Lyman 450 Luber/Sizer Rebuild

[theperfessor]

If anyone is interested, I rebuilt my Lyman 450 a couple of weeks ago and just now got around to writing it up. You can see it at the link below.

http://www.usi.edu/science/engineering/Lyman450/Lyman450LuberRebuild.htm

Comments?:-D

[garandsrus]

Cool.... Great write up!

John

[dubber123]

Great article, and well written. The machining is a bit beyond me, but my first luber was the same model as yours, and suffered from some of the same problems. It looks like you now have a dependable and accurate unit.

[buckndee]

Nice job and write up. The pictures helped this layman under stand the lathe and milling required for the rebulid. How many machine hours to rebuild a $100.00 luber/sizer?

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Great job

Dave

[theperfessor]

buckndee-

From a pure economic standpoint I probably spent way too much time on this. But every so often I like to do special projects and write 'em up.

It's a way to let my academic bosses know I'm a little brighter than a trained monkey and shows my students I can do it as well as talk about it.

And sometimes I just get the creative urge to make/fix something. Hard to explain the urge, its like sex or casting bullets.

My next long term project, on the drawing board right now, is a push-through luber/sizer to fit a standard reloading press that will have an adjustable interrupter valve to allow pressure feeding lubricant during a limited portion of the stroke, like a cross between a Lee and a Star. The Lyman, RCBS, and SAECO luber/sizers all require twice as many hand motions as necessary.

[floodgate]

Perfessor:

Gross overkill - but worth it! A VERY nice job, and a good education in what you can do with proper tooling and a bit of pre-analysis.

floodgate

[buckndee]

Thanks again for the write up, makes me want to take a machine shop class.

Retired 9 months ago but just started helping a friend in his offroad racing fabracation shop. Been eyeing his lathe and mill.

[theperfessor]

buckndee -

Jump in and do it! Machining is fun!

[blysmelter]

My next long term project, on the drawing board right now, is a push-through luber/sizer to fit a standard reloading press that will have an adjustable interrupter valve to allow pressure feeding lubricant during a limited portion of the stroke, like a cross between a Lee and a Star. The Lyman, RCBS, and SAECO luber/sizers all require twice as many hand motions as necessary.

I will buy one! Or the plans.

[scrapcan]

Good write up and great idea ont he other long range project. We have a member here who built a similar luber. here is a short thread on KTN's sizer.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=11113&highlight=sizer

Now if you made it so you could use rcbs/lyman dies!!!

I wish you were in my area teaching machine classes. Our local community college believed it was better to have nursing and dental hygenist program than the machine tools and welding classes. Just who do they tink will make the tools for those professions! Anyway glad to see others who build and share.

[theperfessor]

manleyjt -

Neat link. Got a couple of good ideas from it. Thanks!

As much as I appreciate my dentist, we're not going to prosper as a country fixing each others teeth - manufacturing is the key to prosperity. I'll reserve any other comments I have about our national educational system for the political part of this site.

Too bad about not having a machining class nearby you can take; I love teaching interested students - its not work then, its fun! And every other professional teacher I know feels the same way.

[scrapcan]

Perfessor,

Glad to have passed along the link. I had hoped to see someone be able follwoup on KTN's design. I think if you can get if figured out, a few of us would gladly work with you. Another idea is the pope lubersizer. meecham rifles had them posted a year or so back, but I have not been able to find the item on their website since.

I think you guys with the tools and skills will be our saving grace, just don't die off with out passing the skills and tools on to someone. Otherwise the tools get to go to salvage and out of reach of those of us with an interest.

And I would also like someone to start a couple week machine tool class that a person could go to for a vacation, much like the couple week farrier/blacksmith/gunsmith courses available around the country. Or hey maybe one of you gents would take a interested know nothing in for a week and teach me something? If nothing else I could sweep the shop!

[725]

Very nice. So much better to have your own craftsmanship working for you in such a great project. You should be proud.

[Patrick L]

And I thought I was handy with my Sears Craftsman drill press and tap & die set!

Very nicely executed!

[Sailman]

Theperfessor

As an old Tool and Die maker, and I do mean old, I really enjoyed your write up of rebuilding your Lyman 450 luber/sizer. Thank you for the pictures, they really helped in appreciating your work.

How old is the luber/sizer? The reason I ask is the initial quality level of the luber/sizer. It makes one wonder if Lyman has improved the quality level of there current product.

Sailman

[Shotgun Luckey]

WOW...really makes me wish I was a machinist...GREAT article

[legend]

nice job,there might be hope for mine now!

[keeper89]

Your skills are fast becoming a "lost" art--so much emphasis today on getting kids pushed through college and into a white collar job.......I shudder to thind what shape we would be in if we couldn't import the hardware we bring into this country every day--god knows there aren't enough skilled people to supply the quantities of goods we require--my town used to be heavily involved in mining hematite and the old timers rerely if ever bought anything--they just went down to the machine shop and did a little fabricating!! Anyway, great job, one you should take due pride in!:drinks:

[dragonrider]

Well done Perfessor, I am going to have to try the bushing part. I milled the bottom flat on mine and made a new plug to stop the leak a couple of years ago, and that worked out well. Now the ram is off center and needs work. Thanks for the great tutorial.

[redbear705]

Nice job!

I wish I had the equipment to do this type of stuff....:(

I have not taken any training on the use of metal lathes and milling machines but I know I would have fun trying!

:)

JR

[o6Patient]

If one has the wherewithal.. !why not?

[AnthonyB]

I'll pay you $20 to rebuild mine! :)
Tony

[rush1886]

My next long term project, on the drawing board right now, is a push-through luber/sizer to fit a standard reloading press that will have an adjustable interrupter valve to allow pressure feeding lubricant during a limited portion of the stroke, like a cross between a Lee and a Star. The Lyman, RCBS, and SAECO luber/sizers all require twice as many hand motions as necessary.[/QUOTE]

Having recently received a set (4 calibers) of your current nose first sizer tools, I have one question: Are you taking orders yet? Gentlemen, if you've not yet taken the step to size this way and particularly to use The Perfessors tools, I recommend you do so at your earliest opportunity. You'll not regret it.

Perfessor, good job on the rebuild, and let us all know when you're ready to introduce the lube portion of the nose first tools. Thanks

[Irascible]

I saw this same post close to 2 years ago?

http://www.usi.edu/science/engineering/Lyman450/Lyman450LuberRebuild.htm

[theperfessor]

I did the rebuild a number of years ago, so it has been posted and a matter of public knowledge for quite a while now. It still works fine by the way.

I worked out several different variations of how to do straight thru sizing/lubing but various technical/ergonomic/cost issues kept anything that would be attached to a basic loading press from being practical.

But I started selling nose punches and then nut drivers for die removal and then adapter sets for nose first sizing only and a number of other things and I just never got back to designing my own luber as a stand alone unit - that was where my ideas led me. I think it would be far more practical to make a better luber than to make a better luber adapter for a press.

As it is, I don't have the time right now to pursue making a better luber. But I appreciate all the kind words.

[texassako]

The original link is dead, but is still on the wayback machine with photos: http://web.archive.org/web/20120525005328/http://www.usi.edu/science/engineering/Lyman450/Lyman450LuberRebuild.htm