Pouring Lube - Part II

[Ben]

Recently, I made myself a tool to pour liquid Ben's Red into my 2 Lyman lubesizers.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/006-8.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/004-7.jpg


Today was my 1st opportunity to take some liquid lube and actually pour
the lube into the 2 lubesizers.

The bench that my 2 lubesizers are mounted on is always cluttered, so please excuse
the clutter.

I'm pleased with the way the tool works.
In the past it was easy to over-fill and make a big time mess.
This ( at least for me ) works much better.

Here is a video showing the liquid lube filling the lube reservoir.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=YvfiJSU6rGU

[41 mag fan]

Nice video Ben!
How many times did it take to actually fill the reservoir completely?

Only thing though, is the video wasn't long enough. My popcorn hadn't finished popping in the microwave before the vidoe was over!! :popcorn:

[bobthenailer]

I never thought to make a ladel ? to pour the lube with ! i just use a pyrex glass measuring cup , i use it for heating & pouring the lube into my L/S. There avalible in a few different sizes to meet your needs , i use the 16 oz size . I have a star l/s and i fill it to just below the vent hole in the resivour

[Ben]

Bob:

The pyrex cup is used by many people here on the forum. I'm certain the pyrex cup would work fine also.

I just thought that I'd like to try this system. It works fine for me.
_________________________________________


41 mag fan :

2 pours with my ladle and it was full.

Ben

[Taylor]

I keep mine in a small coffee pot,the ladle is a great idea.

[41 mag fan]

Yes the ladle is a great idea. I could really use one to fill the void my reservoir gets in the middle when it starts to solidify.
I'm not that good at inventing though. I just use the pyrex to fill, but i overfilled last time I was pouring some of Bens Red in.

[cajun shooter]

I have been making my own black powder lube for a little over 4 years now. I always make mine into 6 in sticks while using 1 inch PVC as moulds.
It seems so much easier to make lube sticks for the use of lubing bullets than the pour method.
I have my Star run out and all I do is take a stick and put it in and continue to lube. Using the pour method means you have to stop bullet sizing and melt lube. You then pour it into the machine and you are not ready to cast as it has to harden before you continue to lube and size your bullets. I always have at least 10-15 sticks or more ready to be dropped in.

[bobthenailer]

is your ladel graduated to pour the correct amount of lube to fill the resviour to the correct height so you can install the pressure assy that is what i thought was cool !!

[41 mag fan]

I have been making my own black powder lube for a little over 4 years now. I always make mine into 6 in sticks while using 1 inch PVC as moulds.
It seems so much easier to make lube sticks for the use of lubing bullets than the pour method.
I have my Star run out and all I do is take a stick and put it in and continue to lube. Using the pour method means you have to stop bullet sizing and melt lube. You then pour it into the machine and you are not ready to cast as it has to harden before you continue to lube and size your bullets. I always have at least 10-15 sticks or more ready to be dropped in.


I keep mine heated in a pyrex on my hot plate. Just hot enough to keep it melted, then add when I'm out or about out. Takes maybe 5 min to harden, in that time, I can get something done, have a smoke, get a drink, or move some of my lubed boolits to make room ect.
I've thought about making a stick jig, and that pourer Bens made would come in handy for it.

[Ben]

is your ladel graduated

no

[geargnasher]

Hey Ben, did anyone mention a Pyrex measuring cup? :kidding:

That's what I use, but you can't call yourself a boolit caster unless you've spilled lube all over your sizer. It seems like such a simple operation, just drizzle the stream in there, but something always seems to happen where the lube begins to solidify near the spout and change the flow, or move the stream. I like the ladle idea, seems like keeping the ladle submerged and pre-heated (like a casting ladle) would help.

I dislike sticks, personally, they contribute to air bubbles in the lube reservoir, which make it difficult to control lube pressure (mainly make it tough to back off the pressure before ejecting the boolit from a base-first sizer) due to the compressed air pockets in the lube. Melting and pouring it in in several stages, allowing it to cool and shrink as you go, prevents this.

Gear

[Ben]

Gear :

See # 4 above.


I like the ladle idea, seems like keeping the ladle submerged and pre-heated (like a casting ladle) would help.

That is exactly what I'm doing. I leave it in the melted lube for about 3 - 4 minutes to bring it up to temp. Works for me.............


Ben

[Johnny_Cyclone]

I use a turkey baster like a big syringe.. yes,dedicated to my casting bench only..

Just lined a couple marks on the out side of the clear part so I know how much to draw out of the pan to put in my lube sizers when I run out.

Gives me a satisfying mad scientist rush when I use it.. (cue: maniacal laughter) Wha ha ha haaa :-D

[GaryN]

Could probably use a big syringe from the feed store. They use them to give shots to horses and such. They only cost about a dollar also.

[cajun shooter]

Gear, I don't know how or if you have ever poured your own lube sticks but I've been doing it for a few years (4) and I have never had a single problem. If you pour your lube hot into the PVC moulds there is never the first air pocket as you described.
I use a Star Lube/Sizer and lube at about a 80 pound setting with the air tank.
Not once have I had a shut down for any reason nor have I had any bullets that are not lubed.
I shoot nothing but black powder and therefore use bullets with large lube capacity. This would show up any air pockets that were present and the total that I have had is zero.
To each his own but the pour method is not as fast or easy if you have to keep a melted pot of lube going each time you run some bullets. Later David

[btroj]

But there I air left around the lube stick after itis placed into the reservoir. There is also air trapped between the new stick and the lube left in the reservoir.
Not a big deal in many situations but it can be in others.
I have grown to like the "pour molten lube into the reservoir" method. I have a small saucepan with the lube in it and it takes only a few minutes to melt. I then use a metal funnel to pour it into my Star.

To each their own.

[montana_charlie]

I keep some lube in a soupcan with a spout on it, which gets heated on a coffee cup warmer.

I turn it on when I am about to start lubing some bullets ... if I know that the reservoir is getting low. When I'm done with the bullets the lube in the can is liquid, so I pour the reservoir full and move on.

Haven't experienced a 'dry' reservoir for years, and have no air pockets messing with the flow.

I use the same coffee cup warmer to dry the paper on PP bullets which are wrapped wet.

CM

[geargnasher]

Gear, I don't know how or if you have ever poured your own lube sticks but I've been doing it for a few years (4) and I have never had a single problem. If you pour your lube hot into the PVC moulds there is never the first air pocket as you described.
I use a Star Lube/Sizer and lube at about a 80 pound setting with the air tank.
Not once have I had a shut down for any reason nor have I had any bullets that are not lubed.
I shoot nothing but black powder and therefore use bullets with large lube capacity. This would show up any air pockets that were present and the total that I have had is zero.
To each his own but the pour method is not as fast or easy if you have to keep a melted pot of lube going each time you run some bullets. Later David

No, I never have actually tried making my own lube sticks, but I used commercial Lyman Alox for years and cussed the air pockets, just like Brad described. He's evidently found the same issues objectionable as I have, some people it doesn't bother. With an air-powered, constant-pressure Star lube reservoir system, the air wouldn't be a problem, and I can see how making lube sticks would be much faster and easier to handle.

I also learned not to mail-order hollow lube sticks in the summertime, as they would melt in my mailbox before I got home and the hole would close up. Salvaging a half-dozen sticks that melted like that once is what lead me to discover the method of melting and pouring it in the sizer, but I use Lyman 45s and 450s, and having precise control over the hydraulics with no air "spring" effect helps keep boolit bases clean.

It was either DLCTX or Dale53 who made a post once that got my attention about using a potpourri candle warmer to melt a small container of lube, and it sure is a good one. It takes mine about an hour to heat the lube up, if I remember to set it up before a lubing session. At the end of the session it's melted, and I pull the piston out of the reservoir and refill it for next time.

Gear

[fryboy]

creative ingenuity ... i like that ! i also admit that mostly the pyrex works and ... i collect ladles at thrift shops ( they have many uses !!! ) but when you can take scraps and make something useful ,well ... it just works ! ummm i also have to admit that i also make a few stix ( you call that cluttered ? i see a clean spot ....:P )

[crabo]

I dislike sticks, personally, they contribute to air bubbles in the lube reservoir, which make it difficult to control lube pressure (mainly make it tough to back off the pressure before ejecting the boolit from a base-first sizer) due to the compressed air pockets in the lube. Melting and pouring it in in several stages, allowing it to cool and shrink as you go, prevents this.

Gear

I split my lube sticks into 4 long quarters to keep the air out. Helps quite a bit, but not as much as melting it.