Idea for Lyman 450 repair needed.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

I've got a well used 450, used enough the bore for the ram is worn out.
I've previously fixed other issues with this old turd, like the bottom of the casting being shaped like an egg,
the the plug where the pressure screw rides was too thin, and the rim broke off, so I made a new base plate
that has the recess for the screw and is screwed to the main casting with a gasket.
I'm not above trying to repair this thing once again, as I have more time than money.
My question is for folks who have had mis-alignment issues, how did you fixture up the casting to get it square with the
sizing dies to re-bore the hole? I'm thinking maybe a mandrel that could be screwed into the die retaining nut threads
to get it set up? Ideas? Maybe its just time to to tank it and get a new one,
but, its already almost a Frankensizer so what the heck, right?

[texassako]

theperfessor had a good write up on rebuilding one, but the link is dead now in the sticky: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?26528-Lyman-450-Luber-Sizer-Rebuild

Found it an archive of it: http://web.archive.org/web/20120525005328/http://www.usi.edu/science/engineering/Lyman450/Lyman450LuberRebuild.htm

[IIJSavoy]

If you're looking for a project, I have a gray 450 in need of some work, the treads to hold the retaining nut are stripped. Otherwise, the sizer is in decent shape. I've used some of the parts to rebuild a second used one I found on here.

Let me know if you're interested...

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Cool. The firrst part about the base and new plate is exactly what I have already done :)
Just needed and idea on how to square up the worn out bore with the die. The method described should work well
Thanks!

[JMtoolman]

Jim this is how I would rebore the guide hole. I would first remove the bottom plate of the luber. Them turn a mandrel in the lathe the size of the lube dies and a smaller diameter to project through the guide area and above the top of the press an inch or two. Then with the mandrel in place I would mount it in a milling machine paying close attention to getting the mandrel vertical. Clamp in place so it can't move. Place a co-ax indicator in the head and dial in on the mandrel. Remove the mandrel, and replace the co-ax with an expanding boreing head. Take a few light cuts with a boreing bar until the wear areas are cleaned up. Then make a new shaft to match the new size hole, and the luber is ready to use. The toolman.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

I got my sizer fix up project near completion this week.
Repair very similar to the thread linked above, boring out the worn hole
and JB Weld a new bushing in place. I have to clean it up and put it back together
but it appears I have it fixed! YAY. For the low price of 1.45 for a bushing.

[rockrat]

If it doesn't work, I might have a 450 body laying around. I could send it to you, just ask that you pay something forward to someone someday. If you might need it, let me know, so I can look for it.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

I may, after thinking about this project for a while, have devised a method
to make repairing a misaligned or worn out ram bore pretty easy.
It would involved have a reamer made, but if I can find ready made bushings
that would be the right size, I bet I can offer a repair service on these for like 40-50 bucks
still in the thought phase :)

[EDG]

Jim
I think you are talking about something like the old king pin reamers that were used on front suspensions.
You might need to put a long pilot on it with different pilot bushings to fit the die hole.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Jim
I think you are talking about something like the old king pin reamers

Very similar, I 'm researching shell reamers, one mandrel to fit a custom "sizing die" for a pilot,
one shell reamer to bore the new hole, one shell reamer to size the bushing to the ram.
The entire operation could be done with a 1/2" drill and completed in under a half hour.

[Old Caster]

I redid a 4500 because I wasn't happy with the fit or alignment. I drilled the area out with a larger hand drill and made a brass tube on the lathe that was a little smaller outside than the hole I drilled and used JB weld to epoxy it in.

To get it aligned properly I made a piece on the lathe that plugged into a 45 die on the bottom while the top was the same size as the plunger. Just put it all together and when the epoxy is hard just take it apart to get the alignment tool out. I made the brass tube a little longer than stock and cut out areas for the bolts to go into and thought about the longest bullet I would ever size and made the bottom part of the brass tube just the length I wanted. It is far and away the best for precision work of any sizers I have. I designed it for a long BPCR bullet and was shooting them at 550 yards.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Old Caster, that's pretty much exactly how I did this one, working good now :)

[boltaction308]

Jim, can you post some pictures as to what you did?

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

if you follow the link that texasako posted above its pretty much the same thing.
I took a 311 sizer die, turned a spud that fit the die tight and fit the ram bore tight( where the nose punch goes)
and used that to keep the ram centered over the die while the epoxy that held the bushing in set up.