base heater plans

[wc870]

New guy to casting here, I'm still in the process of "tooling up" and like to build a lot of my own tools that I can. are there any plans out there for making heaters? just trying to save a couple $$ and have some fun, thanks, W

[GasGuzzler]

I bought a scrap piece of aluminum plate from eBay (machine drop) that was already square and large enough for my LAM-II to rest on. I drilled one hole for the heater element ($3.00 from China off eBay or $15 from USA seller that gets them from China...9.8X80mm 300 Watt should be fine) and one smaller hole for the temp probe. You can get a PID and K style thermocoupler on Ebay for $10. The 300W heater shouldn't need a solid state relay like a PID for a melter. I sold my over-engineered super awesome melter PID but I still have my very simple and cheap lube heater. I recently mounted it to a Lee quick change base. Got the box, cover plate, switch locally and used a cord from an old computer. For a heavier duty set up using higher wattage load (like my Lee 4-20's 700 or so watts) you will want to run a SSR on a heat sink ... or overkilll it like me and repurpose a computer power supply to make use of the cooling fans and the power cord/switch.

Here's how it was originally bolted to the bench.



Here's with the Lee plate mounted.



Close up of the cheapo PID. It's showing current temp but you can see set temp too. I run mine at about 105-110F.



Here you can see the power cord, temp sensor cord (black), and heater element cord (white) and how they are clamped to the box like home wiring.



Close up of the heater and sensor.

[45DUDE]

I have a Christmas tree light hung on the side of one and leave it on all the time. The size of the bulb regulates the heat. I have a free solder iron with heat control on another. One guy had a tin can with a light stuck in the top.

[Mal Paso]

The Lyman Cartridge heater fot the 4500 lubesizer is 20 watts and is too much if left on.

[wc870]

Great ideas! That’s quite the set up gasguzzler I like it!

[upnorthwis]

I use a hot air gun to heat lubri-sizer. Stays hot enough to do several hundred bullets.

[wc870]

I use a hot air gun to heat lubri-sizer. Stays hot enough to do several hundred bullets.

I have a heat gun and that was my plan for the first time until I get something built

[DHDeal]

I got lazy and bought one of the new RCBS heaters with the rheostat when it was on sale. I always enjoy looking at how some of you find another way to get the job done regardless of what that job is.

[murf205]

Attachment 274527In this pic you can see the hole in the 3/8" aluminum plate I bolted under my Lyman and the cartridge is right beside it.Attachment 274528Here is another shot of it.Attachment 274530I routed the wire from a regular incadescent light dimmer to control the temp. Follow the white 1/2" pipe down and you will see the edge of the electrical box it is mounted in. My bench is in my basement which never gets really cold so I usually run the dimmer about 1/3 of the way open for about 15 min and then set it on the lowest setting to run a batch of boolits but REMEMBER to turn it off or you will get a puddle of lube on the floor. Mine has a plug feeding the dimmer switch and I just unplug it when I am done to keep from inadvertently turning it on. Simple and cheap.

[lcclower]

My first lube heater was an upper thermostat from Home Depot /Lowe's, set on a 4x4x1/2 aluminum bar scrap, controlling a 100w element from eBay.

[mf79]

anyone think you can mount it on a bigger metal plate and use a single countertop burner upside down to heat from the back ?

[WALLNUTT]

I've heard of people using an iron (for clothes) sitting on a bigger metal plate. The burner should work.

[Vegas Vince]

Use old iron for about 15 years. Made a wooden mount, iron was upside down . Had medal plate on top to mount on. That gave out & I used heat lamp for a couple years. I found Lyman heaters & still use them. But I mostly tumble lube now.

[SeabeeMan]

I have a piece of 4" x 12" x 1/2" aluminum with holes drilled in it to mount to my bench. Tee nuts underneath in a pattern for my MEC 650's, and I use that pattern for any other mount I make to use those spots. It's long enough behind it that I can put a Goodwill-sourced iron on it and just keep it on low. The response time is a little slow and I don't have a thermocouple yet, but it sure works well!

[Graybeard96]

My 45 Lube sizer is mounted to the Reloading Bench on a Steel Pedestal on top of it a 2" * 2" by 4 inch Aluminum Block on top of which the Lube sizer is mounted. I drilled a 5/8" hole into the Aluminum Block into which I Insert a Electric Soldering Iron with which I preheat for about 30 minutes before lube sizing. Works well and made by myself the way I like things done.

Cheers

[David2011]

My lubesizer is mounted on an aluminum plate 1/8”x6”x12”. I heat it with a clothes iron I got at Goodwill for $2.00. I set it on the lowest temperature and regulate the heat by moving it closer to or farther from the sizer. It’s worked for over 15 years.

[Dragonheart]

You can spend a lot of time and more money that a lube sizer cost to heat it, but a flood light or heat lamp in a clamp on fixture directing the light on the lube reservoir will heat it up with very little time of cash outlay.