PDA

View Full Version : Cleaning out old lube



Leadmelter
06-29-2018, 09:28 PM
I bought a RCBS Lub a matic used for a good deal. About a third of the lube chamber has white mystery goop. I was thinking I would heat it and push it out of the die chamber.
Anybody have a Plan B.
Leadmelter
MI

Went2kck
06-29-2018, 09:29 PM
boil it maybe.

jimkim
06-29-2018, 09:34 PM
I think you're original plan, would be the easiest. Put something under it, to catch the lube. Heat the LAM up. Crank down on the screw, and push the lube out with the piston.

Sent from my VS880 using Tapatalk

country gent
06-29-2018, 10:28 PM
Push out all you can. there will still be a small amount in the lube sizer where it goes from lube chamber to die. A coleman stove or propane burner and a big pot, fill with water and 1/4 teaspoon of dawn insert the disasembed lube sizer in the water and boil for 20 min to 1/2 hour. the heat will melt the lube and the lube will float to the top. shut down heat and let cool the lube will solidify on top of the water remove and remove the lube sizer. Dry off well nd lightly oil reassemble and you have a clean lube sizer.

BrassMagnet
06-30-2018, 07:48 AM
Push out all you can. there will still be a small amount in the lube sizer where it goes from lube chamber to die. A coleman stove or propane burner and a big pot, fill with water and 1/4 teaspoon of dawn insert the disasembed lube sizer in the water and boil for 20 min to 1/2 hour. the heat will melt the lube and the lube will float to the top. shut down heat and let cool the lube will solidify on top of the water remove and remove the lube sizer. Dry off well nd lightly oil reassemble and you have a clean lube sizer.

Too hot and it will strip the paint, too!
So, hot, but not boiling.

Ed_Shot
06-30-2018, 08:16 AM
When I changed over to White Label Lube (from Lyman lube) a few years ago I disassembled my Lyman 450 and boiled it in the same cast iron pot I used to smelt my scrap lead. Old lube floated to the top and my 450 air dried clean as a whistle when I fished it out. It was pretty easy.

JonB_in_Glencoe
07-01-2018, 12:25 PM
In the past when I wanted to remove lube, I used a heat gun to melt the lube out of the top of the reservoir.
Now that I started using soap lubes that have a very high melt temp, that no longer works, so I use the method you describe, pushing all the lube through the die hole. As country gent pointed out, you won't get all the lube out this way...but what I do is, to put new lube in the reservoir and the new lube will push out most all of the old lube...you may see traces of the old lube on the first few hundred boolits, but it's just a trace.

Tom W.
07-01-2018, 12:54 PM
...but what I do is, to put new lube in the reservoir and the new lube will push out most all of the old lube...you may see traces of the old lube on the first few hundred boolits, but it's just a trace.

Me too. I've had some interesting looking filled loob groves in the last few years until the CR took over...

BlackRat
07-01-2018, 02:37 PM
For me the easiest way to remove the old lube is to pour boling water into the reservoir so it will quickly melt and remove the old "mistery gunk".
Once done, I clean and dry the inside with some paper towel and that's it. Just remember to remove the die do the molten lube will flow out of the holes.

marlin39a
07-01-2018, 04:27 PM
I've don a few Lyman 450's. Stripped them, put in a bucket of hot water, and leave in the Arizona sun for awhile. Lube came out, floated to top.

shortlegs
07-01-2018, 05:32 PM
Outers brand crud buster dissolves bullet like magic! I use it to clean built up boolit lube from seating dies without disassembly. Cleans everything off metal, but doesnt hurt blueing. Dont use on finished wood or any synthetic stock or parts. You want like what happens.

15meter
07-01-2018, 10:30 PM
I've used an old (60's) vintage infared light bulb. Disassembled the RCBS, put a trash can under it while it was mounted on the bench and turned on the light while the light was about 6 inches away. Twenty minutes later I had a completely empty sizer. Turned the light off and let it cool down.

wendyj
07-03-2018, 07:06 PM
I called Rcbs about mine and they told me to take all plastic parts off and put in the oven on no stick paper. Heat to 450 degrees and it should be spotless. Have yet to try but if I change lubes I'm going to give it a shot. They said they would send a new one if any damage.

Leadmelter
07-03-2018, 08:33 PM
I don't think my wife would go for that. That is how I got exiled to the garage. I will try the lube heater or a heat gun.
Leadmelter
MI

wendyj
07-04-2018, 07:46 AM
I am the wife. Lol. My husband doesn't know what an oven is with exception that corn bread comes out of it.