Sizing/Lube problem

[jgh4445]

I'm using an RCBS Lube-A-Matic trying to size and lube some .357's. I took out the 44 size die I had in it and put in the correct size die and top punch. I'm trying to adjust the thing so it puts the lube in the lube ring but I'm not having much luck. The lube seems to come out under the boolit when I crank the handle. I can watch when I crank the handle and the boolit just rises out of the die if I let go of the handle. I has gobs of lube sitting under the boolit but none in the ring. I haven't had any trouble before. What am I doing wrong?

[Eagles6]

Was the die completely clean when you installed it? I've had the same thing happen with a Lyman because the side holes and chambers were filled with hardened lube. You can boil it in water to remove the hardened lube.

[jgh4445]

Thanks Eagles, yep it was super clean. I heated it a bit with a hair dryer and got all of the hardened lube out. Did the same with the die cavity. As I said, when I hold the press handle down and crank on the lube pressure handle, the pressure builds as normal. When I let go of the press handle, the boolit rises sitting on a pedistal of lube. Guess I can wait till tomorrow and call RCBS and see what they say. Gotta be some kind of adjustment I'm not getting right. It has been a long time since I used the press, but last time I did everything went well.

[462]

Is the push rod adjusted so that the boolit goes into the die far enough to get lubed? The .44boolit is probably taller than the .357, and, if you didn't re-adjust the rod, the lube has nowhere to go, but under the base.

Another culprit can be too much pressure.

[Calamity Jake]

Yap adjust for more depth, your not pushing the boolit deep enough in the die.

[jgh4445]

Yep...Set the depth deeper....thats what the folks at RCBS told me to try. Funny, I thought I had done that until it wouldn't go much lower...I'll check again when I get home this evening..Thanks a lot guys.

[jgh4445]

Yep...that was the problem alright, except that it wasn't that the rod wasn't properly adjusted, it was the fact that the top punch was the wrong one and wouldn't let the boolit go deep enough. Now it's working like a champ. Thanks again guys.