BAC in a 4500

[epj]

I got a sampler of 4 different lubes from Lars, and immediately cleaned all the old 50/50 out of my 4500 and started lubing some .357 boolits. After about 300 boolits through the 4500, they still looked like they were putting out the 50/50. Actually, I must have stirred up a little bit of the moly that I used when I first got the sizer, since there is a little black strip about 1/8" long on each boolit. I cleaned out the sizer pretty well, and would have expected to see some "pink" by now. Am I looking at the thin layer of BAC and it just looks brown? Whatever I'm lubing with now doesn't seem quite as sticky, but it's still pretty soft. I sure would like to be able to rig up a heater and try out the straight carnuba. That will be the next project. Has anyone ever tried a heat tape intendeed for pipes? I haven't looked to see if any small models are available, or if indeed they get hot enough.

[DLCTEX]

The heat tapes have a built in thermostat that will not turn on until near freezing. I use a blow drier. You can use a flat piece of aluminum plate under the sizer extending out enough to lay a clothes iron on it for heat. DALE

[Heavy lead]

I recently went through the same thing as you, I think the BAC is so light in color that it take on a brown hew when mixed a little with 50/50. I just kept running boolits, took about 700 to get straight up bac.

[Bass Ackward]

Just borrow your wife's iron for a trial run and lean it up against the back of the press for awhile. Or use a clamp on light with @ a 60 Watt bulb.

If you like the lube, you can get an aluminum plate made that fits between your bench and the 4500 and extends out the back far enough to lay an iron down. Aluminum will transfer the heat fairly quickly and used irons can be had pretty cheap. I actually prefer the iron to a factory heater because you have more control over the amount of heat.

[epj]

Looking at some of the boolits in better light, there is a definite "pink" cast to the lube.
As far as using an iron, I have the 4500 mounted on a pedestal stand intended for a bench grinder. This makes it sort of portable and allows me to set up in the den and size boolits while we watch TV. It is steel construction. There is room behind the sizer to lay an iron on the base. Wonder if the steel (looks like about 3/16" plate) would conduct heat?

The best set-up would probably be an aluminum plate under the sizer with some insulating material between it and the steel base plate. This would keep the stand from sinking away too much heat, and also keep the base from getting too hot to touch. Wadda ya think?

[Meatco1]

John, you come up with some pretty clever ideas!!

I use a 1st generation Lube-A-Matic, and your Iron idea sounds like a good one to me!

Thanks,

Richard

[yondering]

The reason for using aluminum is that it transfers heat very well; much better than steel. When heating a piece of aluminum, the whole piece gets hot (this makes it difficult to weld), but with steel, the heat stays localized to some extent. Keep in mind, both conduct heat pretty well, but aluminum is much better.

[hunter64]

I did the iron thing for about 4 years and it works great. I always put to much pressure on the lube and inevitably the lube would leak out the bottom of my 450. So I kind of killed two birds with one stone. I bought a 5/8 thick piece of aluminum from a metal store (about 5 bucks) that was just slightly bigger than the base of the 450. I clamped the aluminum to the base of the 450 and drilled 6 holes thru the aluminum and into the base of the 450 around the outside (don't go to deep). I tapped all the holes and screwed 6 #10 cap headed screws thru the aluminum and into the base of the 450. I put a small circular rubber o-ring on the bottom of the 450 and when I tightened the aluminum base to the bottom there is no way that lube will leak out again. I bought the heater for the Lyman 4500 and drilled a hole in the back of the aluminum block to hold the heater, threaded a set screw and there you have it, a heated lubber that will never leak. Now I don't have to worry about leaking lube and when I use the lubber I plug in the heater for about 20 minutes before I start and I am good.