base heater question

[ffries61]

I'm getting the parts together to build a PID controlled heater for my Star lubesizer, going to use a cartridge heater, how much wattage do I need ?

[ffries61]

anyone ??

[mattw]

I have been wondering the same thing. I plan on measuring the draw on mine the next time I make it down south. I would like it to be able to head the block to about 180 in a room at 65.

[cheese1566]

I use a Lyman cartridge heater on my star with a PID controller . My star sits on a 3/4" block of alum just big enough for the base to sit on. The rear of the block has a hole drilled for the cartridge heater to sit in.

The heater says 20 watts on it.

I turn it on and walk away for 20-30 minutes. It heats it up to 120 no problem.

[mattw]

Good to know, 20-30 watts should be great!

[ffries61]

Awesome, thanks

Fred

[alfloyd]

I use a 100 watt heater that I got cheap on eBay.
Sure it is over kill, but with a PID it works great.
I do not need to wait long for it to get up to temp.

Lafaun

[JohnFreeman]

I use the heater out of an old small coffee pot. a couple min on and it's GTG for a long time.

[KAYDADOG]

I used a 100/watt one from McMaster Carr #3618K416 current price $21.26.
1/4" dia. x 4" long. Drilled and mounted in 3/4" aluminum mounting plate.
Setup with PID controller. Cycles On/Off every several minutes but On time is probably less than a minute.
Setup back in 2010 no issues to date, works great.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Attachment 141951

I'm getting the parts together to build a PID controlled heater for my Star lubesizer, going to use a cartridge heater, how much wattage do I need ?

why use a PID on your heater a light dimmer switch works just fine Attachment 141950

[VHoward]

Because the PID has a nerd factor in it. A router speed control from Harbor Freight works well also. I use to use the PID I have for my casting pot on my star heater when I still used greasy lubes. Now that I powder coat my bullets, there is no need for the greasy/waxy lubes and there for no heat required.

[Advil]

Actually, we used the light dimmer for quite a while. Yep it works pretty well and you could get by forever with it but it holds a specific heat output not a specific temp so you always have to check a thermometer attached to the unit and watch it periodically. There is absolutely no comparison between the lamp dimmer and having a PID intelligently hold your unit at one set temp. Especially when working with hard lubes like the Magma that only has a few degree window where it really works perfect.

Set it, forget it, lube a couple thousand bullets.

You don't need some expensive PID to do this. A $30 cheapo PID, a cartridge heater or any heater base you already have, a solid state relay, an old power cord to splice as a power plug, and some kind of box to put it in.

[Tenbender]

I'm using a 100 watt heater. I can turn it down with my controller. I can't turn it up if I use anything smaller !!

[alfloyd]

I use a pid made for fish tank heaters like this one.
It will control 120 vac up to 10 amps without a SSR.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/110V-10A-Dig...item4d2c4e99e2

It comes from china, and it reads in Celsius.

Lafaun

[georgerkahn]

Just a "user comment" here: In near-Canada-border region, my basement reloading room suffers quite a range of ambient temperatures -- down to just-above-freezing in the dead of winter. I had had and used a Variac voltage control on my lub heaters, and things would "always" seem to go from solid to liquid mess; I bought and hooked in a PID and WOW!!! Regardless if it's 35* or 75* -- the unit will have the lub at very useable softness eliminating that "stress-step" from the boolit making process. (And yes -- I have two 110V plug-in milk-house heaters I use for room -- so *I* am comfortable -- but, the Star doesn't warm up as quickly as I do )
Imho -- the PID control on my Star was one of the smartest buys I made.
geo

[mongoose33]

To extend George's comment on the PID: I bought a PID kit where I can plug in different thermocouples. A tiny one is epoxied to my star so I can use it to regulate the heater for the lubesizer, which it does wonderfully well.

When I want to cast, I unplug the PID, take it to my casting area, plug in the thermocouple I have in my lead pot (Lee 20#), and voila! Temperature control of the melt!

One PID, two applications, two thermocouples. And I agree wholeheartedly with George: one of the smartest buys I've ever made.

[blikseme300]

I like and use PID's for my melters but this is what I did for my Star's.

http://www.bliksemdonder.com/hobbies...s/star-heater/

[hermans]

I went to a industrial company that manufactures custom heaters, and asked them to make me one in a flat pack configuration. It came out at about 2 inch square by about 1/64 inch thick. The wattage is 40 Watts, and works perfectly with my PID.

[kryogen]

do you need a heater for soft lube like 2500 for 9mm?

[Tenbender]

I have a 100 watt heater on mine. I have a light dimmer to control it. At about 1/4 open is hot enough. Bought mine on Ebay.