Two Lubes, Two Machines

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I wanted to size and lube my new 525 grain 457125BV’s in 20:1 for my Sharps I ordered last August and expect to get this October. So when I ran out of Alox I put a stick of SPG in my Lyman 450. I continued to size and lube .45 Colt 454190’s until the Alox had ran out and the SPG started coming through. Then I switched the H&I die and top punch to size the 457125BV‘s at .459“. I was still getting some Alox on the side of the boolits closest to me. I ran out of SPG and it was time to put another stick of lube in the reservoir.

This plan was not working, so I bought another used Lyman 450 at a gunshow. I cut a piece of sheet metal sized to fit under the base of my new Lyman 450 and bolted it to my bench next to my first Lyman 450.

My new sizer luber had quite a bit of lube in it that I did not want to see go to waste. It was green so I assume it was RCBS. I put the reptile terrarium lamp from my son’s deceased toad on my new Lyman 450 and sized and lubed a bunch of .454190’s until the green lube ran out. Then I put a stick of SPG in the new Lyman 450 and kept sizing and lubing 454190’s until the old green lube looked like it had ran out. Then I switched to a .459” H&I die and changed the top punch and sized and lubed 20:1 457125BV boolits I had cast up.

Last night I stuck a stick of Alox in my old sizer luber and finished sizing and lubing a big box of 150 gr round nose .38 boolits I cast out of pure ww for my son’s Ruger 3 screws. I got a fair share of SPG until the Alox started coming through. When I ran out of .38 boolits I switched to a .454“ H&I die and went to work sizing and lubing 454190‘s. I’m still getting a trace of SPG in the grease groove of the boolit on the side closest to me, which is no big deal.

Now I two sizer and lubers, one for Alox and one of SPG. I am well versed in rebuilding Lyman 450’s when they blow a seal and have a supply of “O” rings on hand.

I suppose I could have crafted ways of cleaning the lube out of my sizer luber but having two machines really is a way to go much to my liking.

Yesterday I loaded my very first .45-70 cartridge. I seated my home cast .45-70 boolit in my brand new Starline brass with 60 grains of Goex and a .060” wad. Yesterday marks the day I constructed my first rifle cartridge with a cast boolit. .44-40 doesn’t count because even though it’s fired through a rifle it is a pistol boolit.

[ReloaderFred]

I found out a long time ago that switching from one type of lube to another was a pain, so now I have my original Lyman 450 set up with 50-50 Alox, an RCBS set up with RCBS Green, a Saeco set up with SPG, another Saeco set up with Carnuba Red, one Star set up with Magma Blue and the bullet feeder for .38/9mm bullets, another Star set up with Magma Green and the bullet feeder for .45 bullets, and a third Star set up with Magma Green for all the other calibers that I switch around for, such as .380, .41 and .44 bullets.

There's no difference between the different colors of Magma lube, but I just felt like ordering different colors at different times.

Now when I've got a certain bullet to size and lube, I just grab that machine off the shelf and clamp it to the bench and go to work. All my machines are mounted on 10"x10" wooden bases, so it's easy to store and use them.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Mk42gunner]

I found out the first time I cleaned my Lubamatic that I didn't want to have to do it everytime I wanted to try a different lube, so I hand lubed quite a few boolits until I settled on FWFL for most of my shooting.

Then I thought about BP. I finally found a Lyman 450 for $20.00 that I have to get a lube piston for; but it is destined to be my BP lubrisizer, I just have to settle on one lube.

Robert

[Wayne Smith]

I have Speed Green in my RCBS for higher speed work, I have Emmert's in my Lyman for BP and low speed boolits. Works for me.

[Catshooter]

Yep, I have two RCBSes, each set up for a different lube.

Besides, two is one . . .


Cat

[Green Frog]

Only two lube pumps each? You guys will never make it in the OCD world of Cast Bullets!! :kidding:

You need a minimum of three or four for various lubes you "can't do without" and then several good pans for those "short runs" of special lubes for special bullets that you are testing before getting a custom H & I sizing die cut. :D

Two pumps indeed!! Get with the program guys. :brokenima

Froggie

[JerseyJD]

While I'm a relative newbie to casting, I took the advice of Bottom Dealing Mike on the youtube videos and ordered 2 lube sizers. I'll be using a star for my primary shooting - SASS main match black powder cartridge - and a Lyman 450 for smokeless duties. Neither machine has yet to arrive so I'll be climbing the learning curve when they do. Both will start with homemade lubes.

[Wayne Smith]

Froggie, my problem is the hour drive to the range, the garden that needed to be turned (by hand), the grass that needs to be mowed, kitchen cleaned, etc. ... I'd love to have the shooting availability and time to need more than two lube sizers!

[Mk42gunner]

Only two lube pumps each? You guys will never make it in the OCD world of Cast Bullets!!

Give me time, I'm still trying to pay off remodelling the old farmhouse I live in.

Eventually I will have a Star for those large volume handgun calibers.

Robert

[Catshooter]

I am yet a beginer Yoda. I have been casting only since 1972. :)


Cat

[midnight]

I keep 4 set up with a different lube in each. At least they all use the same dies & top punches. they are a LAM, Lyman 450 & #1, and a Herter's 49. All have their own homemade 25 watt heaters. Another old Pacific press is just used for Lee push throughs. Works for me.

Bob