How can I fill a RCBS Lube a matic with melted bulk lube?

[Whole Bunches]

I fill my Lyman 450 with bulk lube by simply removing the cap and plunger, pouring in the melted bulk lube, and screwing the plunger back on the rod. It's a way to really save on lube costs. Let cool and go back to lubing. I recently bought a used RCBS lube a matic II. Cleaned out the old lube and realized the whole plunger, cap, and threaded rod come out in one assembly. Is it possible to pour my melted bulk lube in it? As best I could figure, I'd have to melt the lube, pour it in, and stick the rod, plunger, and cap on real quick before the melted lube solidified.

Is there a secret to using bulk lube in the RCBS lubrisizer? Its manual says use hollow sticks. I've searched and found no answer, only how to make hollow lube sticks. I'd rather just pour in the melted lube like I'm used to doing on my Lyman, fast and easy. Thank you!

[namsag]

Hello I do mine the same way, I don’t mess with hollow sticks. When I got mine and cleaned it out, I put the rod back in place but I wondered if the melted lube would run out the botton before it solidified. As I was sizing/lubing bullets for black powder, I just got a stick of SPG for the first use and fed it down in there, and used it till it got to near the bottom, now I had a plug to contain my melted 50-50 beeswax/olive oil, now I just fill it as needed with always some solid lube a the bottom to act as a plug.

[Whole Bunches]

I wasn't too worried about the lube running out the bottom on the first filling with liquid lube (figured I'd have a sizing die in place to prevent the liquid lube from running out of the sizer), but I see what you mean. I was just concerned with will I have enough time to put the rod and assembly back in before the melted lube hardens too much to prevent me from putting the assembly back in. Of course pouring in melted lube I cannot fill it to the brim, as I'd need to leave enough room for the rod to go back into the sizer.

Thank you, you've alleviated my concern. I did find a youtube video in which the person briefly said you had to put the rod assembly back in quickly while the lube was still liquid, but never showed it being done. It's reassuring to have you say it's easy to do.

[Mal Paso]

I have been filling sizers with melted lube for years. I used to melt it in a Pyrex measuring cup in a microwave but blew a glass bullseye out of the bottom. Now I melt in a stainless steel pot on a hotplate.

[beagle]

I use a pop can with the top cut out. bend a spout on the front and a tab on the side to grasp with vise grips. When casting I set for a minute or two on top of the melt and pour. Repeat until I get what I want in the sizer. Set aside, let cool and place in a plastic bag for the next filling. Just don't leave pop can on top of the melt too long./beagle

[Winger Ed.]

That's the only way I fill mine when using my home made lube.
I fill it about a inch or so from the top, run the plunger disc all the way to its top, and put the cap back on.
I do that at the end of a session, so it always has plenty of time to cool.

I never started off when it was completely empty & cleaned out though.
If I ever did; with a die in it, I figure the melted lube wouldn't run out.

[imashooter2]

I use a small aluminum camping style coffee pot and melt it on an electric iron turned upside down in my bench vise. Super convenient.

[Land Owner]

"Thinking" I would be using "a lot" of lube, I made one gallon of Satan's 6-6-6 lube and a 6-cavity PVC lube mold for my LAMII. I put the first batch of "wax sticks" from the new lube mold in the freezer to solidify.

That was 2-YEARS ago. I cannot now FIND THE PVC TUBES, the molded lube, or the aluminum rods. They are not in the freezer as I unloaded it looking! This is on the order of getting back one sock from the dryer.

Caution: if you heat bees wax-based lube too long, it will burn. Don't do that. Adding colored crayon (red, green, blue, etc.) to the melt "stiffens" the lube. How many crayons? How "stiff" is stiff? IDK. Still learning here...

Pouring melted lube into the LAMII is not a big deal. The "heat sink" of the "cold" LAMII cast metal will solidify the melted lube fairly quickly along the bottom and in the vicinity of the die body without making a mess. When filling the LAMII reservoir with melted lube, there is no rush to return the Lube Pressure Assembly before the reservoir lube solidifies. The quantity of lube is sufficient to stay viscous (liquid to semi-liquid) while screwing the assembly onto the reservoir.

NOTE: Prior to melting the lube, assure that the Lube Plunger (H in the illustration) and its fiber washer (mine is an "O" ring) is fully raised or by the time to raise it after pouring the reservoir 3/4 full, it WILL solidify.

https://i.postimg.cc/wMCdtDdC/Plunger.jpg




Here is a simple design for a lube mold (# of cavities is optional):

https://i.postimg.cc/T1CDfYM5/RCBS-LAM-II-WAX-MOULD.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/D02X94DK/RCBS-LAM-II-WAX-MOULD-2.jpg

[Sasquatch-1]

I made a simple mold out of (I believe) 1.5" PVC(don't hold me to that), a washer that fit snuggly inside the tube, a larger washer that covered the base and some .25" all thread and nuts. since you are melting it to begin with, why not melt it once and make your own sticks.

Land Owners design is a popular one on YouTube.

[Land Owner]

I made modifications to my design. I cut the 2x6 in half for a pair of 2 cavity molds. I cut the PVC pipe hole all the way through. I used the coupon from that hole, which already had the aluminum rod hole drilled through it, as a plug in the bottom of the PVC. I added steel washers at the top, to keep the rod centered, and bottom of the PVC as something to push against. These washers are loose and fall out when not being used. Other than that, I made four more lube sticks this morning, melting in multiple green crayons for coloring the tan beeswax.

[Old Caster]

If you use PVC to mold your sticks, put them on a thick piece of iron and be careful to not knock them over when pouring and after they are fairly solid so they won't leak when picking them up, put them in the freezer. After a few hours and taking them out you can push them out with your thumb rather easy. I don't need a hole in mine but did give a few to someone that did and I drilled a 1/4 inch hole in some with a hand drill and being careful to keep it somewhat centered. Worked fine.

[Froogal]

I use SPG lube. I simply cut it into small chunks, drop it in, and then put it all back together. Sometimes I have to fiddle with it a bit but it always works.