Anyone use a Lyman 45 to size their PC boolits?

[Baltimoreed]

Came across a free but very nasty Lyman 45 sizer, I got it all apart so it should clean up. I have 2 nice 450’s [that I use with lube] so I don’t need another lubrisizer but am wondering if I could rebuild it and use it as a push through sizer for pc boolits. Anybody do this or am I late to the dance? Thanks

[Dragonheart]

When I first got into PC I used my 450 to size. In the existing configuration it was way too slow of a sizing process for me, but it does a nice job sizing. I personally think you would be better served in purchasing Lee push through sizing dies.

[mold maker]

Different strokes for different folks.
I personally use a Lyman, because that's what I bought over 50 years ago.
Try polishing the inner surface to ease the squeeze.

[Baltimoreed]

Attachment 236430 I’ve got several of the Lee push through dies and they work but have never liked the way the boolits jam up in the red cup container thingy. If possible I’d rather repurpose this antique 45 to drop the resized boolits into something. Let gravity do the work. There’s a guy on line who has a really slick rig that he feeds boolits from a tray down a ramp, when he lifts the ram it drops right into the die, he lowers the ram to size and the boolit drops into a bucket. He runs it pretty fast too. This is how I redid my lee bulgebuster die to work better. The spring pops the .45s into the dillon bin when the next round lifts it high enough. I’ve made a metal piece to bridge the gap between the die and the bin to make it work better. I’ll say it again, work smarter not harder.

[Tom Myers]

Came across a free but very nasty Lyman 45 sizer, I got it all apart so it should clean up. I have 2 nice 450’s [that I use with lube] so I don’t need another lubrisizer but am wondering if I could rebuild it and use it as a push through sizer for pc boolits. Anybody do this or am I late to the dance? Thanks

I have removed the lower push rod and the threaded adjustment tube in order to use the unit as a push through sizer. It works great!

[NoZombies]

I have removed the lower push rod and the threaded adjustment tube in order to use the unit as a push through sizer. It works great!

Indeed. a little sheet metal chute into a tub makes it as fast as any other push through. It just doesn't work that way with lube.

[Conditor22]

I have switched from Lee to NOE push through sizing dies after coating boolits for a while. NOE has more sizes available and after the initial die purchase, changing sizes is much cheaper.

[Dragonheart]

Attachment 236430 I’ve got several of the Lee push through dies and they work but have never liked the way the boolits jam up in the red cup container thingy. If possible I’d rather repurpose this antique 45 to drop the resized boolits into something. Let gravity do the work. There’s a guy on line who has a really slick rig that he feeds boolits from a tray down a ramp, when he lifts the ram it drops right into the die, he lowers the ram to size and the boolit drops into a bucket. He runs it pretty fast too. This is how I redid my lee bulgebuster die to work better. The spring pops the .45s into the dillon bin when the next round lifts it high enough. I’ve made a metal piece to bridge the gap between the die and the bin to make it work better. I’ll say it again, work smarter not harder.

Several years ago I posted a video on YouTube of my "Ram Chucker". I built a pneumatically operated inverted RCBS Rock Chucker press mainly for sizing. When Google took over YouTube old videos like mine got deleted and I never bothered to re-post. Simply invert your press and you no longer need to plastic cup.
I started out feeding bullets into the die by hand, then did a drop 45 degree tube as you describe and then a pneumatic feeder. I think the 45 degree drop tube is the simplest feeder and you can size 30+ bullets a minute.

[fredj338]

You could but a cheap C press inverted & Lee pass thru sizer is about 3-4x faster.

[Baltimoreed]

Been working on my Lyman 45 sizer rebuild. Got it cleaned out ok, was very nasty, but still needs to be repainted. Working on a sliding bullet feed system that will drop a bullet into the sizing die every time the handle is cycled. Built an aluminum plate for the teflon feed slide to run on. I’m planning on a triangular shaped pusher to move the slide out and a small spring to move it in. Shortened [too long to fit in the sizer die opening] and polished up an old .4515 saeco sizing die with oiled 600 grit and a split dowel to open it up to .452. I didn’t think that it would remove a measureable amout of steel as fast as it did. Added a thick spring around the lever linkage to keep it from overcaming and locking up. Have to build a oak base, bullet tray and feed tube. Hopefully I’ll fire up the mini mill this weekend. Pictures soon.

[Baltimoreed]

Attachment 236957Attachment 236958Attachment 236960
I got my model 45 Lyman sizer build done. The aluminum curve that moves the slide in and out was tough to figure out. Started with a cardboard and plastic triangle but with the short amount of movement it didn’t work so I started removing material and wound up with the curved shape. The tray has a round foot piece that slides into the open top of the reservoir. I used a brass punch that I threaded as a ram. The slide is teflon the rest is aluminum and oak. Need to get some shorter screws, if it works I’ll pretty it up. The spring on the arm’s base keeps it from over camming and binding. I’ve run 200 gr rnfp bullets through it and it seems to work ok. I don’t like the spindly handle though and might beef it up. I plan to use this exclusively for pc .45 bullets. It might not be heavy enough to work with what I want to push through it but I’ve got to cast and pc ‘em to find that out.
Update— today I cast 4 lead pots worth=380 #452460 boolits. Will coat them tomorrow.

[Baltimoreed]

Well, I’m afraid that it won’t work with the 452460 pc boolits. A combination of bullet shape and extra diameter from the pc, plus there’s not a lot of leverage available. I might try to enlarge the top of the die which will make it easier to start and shorten the amount of die the boolit has to swage through. I won’t call it a total bust as I also have coated .30 cal too and would try these before totally giving up. We learn from our mistakes.

[Dragonheart]

You just need more force. I size everything with "Ram Sizer". A pneumatic tool I built that will push a bullet through a Lee sizing die as fast as I can drop a bullet into the tube. For me that's about 35 bullets a minute in continuous operation and maybe a thousand bullets before I need a break. I usually operate under 40 psi and I do a heavy powder coat. My compressor will deliver 130 psi and the cylinder will handle 200 psi.

[Baltimoreed]

That’s a mean green machine! Like it! Are there plans available?

[Dragonheart]

That’s a mean green machine! Like it! Are there plans available?

No, just designed it as I went along. Basically it is a 3-1/4" pneumatic cylinder with a 3" stroke. It is more powerful than what I need to size any bullet as the cylinder produces over 800 pounds of force at 100 psi air pressure and can handle as much as 250 psi. The framework I put together from steel from a local scrap yard. Cylinder, valves, hose & fittings off Evil Bay; regulator from Harbor Freight. Cutting, welding, powder coating & painting done in my garage. Actually, I built it back in early 2015 when I found this cylinder new for $49 delivered.

[RP]

I went with my 4500 lyman and like others have said just remove the return and the bottom stop and center of the sizing die its now a push threw. I added a shoot to deflect the bullets to a tray works great, I also can add the parts back if I want to lube.
I have the sizing dies on hand no need to buy more if I was just starting out I may have went with the lee dies.
The other thing I did was make me some punches to fit the base of the bullets and made them long to push the bullet deep in the die this helps out a lot.

[oconeedan]

Dragonheart, nice machine you made there.

I simply use my 450 and remove the bottom parts as others have mentioned. But...I hang a little bucket under it, and let the bullets fall into it. Simple and it works. The first few bullets will have traditional lube smeared on them, but it will run clean after a few. Dan