Best way to remove lube from lubrisizer?

[oldhickory]

I'll soon be using the last of my Lyman Orange Magic that I've been using for years and switching to Carnuba Red in my SAECO lubrisizer. I had planned on running it down until no more would squeeze out, taking it apart, and heating it to get the remainder out. Due to the ingenious people on this board, I figure I'll ask for some tips from those who've done this. I want the Orange Magic cleaned out as much as possible, boiling the machine seems to be a reasonable method.

Any thoughts, input, advice from you guys?

[jaguarxk120]

I would use a heat gun. You can heat the entire sizer evenly and the liquidified lube will run out into a container.

That way your not using any fire such as a torch.

Harbor Freight carries a cheap heat gun and the cost is not all that high.

[Ed in North Texas]

Since you mentioned "boiling", that would be a good method. If you disassemble the Saeco, and have a pot big enough to boil it, that should be a foolproof method of getting all the old lube out. You might want to push a hole into whatever is solid packed (and you can get something to put a hole in it) to speed up the process. Just watch out for bringing the body out with all that old lube floating on the water.

Boiling would be lots faster than any solvent and would leave the paint on. Just be sure to get the body emptied of all water (the heat should dry it). You might even use a little Kroil on it to make sure it doesn't rust before you put the new lube in if there is any delay.

Oh, and if you have a wife who thinks she will use that pot, exercise utmost care and ask first! If you don't ask, Murphy will make sure you regret the failure!

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i just did the same thing last night to my lyman 450 i boild it ( outside )
did the first one inside dont do that LOL lots of smoke i think that i
will repaint it now as long as its all apart and clean

[oldhickory]

Oh, and if you have a wife who thinks she will use that pot, exercise utmost care and ask first! If you don't ask, Murphy will make sure you regret the failure!

Yeah, there should be an old enamaled dish pan or something around here to boil it in. Heat and the house isn't a problem, I have an old summer kitchen where I do my casting/reloading in anyway. Potbelly stove, hot plate, and fireplace so I won't incur the wrath of "Maggie", (she rarely goes in there anyway).

[btroj]

I have never cleaned the previous lube out. I just put in the new and go to work. Yeah, you get a few bullets with a combo lube but so what? My guns don't seem to mind.
I just don't know that the work/mess of boiling out the old lube is really needed. If I bought a used sizer I would say yes but if you know what is in there......

[Doby45]

I too would just melt and pour the new Carnuba Red into my sizer and get to sizing.

[geargnasher]

Heat gun, heat lamp, etc. all work well. If you have a base heater just turn it on high, take the die body out, and let it melt the lube into a catch pan under the sizer. Boiling is something I reserve for cleaning ancient gook and sludge out of antique sizers before putting into service. If you have clean lube in there to begin with, just use a heat gun or spot lamp to warm the lube and let it melt out.

IF you do boil it, add a tablespoon or so of dish detergent like Dawn or Palmolive, this really helps cut the film that gets on every part of the sizer, inside and out. I recommend using the side burner of an outdoor propane grill if you have one.

Gear

[winelover]

Take off all non-metal parts and put it in an oven @250 degrees on a old cookie sheet or a throw away alum pan.

Winelover

[mustanggt]

I bought a brand new 4500 2 years ago and put my homebrew lube in and went to lubing and sizing. Well it was coming out dark grey and not white. Guess it had a tad of that moly lube still in it. They must have tested it at the factory. OR, It wasn't new and I got screwed!!! I prefer to think they QC'd it at the factory.
By the way I still am getting grey lube on my boolits abiet lighter and lighter each time. I've lubed 1500 or so since then so you'd think it'd be out by now. Also I bought a real nize 450 used that had red lube in it. I set it up just for my BPCR 45cal boolits. I used a heat gun to melt the old lube out. I thought I got it all but a year later I still get pink lube on my boolits.

[oldhickory]

I bought a brand new 4500 2 years ago and put my homebrew lube in and went to lubing and sizing. Well it was coming out dark grey and not white. Guess it had a tad of that moly lube still in it. They must have tested it at the factory. OR, It wasn't new and I got screwed!!! I prefer to think they QC'd it at the factory.
By the way I still am getting grey lube on my boolits abiet lighter and lighter each time. I've lubed 1500 or so since then so you'd think it'd be out by now. Also I bought a real nize 450 used that had red lube in it. I set it up just for my BPCR 45cal boolits. I used a heat gun to melt the old lube out. I thought I got it all but a year later I still get pink lube on my boolits.

That's pretty much my understanding too. This SAECO has only ever had Orange Magic in it, and I just want it cleaned out before I begin running Carnuba Red. I still have about a stick and a half of O.M. left, but at the rate I've been using it up, it won't last long.

[Doby45]

Heat gun will clean it out with the least amount of hassle. Hassle being either having to disassemble the press or wash the whole thing after it has been boiled. Heat it up with a heat gun and the lube will pour out of it and then you can do a quick wipe down with some paper towels and you are ready to load it back up..

[oldhickory]

Heat gun will clean it out with the least amount of hassle. Hassle being either having to disassemble the press or wash the whole thing after it has been boiled. Heat it up with a heat gun and the lube will pour out of it and then you can do a quick wipe down with some paper towels and you are ready to load it back up..

You're probably right about it being the easiest way. I need to dismount it anyway. I moved it to my casting bench, (former welding bench) from my reloading bench, (wood) and the plate steel bench steals way too much heat from the Lyman heater, need to better insulate the bottom.

[Doby45]

Put you some cork on the bottom of the heater base. The thin kind, like 1/16" thick.

[Pepe Ray]

A heat gun is the simplest answer, if you've got one.
I've never owned one. Picked up a yard sale hair drier for $1 and found it just the ticket.
Put the sizer in an old pail, propped the hair drier to aim at the sizer and plugged it in. Don't actually know how long it took but I came back in a couple of hours and it was done. - - KISS
Pepe Ray