Remove Lube From Reservoir...

[BCB]

Is there an easy way to remove lube from the reservoir of a LAM 2?...

I would like to try a different brand of stick lube other than what is presently being used…

Any help other than just digging it out? Or boiling it like I do my sizing dies to clean them from time to time…

Thanks…BCB

[Hickok]

Tried a hair dryer, they can get pretty hot.

[Smoke4320]

a heat gun should do the trick
hair dryer next choice

[Ed_Shot]

I've only done it once for my 450 when I changed from Lyman to White Label lube but it was pretty easy to boil the body of the 450 in the cast iron pot I use for smelting.

[BCB]

I do have a heater attached to the LAM2...

So, is the only way to get the lube out, simply dig it out?...

Or if I get the lube good and warm and remove the sizing die, I wonder if I can screw the plunger down and have it push the lube into the place where the sizing die fits. That would make it easier to dig out?...

Are the Lyman lube presses the same?...

Thanks...BCB

[Ed_Shot]

I disassembled my Lyman 450 after removing all the lube I could and only boiled the cast iron body to remove the remaining lube. Heaters for 450's sit between the bench and the body of the luber/sizer. Not sure how heaters are attached to a LAM2. Boiling removed all traces of lube from my machine. The lube floated to the surface where I spooned it off and any residual lube scum left in the pot served a flux for my next smelt

[mongoose33]

I do have a heater attached to the LAM2...

So, is the only way to get the lube out, simply dig it out?...

Or if I get the lube good and warm and remove the sizing die, I wonder if I can screw the plunger down and have it push the lube into the place where the sizing die fits. That would make it easier to dig out?...

Are the Lyman lube presses the same?...

Thanks...BCB

I believe you can do that and do it rather quickly.

While this is not the same lubesizer, the process is the same:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?263003-Star-Lubesizer-quick-lube-change&p=3212140&viewfull=1#post3212140

I've even used a power drill, connected to the stem at the top and used that to accelerate the removal of the gasket--and if warm enough, I don' t see why you couldn't simply push out all that lube in a fairly big hurry.

[triggerhappy243]

heat the body with a propane torch.

[BCB]

I guess I might try heating it with the heater it is attached to. I think it will get hot enough to really soften the Carnauba Red…

I want to use a stick of Lyman Alox that I got many years ago, but just never took the time or attempted to remove all the Red from the reservoir…

I might just cut a thin slice of the Lyman stick and put it in the reservoir on top of the Red and use it as a marker. Then I should be able to start lubing boolits and get mostly Alox until it becomes pure Alox…

The reason for going through all of this, if I attempt it, is that in my beginning of casting, I used liquid Alox and it worked really well—in some cases, I think better than the Red. But I went to the LAM2 and stick lube as it was much cleaner and easier to use than liquid Alox. That stuff is so dang messy and sticky until it completely dries, and then I still fills the seating step…

Anyone ever use the Lyman stick Alox?...

Thanks…BCB

[BCB]

I believe you can do that and do it rather quickly.

While this is not the same lubesizer, the process is the same:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?263003-Star-Lubesizer-quick-lube-change&p=3212140&viewfull=1#post3212140

I've even used a power drill, connected to the stem at the top and used that to accelerate the removal of the gasket--and if warm enough, I don' t see why you couldn't simply push out all that lube in a fairly big hurry.

Wow, not that looks like one heck of a press. Commercial grade?...

BCB

[mongoose33]

Wow, not that looks like one heck of a press. Commercial grade?...

BCB

It's a Star. Supposed to be the Cadillac of lube/sizers. I've never been all that happy with it, perhaps I'm still on the learning curve.

I like it better than the Lyman I had, since the Star is push-through, but it came down to whether I'd rather clean excess lube from the base of the boolit (Lyman) or from the fore-end (Star).

[Tailhunter]

An attached heater or hair dryer and a popsicle stick.

[Mk42gunner]

heat the body with a propane torch.

We have a winner. Propane torch to gently heat the cast body and the old lube will (mostly) run out.

I have boiled a LAM, after pushing out all the old lube I could with the H&I die removed. It did work, and got all of it out, but it also left a film of lube on the outside. I guess I should have let the water completely cool so the floating lube had a chance to solidify.

The next time, (newly purchased 450 filled with nasty black lube) after pushing out all I could, I used the propane torch. Much faster, and if you don't use a big flame, not much fire danger. It didn't clean out every bit of old lube, but it did enough that I only got a few streaks of the old stuff.

Robert

[Dale53]

I have had to remove lube from a lube/sizer several times. Remove the die and piston, hod the body over a pan to catch the lube and use a heat gun. Easy/Peasy!

Dale53

[eagle27]

As Dale53 says using a heat gun is easy and doesn't hurt the exterior finish of the lube/sizer. With the Lyman 450 I remove the hing bolt, slip the steel bullet ejector saddle out over the die reservoir and remove the ram and handle mechanism and also the die too, take the bottom push rod out or it will fall out when the sizer body is inverted. Leave the push rod adjuster sleeve and top punch in place. Then holding the body upside with some pliers just run the heat gun around the body including the die reservoir and the lube will all melt and run out into a container. Keep the torch moving around. When all the old lube is melted out pour boiling water in and over the body for a perfectly clean and quickly dry sizer.

Reassemble and fill the reservoir with the new lube which will be available for the first bullet. Just done this with my 450 to fill with some fresh new lube.

[brassrat]

I boiled my 450 after one stick and hope to never soil the sizer/ luber again

[Spruce]

I removed the parts that needed to be removed and placed upside down on a sheet or cake pan I use for casting. Then placed on the corner of the wood stove or heater. Summer time I would use a heat gun. No boiling for me.

[rush1886]

I removed the parts that needed to be removed and placed upside down on a sheet or cake pan I use for casting. Then placed on the corner of the wood stove or heater. Summer time I would use a heat gun. No boiling for me.

I've done similar, except in a 225` oven. Excellent results. Of course, the kitchen is mine. Mileage with your Missus, may vary.

[Saltner]

I take off my lubisizing and I go out all the lubricant, then take off as much as possible with a screwdriver and finally throw my lyman 4500 in a pot with boiling water.

[Iowa Fox]

The easiest way that I have found is to remove the size die and the lube piston. Then I set it a few inches away from my 500x bulb halogen shop light. Usually in about 20-30 minutes the lube has all leaked out. I give it a quick wipe down with a paper towel and its done. Not messy at all if you catch the liquid lube leaking out. I just finished cleaning out a 450 for new lube yesterday, I had a scrap piece of tin foil from my wife's kitchen that I used to catch the drips.

[45-70 Chevroner]

a heat gun should do the trick
hair dryer next choice
Second the heat gun. There are pretty reasonable at Harbor Freight. I think less than $20.00. Mine works great and I,ve used it a lot.

[ShooterAZ]

Or you can do like I did by accident...leave your lube-sizer heater on overnight. It all dribbled out onto the floor...oops.

[BCB]

Got the Carnauba out and the Lyman Alox in…

I used a combination of several posts…

Heat was, of course, the key ingredient…

I took the sizing die out and heated the LAM2 the Midway heater I have it attached to and let it heat up for 30 minutes or so…

Then I started to turn the plunger down and the lube came out the port where the sizing die fits. I’d make 4-5 turns of the plunger handle and use a screw driver to scrape the lube from the port…

Took ½ hour or so until the plunger hit bottom as the tube was almost completely full of Carnauba. Then I put a piece of Lyman Alox in—only about an inch in length and just started screwing the plunger down and continued to remove what was pushed out the port. As soon as the red turned to brown, I had it ready to lube using Alox…

One thing I learned about this is to only put an inch or so of whatever lube you will be trying in the plunger tube. That way a change in lube won’t require so much time. But, if you are going to use the same lube forever—well, fill ‘er up…

Thanks all…

Happy Thanksgiving…

BCB

[cuzinbruce]

Heat gun. Old cardboard box, outside, play the heat gun on it, and it will be done in no time. Then throw the box away.

[Murphy]

Boiling my 2 Stars and a Lyman 4500 worked excellent for me.

Murphy