Heater for my RCBS Lubersizer

[solman]

I promised to post a pic of my homemade heater using a Flea Bay pid and heater. Total cost about $20 if ordering from a slow boat source. The aluminum plate I scrounged up and drilled to accommodate the temp probe and the cartridge heater. At first the plate was oversized but I cut it shorter, no need to waste heat. I used a 100w heater and a 10amp pid controller that goes up to 220f. I set the temp around 120f it seems to work well this time of year. Not sure why the pictures are turned or how to straighten them sorry about that.
220359

[wquiles]

Nice!

Thanks for the pictures. If I need a faster setup, I will definitely go this way :-)

Will

[murf205]

221265Solman, that's what I did in essence but I didn't use a PID. I used a rheostat dimmer instead (because I had one already). I found that the hardest thing to do was drilling the aluminum plate in the center-notice the hole in plate- to accommodate the heater cartridge! 221266 Then I threaded the wire through some 1/2" pvc for protection. I really like your PID setup.

[solman]

Thanks Murf,
I used a tabletop drill press with a small cross vice to hold the plate standing on its side. It made drilling the plate not too bad once I got it set up. I like your idea of protecting the wires and may have to do something like that. It would help to keep the heater and sensor from being pulled out as well.

[robert12345]

I good cheep way to heat your bullet size machine...,

is to simply aim your wife's hair blow dryer at it.
.
When it's warm enough, you will feel the lube is soft, through the pressure handle...,

and when the sizer cools, and the lube gets stiff...,

simply blow dry it again.

[luis7]

221294
It´s the same like mine.

[Lloyd Smale]

I use one of these on my star sizer https://www.brownells.com/reloading/bullet-casting/lube-sizers-amp-heaters/lube-a-matic-heater-prod110259.aspx

[murf205]

I use one of these on my star sizer https://www.brownells.com/reloading/bullet-casting/lube-sizers-amp-heaters/lube-a-matic-heater-prod110259.aspx
Lloyd, I retired as a wireman. You linemen could afford one of those, us JW's down south didn't make enough $ LOL.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I used a 3/8" flat faced mill cutter on a 1/2" thick 3" square aluminum piece. I made `S` shaped channels with an exit cut. I had some salvaged crock pot heat wires that have insulation on them. I connected the wires to a dimmer switch and wired it to be plugged in. I drilled mounting bolt holes to match the 450 luber. I`ve made 3 of these heaters for myself and several friends.Robert

[Lloyd Smale]

mines been going strong for well over 10 years. If my math is right that works out to less then a 1/2 a cent a day. About the same cost as one lee mold. Have you ever bought a piece of chrome for your car or truck? Can you justify a motorcycle, snowmobile atv ect. My casting and shooting is the only hobby I have left. A man has to have prioritys! nothing wrong with being creative but I guess I think that if you factored in all the time and money you invest in making one a guy could buy one cast a couple pots of 38 bullets and sell them and pay for it in the same amount of time it takes to scrounge the parts and build one. You can pick up a spring off a truck for free and spent a couple weeks making yourself a free knife too but realistically are you saving money when you could put that 20 hours of work into working at a minimum wage job and buy yourself two knives. I'm far from well off. I'm poor enough to have to look logically at what I buy. If I was dirt poor id use my wifes hair drier or a propane torch. But then if I was dirt poor I couldn't afford to buy enough powder and primers and guns to call this a hobby.
Lloyd, I retired as a wireman. You linemen could afford one of those, us JW's down south didn't make enough $ LOL.

[murf205]

You did see the "LOL" at the end of my post I hope.

[Lloyd Smale]

ya it was more of a general comment then one aimed directly at you.