Lube Won't Flow

[shepherddogs]

Just started using my RCBS Lube Sizer II. I have the Lyman heater under it but the lube doesn't seem to flow well. I'm using Lyman Orange Magic. The temp in my shop was probably about 45 degrees offsetting the heater a little, but the sizer was fairly warm to the touch. I even held a propane heater close to the sizer for a couple minutes to give it a boost. Still didn't work well. Any ideas? Is there a lube that melts a little easier but isn't sticky? Thanks for any help.

[garandsrus]

It may take a while to warm up if it has been sitting in 45 degrees.

I assume that you have tightened the pressure screw and have sufficient pressure...

John

[sniper7369]

I use the same lube in my 4500 and my shop is usually pretty cold too. I have to use a heat gun to get the sizer warm enough for the lube to flow, then leave a 1500 watt electric heater pointed at it while I'm sizing boolits.

[shepherddogs]

I left it on about an hour and a half before starting. I wondered if the stuff gets old. It was hard as a rock and kind of brittle. Like maybe dried out or something. The lube came out streaked vertically on the bullets no matter how much pressure I applied. Sniper, are you also using a heater made for the sizer?

[Shiloh]

I Currently use Larsen's B.A.C which does not need a heater and flows well at room temp. It wont flow in the basement without heating.

Like you though, the lubrisizer is affected by the winter cold. The basement is about 50 degrees as we save the heat for the living areas in our upper midwest home. The wood stove gets it nice and cozy but still takes a while to warm up the reloading area.

A few minutes with the propane torch constantly moving around the luber, jump starts things nicely. I have used the brides hairdryer on occasion but I get the "Look" when she sees me take it down stairs. I should probably make a trip to the goodwill store and find my own hairdryer.

Shiloh

[missionary5155]

Good morning
For years I have been using the standard TRACTOR block heater many tractor supply places sold for $7 ( I have not been up there for 2 years +) It is magnetic so it sticks anywhere you plop it. On real cold days in my semi heated basement up there in Illinois I place it on the resevoir area of the Lyman 450 and it gets the lube HOT if you are not careful. I then move it back down to the steel plate my 450 is bolted through... no problems with any lube I have ever tried. These things get "FRY your shin HOT". I jormally unplug it every 5 minutes as the lube gets thin and HOT !
God Bless you ! It may only get 70 here today ???

[sniper7369]

I left it on about an hour and a half before starting. I wondered if the stuff gets old. It was hard as a rock and kind of brittle. Like maybe dried out or something. The lube came out streaked vertically on the bullets no matter how much pressure I applied. Sniper, are you also using a heater made for the sizer?

NO, I don't have a heater made for the sizer. The Orange Magic I have is kind of brittle and crumbles also.

[monadnock#5]

Try adjusting your depth stop up or down too. It may be that the drive bands are in line with the lube ports.

[cajun shooter]

Shiloh, Go to Harbor Freight and buy the 2 speed heat gun. It's on sale now for $10. Works good and will keep you good on the home front. It also will get your sizer so hot that it will burn so be careful. I use mine to melt all the lube out when cleaning the sizer to change lubes also. I also have to give BAC a boost even thou the site says it's not needed.

[OLPDon]

My guess would be that even though your lube sizer is warm the Boolits are not if working at a cool temp 45 the Boolits are at least that temp. What I do if I do not get complete fillout I run the Boolit twice down once for the size and Lube bring Boolit up and turn it 90* and back down & the void is filled
Don

[beagle]

Grab one of the metal potato chip cans and turn it over your sizing rig. Place a light bulb under the can and leave it for maybe 30 minutes. Insure that all of the pressue is off the sizer screw so that the lube doesn't expand and crack the sizer body. THis will slowly transfer heat to the sizer and lube and it will usually retain heat for a casting session.

More good cast bullets are runined each year during cold weather sizing due to the excess pressure required to overcome the resistance of the cold lube in an unheated area. This will usually bump and distort the noses excessively.

This is the cheap way to make a sizer heater. Eventually, if you stay with the hobby, you'll make or buy a sizer heater./beagle

[Maven]

A couple of things re lube sizers and hard lubes, especially Orange Magic. First, I don't think Lyman & RCBS lube sizers were made with hard lubes in mind, at least not when ambient temps. are ~50 deg. F or less. Second, at those temperatures, even NRA 50/50 lube doesn't flow in the absence of a heat source. (You don't need much heat or to apply it for a long period of time for the soft lubes.) Third, I've used lots of Orange Magic or "Odorous Orange Prime" as it was originally known (D.G.P. Shay of West Covina, CA produced it along with several others also colorfully named.) and frankly think it's overkill for CB velocities <2,300fps. Fourth, you'll need to remelt the Orange Magic lube and dilute it with petrolatum (Vaseline or market brand), ATF, STP or some similar substance. Fifth, Beagle's suggestion is excellent and will work until you fashion a proper heater for your #450.

[sniper7369]

A couple of things re lube sizers and hard lubes, especially Orange Magic. First, I don't think Lyman & RCBS lube sizers were made with hard lubes in mind, at least not when ambient temps. are ~50 deg. F or less. Second, at those temperatures, even NRA 50/50 lube doesn't flow in the absence of a heat source. (You don't need much heat or to apply it for a long period of time for the soft lubes.) Third, I've used lots of Orange Magic or "Odorous Orange Prime" as it was originally known (D.G.P. Shay of West Covina, CA produced it along with several others also colorfully named.) and frankly think it's overkill for CB velocities <2,300fps. Fourth, you'll need to remelt the Orange Magic lube and dilute it with petrolatum (Vaseline or market brand), ATF, STP or some similar substance. Fifth, Beagle's suggestion is excellent and will work until you fashion a proper heater for your #450.

I was actually thinking about melting the Orange magic and adding some lithium grease and carnuba wax to it for lubing my 9mm and .45 boolits. Would that soften it up enough?

[Maven]

I was actually thinking about melting the Orange magic and adding some lithium grease and carnuba wax to it for lubing my 9mm and .45 boolits. Would that soften it up enough?

sniper...., I've never tried white lithium grease or carnauba wax so I won't speculate about the outcome. However, the temp. at which the former dissolves in bullet lube is close to the flash point of the lube and maybe the latter as well. If you try these, be careful!

[sniper7369]

I was actually thinking about melting the Orange magic and adding some lithium grease and carnuba wax to it for lubing my 9mm and .45 boolits. Would that soften it up enough?

sniper...., I've never tried white lithium grease or carnauba wax so I won't speculate about the outcome. However, the temp. at which the former dissolves in bullet lube is close to the flash point of the lube and maybe the latter as well. If you try these, be careful!

Thanks. Maybe I'll just try the STP or ATF first and see if that works for me.

[357maximum]

Good ol petroleum jelly works pretty good to soften Orange Magic into a more user friendly lube. It does not take much vaseline to make it more friendly either. The PJ+OM will still do anything you want it to do.;-)

[Shiloh]

Shiloh, Go to Harbor Freight and buy the 2 speed heat gun. It's on sale now for $10. Works good and will keep you good on the home front. It also will get your sizer so hot that it will burn so be careful. I use mine to melt all the lube out when cleaning the sizer to change lubes also. I also have to give BAC a boost even thou the site says it's not needed.

Thanks for the suggestion Cajun Shooter!! :drinks:

I'm Looking at a Cen-Tech micrometer from them. Even though I remove all powder, primers, and flammables, The open flame from the propane torch is a concern.

Shiloh.

[DLCTEX]

Missionary 5155: A heavy duty dimmer switch would allow you to control the temp on your block heater. I will have to check with tractor supply and see if one (block heater)is available in our area. I like the sound of that better than a clothes iron. DALE