Warming the RCBS Lube - A - Matic 2

[lead Foot]

It's winter here in the southern hemisphere and the lube is getting hard in my Lube - A - Matic. A friend suggested using a hair dryer. It worked a treat and it didn't take long - few minutes. :-D What ingenious way do you heat your lubricator?:roll:
Lead foot;

[Humbo]

Nothing fancy or ingenious here, I use the Lyman heater on mine.

[Bret4207]

I use an old blow dryer. SWMBO and the Princess's give up on them after they die. I take them apart, clean the hair out and lube them up. Most recover fine. The dryer also warms me mitts when sizing in cold weather in an unheated area.

[mrbill2]

A aluminum plate under the lube and sizer with the wife's iron on top give me temp control. Works for me.
Mr. Bill2

[cajun shooter]

Use the same setup as shown by mrbill but use thicker aluminum plate. The thicker plate will hold the heat better. Also use a travel iron as they are smaller

[Hardcast416taylor]

I took a 1/2" thick slab of aluminum about 7x7". I then used an end mill bit oval head 3/8" wide and made an double "S" pattern 1/4" deep with an entry and exit slot. I took the insulated heating wire from a crock pot and laid it out in the groove on the block. I added a simple dimmer switch for control. I mounted my RCBS luber on it and now I have my own warming plate system for hard lubes. Robert

[Echo]

I use a drop light set behind the LS. Run it for about 30 minutes, shut it off, leave it off for a while, turn it back on for a while, ad infinitum...

[twotoescharlie]

1/2 alum plate with a hole in it. insert a small soldering iron in it with low wattage. works well formyself and don't have to borrow anything from the old lady.

TTC

[9.3X62AL]

I use an old blow dryer. SWMBO and the Princess's give up on them after they die. I take them apart, clean the hair out and lube them up. Most recover fine. The dryer also warms me mitts when sizing in cold weather in an unheated area.

+1. Six daughters and a wife have kept me over-supplied with sizer heaters for winter use.

[Bret4207]

+1. Six daughters and a wife have kept me over-supplied with sizer heaters for winter use.

6 daughters...........................my father in law had six daughters. Hope you make out better than he did!

[dromia]

I used to effectively use the dowters hair drier for years, much to her chagrin I may add.

I then got a Midway heater in a second hand RCBS lubesizer deal and have never looked back.

If I wanted more heat I wouldn't think twice about forking out for a new Midway heater plate.

[DLCTEX]

mrbill2: That's pretty brave, using the wife's iron. Go to a thrift store or garage sale and save your marriage.:mrgreen:

[snowtigger]

mrbill2: That's pretty brave, using the wife's iron. Go to a thrift store or garage sale and save your marriage.:mrgreen:

+1 on that

[mpmarty]

I've got a 7/16" stud protruding from my bench and my various presses, sizers etc. are all mounted on 1" x 6" x 10" oak except for my lubrisizers both Star and Lyman which are mounted on 1/2" aluminum in the same width and length. I bought a used iron at a thrift shop for a dollar and it works great sitting behind the lubrisizers on the extended plate. I simply drop the plate or board over the stud and secure with a washer and nut. I find this a quick and easy way to "set up" various tools that I don't use on a regular basis. My dillon 550 is permanently mounted as are two "C" presses. The rest of my stuff like lubrisizers, various powder measures and my rock chucker are in a cabinet out of the way.

[mrbill2]

mrbill2: That's pretty brave, using the wife's iron. Go to a thrift store or garage sale and save your marriage.:mrgreen:
Well after 45 years of marriage we have things sorted out. I'm the boss. You boys down there in Texas need to take the bull by the horns. OK She said I could say that. :bigsmyl2:

[Down South]

I use the aluminum plate and iron trick. It works well. I just bought one of Pat's machined bases with an adapter plate for my Star sizer and it has a place to sit an iron on it too. I'll be settining it up soon I hope as time provides.

[captain-03]

Some GREAT ideas here -- going to try a couple!! Thanks!!

[cajun shooter]

Capt-03, If you have limited bench space as I do then mount the aluminum plate to a piece of wood. I use 2x6 because I have some from a project. You can then use c- clamps to mount the luber and remove it when done freeing up that bench for other uses.

[MT Gianni]

I hang a 75 watt trouble light next to the luber with the hook in the top hole next to the adjustment pressure rod. I leave it on for 10 minutes and adjust it off and on as I need to changing sides occasionally.

[luke777]

G'day Leadfoot, I'm in Australia too and am also working on a home made heater for my Lube-A-Matic II.

I took a leaf from another forum member and am setting up a 12mm plate under the base of mine. I intend to buff the paint off the bottom for better surface contact. I intend to bend the plate up at a bit of an angle where it comes out past the rear of the sizer and drill a hole in this plate to insert a soldering iron into it.

I have just wired up a dimmer control so I can control the temperature and am testing it out right now to see if it works (the dimmer control that is).

I'll post pictures once it's up and running and let you know how it goes. Coming into Summer as you know and here in Cairns it can get warm but I'll be set up for hard lubes which is cool. I have just made a batch of "Mikes Micro Lithi" and am really keen to see how she goes.

Kind regards and safe shooting.

Luke

[Gunslinger]

I used to use a hairdryer as well. But then started makin my own lube... so now I don't have to heat the lube anymore... i like it!!

[Patrick L]

I also did an aluminum plate, but I took a piece of 1/4" aluminum and cut two pieces, one about 5" square and one 5"x 10". I srewed them together into a sandwich in which one end is now 1/2" thick, and the sizers are mounted on that end with the smaller piece on the bottom directly on the bench top. The 10" single layer of 1/4" aluminum extends straight back, with a 1/4 space between it and the bench, and a travel iron is placed on that. Since the heated plate is not in contact with the bench, the heat flows forward faster, directly to the base of the sizer. I have holes drilled in the plates for both my LAM II and my old Ideal #45.

I sometimes also use an extension light with a 100 watt bulb, especially if I plan ahead. Leaving the light on the sizer for @30 minutes warms it nicely.

[luke777]

Patrick L.

GGreat ideas. I tested the sodering iron with the dimmer last night and my only concern is that even at the lowest setting it may be a little warm. Lowest temp I can get at the irons tip is about 125 F. I am hoping that the distance heat needs to travel and a little bit of loss from the Aluminium will bring the temp at the sizer down a little.

Gotta cut the Aluminium base out today if time permits and then I can truly test it out.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Luke

[NoDakJak]

Same as cajun shooter but mine are bolted to a pirce of 2" X 4" that I clamp in the vise on the end of the bench. The 2x4 has a eyebolt screwed into the end so that it can be hung from a hook in the floor joists for storage. Before this I used a hair drier and if I was going to size very many boolits it became a PITA as my basement is very cool.(Cold) Neil