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SharpsShooter
11-22-2005, 03:36 PM
I sat down to lube some BPCR boolits last night using my Lyman 450. The lube is really soft and when I try to apply pressure I’m getting a lot of lube sneaking back up around the piston. This results in inadequate pressure to properly fill the grooves. I thought about using an ice pack to firm up the lube a bit, but doubt it would get the reservoir cold enough to make it work. Finally I removed the piston and placed a layer of saran wrap between the piston and lube, sealing the sides of the piston and voila` now I have pressure. My question is; has anyone encountered a similar problem and if so, what did you do to cure the problem?

Maven
11-22-2005, 04:14 PM
Sharps shooter, I just finished using my 450 with Lyman "Super Moly" with no pressure problems at all. Ditto for a too soft batch of Felix Lube. Just a guess, but I think it's time to replace the O ring around the piston and possibly the piston itself. As a last resort (only because of the wide variation in how helpful Lyman's customer service dept. is), I telephone Lyman about the problem.

9.3X62AL
11-22-2005, 04:18 PM
I'm on my third Lyman 450, and with all three machines I have discerned that the closer you can get to the consistency of Lyman Ideal lube at 75-80 degrees F, the better the machine will work. That is an interesting fix you came up with, sir.

I have had the opposite problem posed by Sharp Shooter in the 450's--lube too stiff to flow well, specifically the various Alox 2138/beeswax mixes when cooler than 80 degrees. This has resulted in the seals at the bottom of the lube reservoir blowing out a couple times. The fix has been to employ one of the MANY played out blowdryers that a houseful of daughters can produce to warm up the lube column and sizer enclosure when the weather gets cool.

SharpsShooter
11-22-2005, 04:31 PM
Maven,

I may have a antique 450. The piston walls are smooth, with no groove for an o ring. I know the 4500 has them. I checked the booklet that came with it and it too shows a smooth piston w/o o-rings. I'm not sure it makes any difference, but it is an "Ideal Lube-Sizer #45" in the old orange box. I've been pan lubing for some time and just got this one to get away from the mess associated with the pan process.

Maven
11-22-2005, 07:28 PM
Sharps, Search the forum for fixes on the Lyman/Ideal #45 lube sizer since it has come up within the last 2-4weeks.

pdgraham
11-24-2005, 10:59 AM
I sat down to lube some BPCR boolits last night using my Lyman 450. The lube is really soft and when I try to apply pressure I’m getting a lot of lube sneaking back up around the piston. This results in inadequate pressure to properly fill the grooves. I thought about using an ice pack to firm up the lube a bit, but doubt it would get the reservoir cold enough to make it work. Finally I removed the piston and placed a layer of saran wrap between the piston and lube, sealing the sides of the piston and voila` now I have pressure. My question is; has anyone encountered a similar problem and if so, what did you do to cure the problem?

I have/had the same problem... I think I worked my way around it..

I am/was using NRA Alox stick lube. I just backed of on the pressure and ran them through twice.

I'm using up all my Alox stick and going to moly...

pdgraham
11-25-2005, 11:08 AM
:groner:

I was wrong...

I thought I fixed the problem just by backing off the pressure.. I didn't..

My problem was I was putting the bullet too deep in the die.. That put the top lube holes almost completely above the lube band.. causing some of the lube to squirt out on to the top end of the bullet.

I had to move the adjusting screw up to the point where the top of the first ring of lube holes were even with the lube ring.. Now I get a really good fill every time..

I think my problem wasn't the same as the original poster's problem.. sorry..

Buckshot
11-26-2005, 09:33 AM
..........SharpsShooter, how wide/thick is the piston? It has a threaded hole in the center, right? You know the thread pitch?

If the piston is thick enough to have a groove cut in it, I would be happy to turn a groove so a rubber O ring could be used, for the cost of shipping. I might even have the O ring, gratis :D.

............Buckshot

Tristan
11-30-2005, 09:18 AM
I have a Lyman 45 that is troublesome, too. I haven't been able to get it running, because the piston turns readily without applying downward pressure, and turns so easily it's a real bear to get out of the lube resevoir.

Do you think an O-Ring upgrade could fix this old beast?

sundog
11-30-2005, 09:50 AM
Tristan said, "Do you think an O-Ring upgrade could fix this old beast?"

..., that's where I would start. sundog

SharpsShooter
11-30-2005, 10:09 AM
..........SharpsShooter, how wide/thick is the piston? It has a threaded hole in the center, right? You know the thread pitch?

If the piston is thick enough to have a groove cut in it, I would be happy to turn a groove so a rubber O ring could be used, for the cost of shipping. I might even have the O ring, gratis :D.

............Buckshot

Thats a nice offer Buckshot. I'll get some measurements and get back to you.

Thanks
:coffee:

McLintock
11-30-2005, 12:18 PM
I've got two Lyman 450's, one's orange and the other's grey, an earlier and later model I guess, but both have pistons with O rings, two per piston. The old #45 I gave away (it was originally given to me) when I got the later ones had no O rings, but it still held pressure OK. Sounds like Buckshot's solution would be the best if you want to continue using it; or maybe a newer 450 piston would fit it, which you could probably get from Lyman. Seems like the two models had pretty much the same screw pitch and resorvoir diameter, so it just might fit. Just a thought.
McLintock

SharpsShooter
11-30-2005, 05:56 PM
Buckshot,

First off, I need to correct myself. I have a Lyman #45 not a 450. I don’t know how I hit the zero when typing and then didn’t catch it later, but I did. Chalk it up to a brain fade or other anomaly. :veryconfu

The piston in my #45 (see I got it right :mrgreen: ) has a brass skirt around it that another member said should have spring tension to create the seal for pressurizing the reservoir. Mine has very little tension and since it is brass and not spring steel, I’m hesitant to spread it too much for fear of over doing it. I did tweak it a bit, but saw no noticeable improvement.

I can’t see how turning an o-ring groove in this type of piston would solve the problem. If you remove the spring to get to the main body of the piston, the diameter is so reduced that it would take a seriously thick o-ring to create the seal. I could not say how well a modification like that would work.

I’m not out of business with it, I just use two layers of saran wrap punched over the pressure screw and then screw the piston down over the wrap. It creates a decent seal and the boolit lubing process continues.

I’m open to any other suggestions you might have. I know I could order a piston from lyman and likely cure the problem, but I like to fix what I have when possible. The thought occurs to turn a new piston of solid stock and turn the o-ring grooves and tap it for the pressure screw. That would fix it for sure, but the machine work would cost more than a lyman replacement.

Thanks again for the offer to turn the grooves for me. I appreciate it.

:grin:

StarMetal
11-30-2005, 07:50 PM
Sharpshooter,

Listen, I bought a Lyman 45 off someone here on the forum, forget who, always it's exactly like yours. The reason the fellow sold it to me was because the lube reservoir screw was stripped. Well called Lyman and asked them if the new O ring piston and screw assembly would fit the old 45. They said yes and I ordered it, $12 I think, can't remember. It fit like a glove and works great. Don't give up on that old 45, it's a good luber/sizer, just update it to the new piston.

Now if you had a lathe like Buckshot and me you could make a new O ring piston and screw. If you don't guess you'll have to get it from Lyman. That's all there is to it to make it a good luber/sizer.

Joe

SharpsShooter
11-30-2005, 09:28 PM
Starmetal,

I haven't given up at all. I enjoy the tinkering to see if I can cure the problem. I've circumvented the problem enough to finish this batch of lube at least. I probably will end up ordering the piston and o-rings.

A lathe is on the list of wanted tools at the moment, but will have to wait till I finish my shop in the spring.