Just got my LAM2..Any tips for first use..and a few questions

[lablover]

Just got the LAM2 today..earlier than expected too..HAPPY FRIDAY! Guess what I'll be doing this weekend. . Anyway, any tips for first time use? I gotta think a good cleaning inside the lube chamber might be a good idea. It came with a stick of some type of lube, Is it any good?

I plan on melting my Carnuba Blue and just pour it into the LAM until I can get some blue sticks or make my own. Anything special to know about just melting it then pouring in the LAM2

Off to have some fun..Well mount it anyway

[ShooterAZ]

If you melt lube sticks to pour in, just make sure you leave room to screw the plunger assembly in. Adjusting is easy. Just be careful not to cross thread anything, RCBS could do a better job with the threads in my opinion.

[lablover]

I may use the lube that came with it to try it out etc. Then load up the carnauba blue. Then again, I have to get the RCBS lube out after practicing...Ughhhhh

[ShooterAZ]

If it's the black colored one I wouldn't use it, though it will work. It's their pistol lube and I personally didn't like it...If it's amber colored it is their 50/50 and is a good lube albeit very soft. Your carnauba blue should be a good lube for both pistol & rifle. It will take more than one stick of lube to fill the lube reservoir BTW.

[dragon813gt]

When installing the die locking cap lower the ram all the way and put light pressure on it. This squares up the cap so you don't cross thread it. You're able to get a wrench on the cap w/ the ram down. I've never had a problem w/ the threads but lots of people seem to.

[lablover]

Handle up or down when pouring in hot lube..I don't want a mess on then floor. Saw the answer the other day and now can't find it...Thanks

[ShooterAZ]

Handle down, with size die screwed into place...

[lablover]

Lube melted and pored in...So far so good. Now, to wait for it to cool and get it adjusted....Gonna be the longest wait ever I'm sure...

[ShooterAZ]

Ha, put an ice pack on it lol.

[lablover]

Ha, put an ice pack on it lol.

Timed it just right..Still need to eat dinner and then cut the grass..Should be ready after that...Man this is gonna be fun.

[lablover]

OK then

Got her set up and lubed a few bullets. I can see the depth is going to be trial and error. Think I got it just right....HOWEVER...I'm getting some lube on the base of the boolits..Not sure why that is happening. I removed the die and I have lube all around the casting?press where the die was. Not sure if this is because I used hot lube and poured it in. Not sure if I should clean out all that lube and re-insert the die and try again. Would that cause lube on the base?

[Artful]

ok, just a few tips to offer

1) when changin dies put your top punch on but and put bullet in and push about half way down then with bullet tip holding punch you tighten the sccrew
also if you have a problem with the punches falling out put a small blob of lube to hold it in the ram.

2) If you take a metal disk and put it over the sizing die then you can seat your gas check straight and true then remove the disc and press the boolit down into the die to crimp in place.

3) I mount my sizers on stiff surface (board , metal plate-aluminum is gread if you want to heat your lube , etc) because if it leaks lube but isn't on the bench propper

4) buy a few extra top punches when you find then cheap - mill/drill/grind them into a cup if they are not and get some 2 part epoxy
then when you get a boolit mold that you can't get a top punch for you can make your own custom punch by pushing a bullet into the sizer and then giving it a wipe with past wax then mix your epoxy and insert into the punch you prepared and insert the punch into the ram and gently lower it and let it rest until the epoxy hardens then pop it off the bullet noise and voila - your set to lube your new boolit designs.

[Artful]

OK then

Got her set up and lubed a few bullets. I can see the depth is going to be trial and error. Think I got it just right....HOWEVER...I'm getting some lube on the base of the boolits..Not sure why that is happening. I removed the die and I have lube all around the casting?press where the die was. Not sure if this is because I used hot lube and poured it in. Not sure if I should clean out all that lube and re-insert the die and try again. Would that cause lube on the base?

several reasons come to mind -
bullet not going deep enough
bullet not as large or larger than sizing die
too much lube pressure
not moving the bullet down quickly enough causing it to squirt under the bullet as it goes by lube port

[lablover]

Hmmm, I'm using bullets I already sized earlier in the week with a push thru die.....That may be it! I better go cast some more. . When I say lube on the base..Not globs but a very faint coat..Like real faint.

I gotta find a link to the cachet mod..That ball handle suuuuuuuuuxxxx. I will say its fun to see the finished product.

Do you find you need to give the pressure a little turn with every boolit?

[Artful]

Only on bullets that really have room for a lot of lube - most require about every 4-6 bullets run thru.

[lablover]

Just ran my rejects thru. No lube on the base and getting about 3 boolits before adding more pressure. And I'm only giving the handle a very slight turn

Dang this is easier than pan lubing and purrdddyyy

[Tom W.]

I bought a heater when I bought my LAM. I also wrote on the heater " counter clockwise adds lube". I used any lube sticks that I could get my hands on, and after much trial and error I settled on Carnauba Red. Works well for everything. The lube that I made myself now gets used for flux.

I dunno about others here, but I never bothered to boil or remove lube that I didn't like. I just put the next stick in and smiled. Now everything has this really pretty red band or two on it.

Oh, if you didn't get any extra O rings with the sizer, it would behoove you to call RCBS and ask for some. Don't ask how I learned that........

[Mike W1]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-the-lube-dept

The info is there to do the rachet conversion. You probably got the lube cooled down enough by the time you mowed the lawn but it's possible to have the lube too hot as well as too cool. Something to keep in mind if you're pouring it in instead of using sticks. One fellow said something about needing more than one stick to fill things up. My experience would be after you need to add sticks later on I've found it easier to add 1/2 sticks rather than fight the nut back on. You will get a "feel" for how much pressure to maintain. My habit is to just nudge it a bit while the bullet is down in the die at the bottom of the stroke.

[lablover]

Thanks Mike

This is crazy...Now I'm looking for a new bottom pour..Time to retire the lee 10lb...Hmmmmmmm. what to get...

[Artful]

My vote is either RCBS or Saeco Electric Lead pots
- 20 pounders make things worth while to fire up
- I have one of each
- sprues go from the mold to the one I'm NOT pouring from.
when one is down to about 5 pounds I add 10 pounds and then start casting from the other one.
Oh, and I can keep multiple multi cavity molds warm enough to turn out large amounts of pistol bullets.

Now if you can find a Plumbers lead furnace with about an 80 pound pot and a good ladle to match
that would be a boolit casting monster.

Good for making ingots and gang molds. People have been known to make them out of turkey fryers
and cut off gas tank.