater that I mickey moused from a T.U. coffee maker. The heating element is 900 watts, which is way more than needed, but sure heats up fast.....

It has no thermostat.....that's what failed in the coffee maker, but I have it plugged in to a power strip that has an on/off switch that is easily reached.

[Swagerman]

Morgan, pretty neat affair you made there, how about putting an aluminum cover over the top so your wife won't think you swiped her iron. :-D

Glad you liked the idea enough to make one up.

Jim

[Morgan Astorbilt]

I can't keep it clean, got to make another reloading bench to take the overflow. The equipt. has spread out from my reloading bench to one of my my gunsmithing benches. My son and I reload for three cowboy action matches a month, plus my International-style pistol matches every few months.

The element on the iron is also too large , but it has a thermostat. Trouble is, at the lowest setting it's still too hot. That's why I'm isolating it a bit with washers.

Jim it was a good idea. :drinks: Of course I'm going to make a cover, but not because of the wife, she never comes down here, as you can see by the mess.:mrgreen:

All kidding aside, it's my shop, and home to two lathes, a Bridgeport, two band saws, a table saw, grinders and other sundry machinery a well stocked gunsmith shop would have. No room for a bar and pool table here.:-D
Morgan

[Lee]

Awww man, I am soo bummed out. You got way more many toys than me.
I am in such a funk!..............Lee;-)

[Lee]

A BRIDGEPORT??? Now I hafta go out and kill myself! This is more than a man can take!........

Seriously though, if I spy that thermostat right, you "might/should" be able to do some careful bending of the bimetal strip and contacts, in order to bring it down to a temperature range you can control. Just a thought.....Lee;-)

[454PB]

My next experiment is to add a dimmer switch on my home made sizer heater.

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Lee, I thought about that, but they're very light(gauge), and as it is, they only make contact for 6-7sec. out of very minute. I may try that though, if the washer trick doesn't work.

454PB, If memory serves me, the home wall and table lamp dimmer switches are only rated at 600w. The heating element is 1100w. I'm sure I can get some sort of commercial thermostat, could probably even use the one Magma uses, but where's the challenge in that?
Morgan

[testhop]

morgan
i think the best way to keep the wifes out of a loading room is to keep it messy
i do agree with LEE though i am also jelious that is a great gun work /loading room

tom

[Mayor]

Morgan

Any type of a voltage reducer should work. You could always use a fuse or some type of circuit breaker if you are concerned about overloading it. How about a Du More variable speed control?
Try Radio Shack.

[leftiye]

Maybe cover the thermostat (maybe the whole thang) so the thermostat gets and stays hotter? Won't heat up the plate as much.

[quasi]

Are you sure you have a long enough handle on that Pacific press?

[Blackhawk Convertable]

Find an old electric stove and rob one of the potentiometers out of it. They are 220v. but doesn't matter. All you want is a HD variable resistor, which is what the potentiometer is...

[dubber123]

Are you sure you have a long enough handle on that Pacific press?

Wow! I didn't notice that the first time. You could take that off and beat sombody with it if they bugged you while loading![smilie=1:


I went back and looked again, I think it's the handle to the Lyman 450 that is just lined up with the press in the background. Sure looked like a 3 foot press handle though!

[johnly]

I just finshed building a lube heater as well. Took a old 12v laptop power supply and hooked it up to a 50W 5 ohm resistor I purchased on eBay. Cut a mounting plate out of some 1/2" aluminum plate and mounted the resistor on it and it heats the unit up to ~110 degrees, which seems to work just fine with Zambini.

John in Oregon