best way to heat a Lyman 45

[rmcc]

Just bought an old Lyman 45. Pressure nut was stripped so ordered a new one from Lyman. Got it installed and ready to go. I want to set this up with Orange Magic. Problem is this stuff is HARD!! What is the best way to heat a 45? The 4500 has the hole for the element.

Thanks,
rmcc

[Beagle333]

You can just put a shop light or lamp behind it (I was using a small 45W spotlight bulb), or you could just put out a WTB ad for a used Lyman heater base. Or if you can find an aluminum plate to put under it, you can drill a hole in it and put a heater cartridge (cheap on Fleabay) in the hole and it will be a Lyman heater clone.

This one is drilled for Star, Lyman and Ideal lubers. Actually a member here made this base for me, my scrap yard won't sell to the public. Heater cartridge from Fleabay.
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/PID/feb21002_zps445d42b3.jpg

[rmcc]

THANKS a ton!!!! That was exactly what I was looking for. I can make that with some plate I have and bore it out so my 4500 heater works!!

[imashooter2]

I have a rectangle of .135 steel attached to my bench top that is tapped for swapping out a number of different accessories. I mount my lube sizers to that and place an electric iron on the plate behind the press. Not as elegant as the picture above, but pretty much the same end result.

[upnorthwis]

I have at one time used an electric paint stripper gun.

[Beagle333]

THANKS a ton!!!! That was exactly what I was looking for. I can make that with some plate I have and bore it out so my 4500 heater works!!

It works like a champ!
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/PID/feb21004_zpsf9f2affb.jpg

[truckerdave397]

I saw a picture of a heater on here awhile back that I thought was interesting. The sizer was raised up and it had a candle burning under it.

[rmcc]

Beagle333, took your advice. Got a 4" x 4" x 5/8" piece of steel. Laid out for the 45 and the 4500, drilled a hole for the heater that came with the 4500. Thanks Again!!

[Beagle333]

That oughta do it! You might have to give it a few minutes head start, since it isn't actually inside the luber like on the 4500, but it'll get there. If for some reason it doesn't get warm enough.... those cartridges are cheap on fleabay and come in any wattage you can think of.

[rmcc]

You were right about taking awhile, but once it got going, worked great. I use Orange Magic in my 4500. What do you use in your 45 the way you have it set up?

rmcc

[Beagle333]

Mostly TAC#1 from RandyRat. It's great stuff. It is my number one lube, but I do have 8 sizers, all set up with different lubes. They all will bolt to that one heater base though. :smile:

[tmag97]

Beagle I already have mine on a plate, what size heater do you have? That would be a easy fix. would you please write back with the voltage, watts, and diameter. There are so many different kinds on ebay.

Thanks Mike

[Cmm_3940]

6"x12"x5/8" steel plate, set an old iron on it. I had to remove the motion switch safety shutoff in the iron.

[Beagle333]

Beagle I already have mine on a plate, what size heater do you have? That would be a easy fix. would you please write back with the voltage, watts, and diameter. There are so many different kinds on ebay.


FAST HEAT Cartridge Heater 2 1/2" Long x 3/8" Dia. 100W 120V 12" Fiberglass Lead

That is the one I'm using. Mine is PID controlled, so you might not need 100W if you are going to just wire it straight. Otherwise, you might get a dimmer control switch at HomeDepot or something similar so you can turn it down when it gets hot.

[Cmm_3940]

What temp do you set your PID for?

[Beagle333]

What temp do you set your PID for?


http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/PID/feb22002_zps2b335fcd.jpg

[georgerkahn]

Nice set-up, Beagle333!!! I have similar, using a Variac to set temperature/voltage to heater; I have been "meaning" to drill my lub-sizers for a thermocouple -- but love your epoxying (I assume that's what you used) your thermocouple right to the heater. Hot diggity -- I surely will give this a try! From a great gent on this site I have the privilege of owning a spare PID which will be used in this application. Thanks!!!
georgerkahn

[Beagle333]

It's just a big gob of JB-Weld. Since JB-Weld is non-conductive, I didn't think it would interfere with the thermocouple, and it doesn't. :cool:

[osteodoc08]

I have a rectangle of .135 steel attached to my bench top that is tapped for swapping out a number of different accessories. I mount my lube sizers to that and place an electric iron on the plate behind the press. Not as elegant as the picture above, but pretty much the same end result.
Same here, except I use aluminum plate with a small iron on it from the dollar store. Cost like $5-6 total.

[bruce drake]

A 9"x4" piece of sheet tin screwed onto a 16" piece of 2x4 and then the Lyman 45 is attached to the 2x4 at the corner of the workbench. The board is then bolted to the bench for stability. The sheet metal conducts the heat to the bottom of my Lyman 45 from a $9.95 Dollar Store travel Iron. I use White Label Lubes' 2500 Lube and it works excellent in an unheated garage in the winter.

[Char-Gar]

The following is not for anybody that uses a heater on their machine, but for folks reading this thread who may be looking at what these machines do and don't do...so turn your heads away please.

I have been lubing and sizing bullets for 57 years in Lyman machines and have never heated the lube, nor used any lube that needs to be heated. Das all!

[Digger]

Does get chilly enough in these parts that a little heat helps ....
Took advantage of some left over parts from my company here a few years back .
basically the same that has been set up here in this thread , aluminum block hollowed out for two heating elements and a thermostat in between .
this set up is very simple and compact and used in a certain process in the pipeline industry.
along with a separate thin aluminum plate that I permanently fasten my 45's to I can switch to either (have 3 45's and 1 Meepos) as I use two different lubes and for the most part , a 311 size and a 401 size get the most use .'
With this set up I can switch to either one on impulse ... (pistol or rifle).
Temp is about 75 to 80 degrees.

129001129003

[tmag97]

Thanks for getting back with me. My plate is not thick enough to drill 3/8. You said 100 W was the size you used so I need to find a 100 W cartridge that is smaller or find a thicker plate.

Thanks for the information

[LUCKYDAWG13]

my set up 129156129157
i use a light dimmer switch to regulate the heat

[Beagle333]

Thanks for getting back with me. My plate is not thick enough to drill 3/8. You said 100 W was the size you used so I need to find a 100 W cartridge that is smaller or find a thicker plate.

Thanks for the information

Fleabay is full of them. You should be able to find a thinner one in all of those pages of heater cartridges. 8-)

[blikseme300]

The following is not for anybody that uses a heater on their machine, but for folks reading this thread who may be looking at what these machines do and don't do...so turn your heads away please.

I have been lubing and sizing bullets for 57 years in Lyman machines and have never heated the lube, nor used any lube that needs to be heated. Das all!

Charles, We do have the advantage here where it doesn't snow though. ;)

[Dale53]

I used NRA 50/50 for years. It gave excellent results for both accuracy and freedom from leading. THEN, I had a problem. I had an ammo can full of .45 ACP ammo (home cast bullets, NRA 50/50 lube, and reloaded by me). I was shooting at an IPSC match in EXTREMELY hot weather - 113 degrees. I had the ammo can exposed to direct sun for maybe 20 minutes. I had a number of misfires during the match and got LOTS of practice clearing "jams". Later, I pulled some of the rounds and discovered that the lube had melted and killed the cartridges (randomly, not all).

So, I looked for a high temperature lube that also still worked in normal temps. That lube became Lars White Label Carnauba Red. Now, I don't often shoot in such extreme conditions these days, but my van often has temps that exceed that during a hot summer with my ammo in it. So, Carnauba Red is my friend. It requires heat to apply in my climate controlled shop.

I use the Lyman heater (the flat one drilled for Lyman, Star, and RCBS lube/sizers) and a rheostat to regulate the heat. Essentially, I leave it on a setting where experience shows me it is "just right" for good lube groove fill out without excessive heat. It DOES take a few minutes to warm up, so I just turn it on, wait 15-30 minutes and start work. Occasionally, I have been in a hurry and use a heat gun to warm the body of the sizer to give it a jump start so I don't have to wait.

FWIW
Dale53