Lyman Heater ???

[Viper225]

I already have a Lyman heater on my RCBS LAM. I understand that the Lyman Heater is drilled and tapped for a Star.

Bruce tells me the Star Heater is way better on the Star Sizer. No doubt he is 100% correct. However in the interest of keeping the cost down getting the Star up and running, I would like to use the Lyman I already have, for the moment anyway.

My Lyman does no seem to get all that hot. I normally leave it for an hour under the LAM warming it up before I start using it. I do not recall it ever getting the LAM warm enough that I decided I needed to unplug it.

So lets here your experiances using the Lyman. Modifications, etc.

Bob

[SWANEEDB]

I put an electric rheostat switch on mine, when you find the right heat temp it should work out just fine, cost 7 or 8 bucks and a few minutes of your time and your up and running--good luck.

[VHoward]

I used a router speed control to control the heat on mine before I went the pid route.

[bhn22]

I just plug mine in and let it go. As it gets hotter, less lube pressure is required/desired.

[engineer401]

I run mine through a dimmer switch. It works well.

[wv109323]

I think you will need to regulate it some way. I have the Lyman heater with a Star. This past fall I was lubing some 200 gn. SWC with Whites Label Carnauba Red. The room temperature would not allow me to lube without using any heat. I hooked up the heater and with time it got too hot. I had to unplug the heater and wait for things to cool off. Once you get the lube warm enough to flow you can lube a lot of bullets with the heater unplugged. A way to control the heat would be better.

[Intel6]

I cut the cord on my Lyman and spliced in a regular dimmer switch. I have settings marked on it for when it is hot here in AZ and when it gets cold, works great.

Neal in AZ

[Dale53]

I have the Lyman flat aluminum heater. It works quite well on the Lyman, the RCBS, and the Star lube/sizers. However, you do need to add a heat regulator.

The cheapest, if you understand wiring, is to get a plastic outlet box (the square one for four outlets) a plug pair for one side, a light dimmer switch for the other side and some light cord and a plug. You can wire one up in just a few minutes that will work perfectly.

I happened to have a Dremel tool speed regulator and it is a "plug and play" for my Lyman heater. A router speed regulator works just as well and is available from Harbor Freight for a nominal expense - it too is a "plug and play".

My go to lube is Lars White Label Red Carnauba. It requires a bit of heat - I leave my heat setting constant and never have to adjust it for excellent results. The heater (with a regulator of your choice) will work for any lube where you need heat. Just regulate it to the lowest setting that will work well for you. I turn mine on about fifteen minutes before I plan to start lubing. If you are in a hurry, a couple of minutes with a heat gun on the luber body will "jump start" it if you are impatient.

FWIW
Dale53

[enfieldphile]

What I did to have an adjustable heater control:

I had an old, non-working, combo surge suppressor / battery backup unit designed for computers.
I removed the batteries & circuit board. Now I had a 3-prong cable & a box w/ outlets. I installed a rotating light dimmer in the case. I plugged a socket-to-lightbulb adapter into one of the sockets w/ a low-wattage bulb.

A bit of experimentation and you will learn the correct setting of the dimmer switch.