base heater plans

[wc870]

New guy to casting here, I'm still in the process of "tooling up" and like to build a lot of my own tools that I can. are there any plans out there for making heaters? just trying to save a couple $$ and have some fun, thanks, W

[GasGuzzler]

I bought a scrap piece of aluminum plate from eBay (machine drop) that was already square and large enough for my LAM-II to rest on. I drilled one hole for the heater element ($3.00 from China off eBay or $15 from USA seller that gets them from China...9.8X80mm 300 Watt should be fine) and one smaller hole for the temp probe. You can get a PID and K style thermocoupler on Ebay for $10. The 300W heater shouldn't need a solid state relay like a PID for a melter. I sold my over-engineered super awesome melter PID but I still have my very simple and cheap lube heater. I recently mounted it to a Lee quick change base. Got the box, cover plate, switch locally and used a cord from an old computer. For a heavier duty set up using higher wattage load (like my Lee 4-20's 700 or so watts) you will want to run a SSR on a heat sink ... or overkilll it like me and repurpose a computer power supply to make use of the cooling fans and the power cord/switch.

Here's how it was originally bolted to the bench.

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Here's with the Lee plate mounted.

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Close up of the cheapo PID. It's showing current temp but you can see set temp too. I run mine at about 105-110F.

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Here you can see the power cord, temp sensor cord (black), and heater element cord (white) and how they are clamped to the box like home wiring.

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Close up of the heater and sensor.

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[45DUDE]

I have a Christmas tree light hung on the side of one and leave it on all the time. The size of the bulb regulates the heat. I have a free solder iron with heat control on another. One guy had a tin can with a light stuck in the top.

[Mal Paso]

The Lyman Cartridge heater fot the 4500 lubesizer is 20 watts and is too much if left on.

[wc870]

Great ideas! That’s quite the set up gasguzzler I like it!

[upnorthwis]

I use a hot air gun to heat lubri-sizer. Stays hot enough to do several hundred bullets.

[wc870]

I use a hot air gun to heat lubri-sizer. Stays hot enough to do several hundred bullets.

I have a heat gun and that was my plan for the first time until I get something built

[DHDeal]

I got lazy and bought one of the new RCBS heaters with the rheostat when it was on sale. I always enjoy looking at how some of you find another way to get the job done regardless of what that job is.

[murf205]

274527In this pic you can see the hole in the 3/8" aluminum plate I bolted under my Lyman and the cartridge is right beside it.274528Here is another shot of it.274530I routed the wire from a regular incadescent light dimmer to control the temp. Follow the white 1/2" pipe down and you will see the edge of the electrical box it is mounted in. My bench is in my basement which never gets really cold so I usually run the dimmer about 1/3 of the way open for about 15 min and then set it on the lowest setting to run a batch of boolits but REMEMBER to turn it off or you will get a puddle of lube on the floor. Mine has a plug feeding the dimmer switch and I just unplug it when I am done to keep from inadvertently turning it on. Simple and cheap.

[lcclower]

My first lube heater was an upper thermostat from Home Depot /Lowe's, set on a 4x4x1/2 aluminum bar scrap, controlling a 100w element from eBay.

[mf79]

anyone think you can mount it on a bigger metal plate and use a single countertop burner upside down to heat from the back ?

[WALLNUTT]

I've heard of people using an iron (for clothes) sitting on a bigger metal plate. The burner should work.

[Vegas Vince]

Use old iron for about 15 years. Made a wooden mount, iron was upside down . Had medal plate on top to mount on. That gave out & I used heat lamp for a couple years. I found Lyman heaters & still use them. But I mostly tumble lube now.

[SeabeeMan]

I have a piece of 4" x 12" x 1/2" aluminum with holes drilled in it to mount to my bench. Tee nuts underneath in a pattern for my MEC 650's, and I use that pattern for any other mount I make to use those spots. It's long enough behind it that I can put a Goodwill-sourced iron on it and just keep it on low. The response time is a little slow and I don't have a thermocouple yet, but it sure works well!

[Graybeard96]

My 45 Lube sizer is mounted to the Reloading Bench on a Steel Pedestal on top of it a 2" * 2" by 4 inch Aluminum Block on top of which the Lube sizer is mounted. I drilled a 5/8" hole into the Aluminum Block into which I Insert a Electric Soldering Iron with which I preheat for about 30 minutes before lube sizing. Works well and made by myself the way I like things done.

Cheers

[David2011]

My lubesizer is mounted on an aluminum plate 1/8”x6”x12”. I heat it with a clothes iron I got at Goodwill for $2.00. I set it on the lowest temperature and regulate the heat by moving it closer to or farther from the sizer. It’s worked for over 15 years.

[Dragonheart]

You can spend a lot of time and more money that a lube sizer cost to heat it, but a flood light or heat lamp in a clamp on fixture directing the light on the lube reservoir will heat it up with very little time of cash outlay.