2 newbie questions

[SeabeeMan]

1 - Are the spacing holes on a 450 and the RCBS unit the same distance apart? I'm just curious as I purchased a 3/8x6x12 aluminum plate to bolt my "new" 450 to so as to mount it to the bench and place an iron on the back to have an easily controlled heater. I'm going to countersink flush head bolts through from the underside and fasten the sizer to those. The plate will clamp in my vise which is my "quick change" fixture for all my presses. It would be great if they would interchange on the same mounting studs.

2- Is there any easy way to switch lubes out in the same lube-sizer to switch to another bullet, or is this why people have more than unit? I'm planning on lubing my 9mm bullets with a moly lube and will need something different for my .30 bullets.

[462]

Can't help with question number one.

As far as question number two is concerned, I use two, one for a handgun lube and one for a rifle lube. I used to use just one lube for both -- successfully, by the way -- but got a terrific deal on another lubrisizer.

[SeabeeMan]

What lube did you use for both? I'd love to find something that will work on my 9mm and 30-30, if not the 30.06, until I can swing another lubrisizer.

[462]

Rich Kildow,
When I started casting, buying the various ingredients and brewing up a batch of homemade lube didn't hold any appeal. Consequently, I used a mixture of one stick of Jake's purple ceresin and a half stick of his 50/50 Alox/beeswax. http://www.jakesproducts.com/index.html This is still my handgun lube -- .357 Magnum, .44 Special, and .45 ACP -- and was used in all my rifle calibers.

I buy the solid sticks, and use a can and hotplate (mould pre-heater) to blend them, then pour the melt into the lubrisizer.

[Mk42gunner]

1 Can't help with measurements from a Lyman, but my RCBS Lubamatic has mounting slots that appear to be from 1 1/2" at the narrowest to 2 1/2" at the edge of the casting. Mine is mounted to a 2x6 and I didn't want to take it off.

2 Changing lubes, or cleaning a lubrisizer is something that makes cleaning bilges look fun. When I can swing it, I plan to get another for BP lube, until then I lube everything with FWFL; it isn't that hard to make. Anything that doesn't get FWFL gets hand lubed and ran through a Lee sizer.

Hope this helps,

Robert

[Char-Gar]

Rich... There are a number of lubes, homemade and commercial that will work for all hangun and 99% of rifle loads.

I have used a homemade mix of beeswax and Vaseline about 65/35 for such a use for 50 years. The proportions are not important, just use enough Vaseline to soften the beeswax for use in the lube/size machine without a heater.

Makes life and cast bullet shooting much easier when you just use one lube.

Actually I have two Lyman 450 machines. One with the above mix and the other with Felix lube. I use the Felix when and if I want to go above 2,000 fps in a rife. I seldom to that in fact it has been about three years since I took that second machine down for a short run of bullets.

[MikeS]

If you're looking for one lube that will work with most everything, don't overlook the old NRA formula 50/50 beeswax and Alox 350 (it was originally Alox 2138F but that's discontinued by the Alox Co. and 350 is it's replacement). It's a soft lube, so you wouldn't need to use heat unless you're in a cold room in winter, and while it can be a bit messy when storing lubed/sized boolits, it will keep the bore of your rifles and pistols nice and clean! I would rather have to clean up a bit while reloading using these boolits lubed with 50/50 rather than having to scrub lead out of my barrels! There might be other lubes that work as well or slightly better for each application (rifle or pistol), but no other lube works as well for all applications as the NRA 50/50 formula. You mentioned that you don't want to have to mix up lube yourself, and with the 50/50 lube you don't have to. Javelina lube available thru Midway & others is the 50/50 formula, and others such as Lars and Jake sell the NRA formula lube as well, and there are probably others I'm missing, but the point is it IS available pre-made, so you could just put the sticks in your sizer, or melt it, and pour it in hot, which is what I do, as that way there are no air pockets in the lube.

[MBTcustom]

Learn how to make Felix's World Famous Lube. Its good for what ails you.

[C.F.Plinker]

The bolts in my bench are spaced about 2" on center and work for both my Lyman 450 and my RCBS LAM2.