Problem with Lyman 4500 heater installation.

[Clinton]

I bought the Lyman 4500 lube sizer kit and the 110 volt lube sizer heater to go with it. I made sure the allen screw was backed out yet I still cannot get the heater to insert more than 1/3 of the way into the lube sizer. Anyone else had a problem with this?

[OuchHot!]

I'll start saying I do not have your equipment and may be completely off base. It sounds like it might just be a burr from the tapping. Can you slide a slightly undersized drill bit down the hole and clear it?

[Clinton]

I'll give it a try tomorrow. I saw a video on this heater and noticed the guy had to put grease and a good bit of force to insert it in that lube sizer too so I thought maybe it was a common problem. I imagine I could hone it out or something to make it go all the way in but I wanted to check here first.

[OuchHot!]

You certainly do not want the hole oversize as thermal transfer is important. I just thought that maybe there was a burr from tapping the set screw hole. Some anti-seize greases are copper and tin particles in grease....maybe that would help.

[9.3X62AL]

My 4500 is about 1-1/2 years old, and the heater socket was a snug but easy fit. My only "complaint" about the heater unit to date is that it is too darn efficient--it will melt Carnauba Red in winter at 45* temps inside the garage if not intermittently unplugged. The system is greatly in need of an inline rheostat.

[Dale53]

I have a Lyman flat lube/sizer heater (meant for the early Lyman sizers as well as RCBS and Star). It has the same problem of too much heat. I happened to have a Dremel speed control, so I just plugged in my Lyman heater and operate the rheostat on the Dremel speed control and I am good to go. Harbor Freight has a router speed control that works, also.

Another solution is to simply use a four outlet box (I like the plastic ones) and wire up a dining room dimmer light switch (outlet to plug in, a cord to the power and a plug on the end of the cord along with the dimmer switch). This will probably cost you less than $10.00 and can be had at any of the larger home improvement stores (Lowe's, Home Depot, or your local Hardware Store).

After you do that, it becomes a "plug and play"...

FWIW
Dale53

[marshall623]

I'll start saying I do not have your equipment and may be completely off base. It sounds like it might just be a burr from the tapping. Can you slide a slightly undersized drill bit down the hole and clear it?
X2 My 4500 I had to debur the ram where the top punches slid in , that would be my guess for the heater port as well

[giz189]

I lost my heating element......

[Alferd Packer]

Maybe you could sandwich a thin layer or two of asbestos paper or heavy cardboard between the heater and the base and try running the heater on low.This would slow up the heat transfer, but allow enough heat to get to the frame for the lube.
Sort or making the heat transfer less efficient and keep the lube from turning into a bath instead of a paste.

[9.3X62AL]

Alferd, there is no "low" setting on the heat element--it is a straight-through 110V that is either "off" or FULL ON. Dale's solutions seem like simple fixes to apply, and I'll be making them tomorrow......along with some other "bullet refilling" assignments in the garage.

[Dale in Louisiana]

You certainly do not want the hole oversize as thermal transfer is important. I just thought that maybe there was a burr from tapping the set screw hole. Some anti-seize greases are copper and tin particles in grease....maybe that would help.

Or you can check Radio shack for some thermal grease. They might list it as 'heat sink compound'. it comes in a little tube and is specifically made to transfer heat. It's available from amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Silver-Alumina-Polysynthetic-Compound/dp/B004Z9XG0I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1403966496&sr=8-2&keywords=heatsink+compound), too.

dale in Louisiana

[JeffG]

The hole in the casting on my 4500 was full of crud and metal shavings when it came out of the box. I flushed it out with brake cleaner till I could see the bottom. The element is longer than the hole is deep on mine. Works fine.

[Bad Water Bill]

Dale has the right idea.

I have been using those dimmer switches for many more things than you can imagine and saved many dollars as they also work great for speed controls.:bigsmyl2:

You can also use an OLD Singer sewing machine foot control IF you can still find one.

Foot on and you can control the heat.

Foot off and the heat is off.

Yes I am really that old.[smilie=s: