Lyman 4500 Help!

[lakota]

I got a new Lyman 4500 with heater for Christmas. This thing is giving me fits. I am trying to size and lube a Lee .358 158 gr round nose flat point cast from wheel weight alloy. I am using a Lyman #43 top punch and a Lyman .358" sizer. Lube is Lyman Alox.

I have endlessly fiddled with the depth adjuster-(in-out-in-out) Put pressure on the lube backed it off tried it heated tried it cold. I either get no lube at all or lube smeared on the base. I havent gotten lube anywhere near the grease groove yet!:x

Can anyone give me any tips or tell me what I may be doing wrong? I have scoured the net and read and re-read the instructions and still no luck.

I have been tumble lubing my cast bullets for years but lately I have been dreaming of pretty bullets that arent completely covered in goo and a seater die that doesnt need to be torn apart to have liquid alox cleaned out of it every 50 rounds.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have been lurking here for a month or two reading and enjoying threads.

[lwknight]

Sounds like you may not be getting the boolits deep enough.
Also, bevel based boolits are a booger in the pressure lube/sizer.
I put a gas check in the sizer to prevent the lube from getting under the boolit. Unless I press it too hard, the check always stays in the die and not on the boolit.

[lakota]

It is a bevevel base design. Also when I have the depth set to where it looks like it should be getting lube the kick out link doesnt have enough travel to kick the bullet out of the sizer die. I have a 170 grain Keith style SWC Lyman mold on order. I hope it solves some of my problems.

[StarMetal]

It is a bevevel base design. Also when I have the depth set to where it looks like it should be getting lube the kick out link doesnt have enough travel to kick the bullet out of the sizer die. I have a 170 grain Keith style SWC Lyman mold on order. I hope it solves some of my problems.

Depending on sizer die most often the plunger rod inside the die doesn't kick the bullet out of the die. In fact I've never seen a bullet kicked out of a die. When the bottom of the plunger is flat even with the bottom of the die the link can't push it any further. In that position I've seen the top of the rod at various depths from being flush with the top of the die. In fact I've never seen a plunger flush with the top of the die.

Joe

[iron mule]

lakota , one thing to try for bevel base bullets in a 4500 is to cut a disk out of thin styrofoam , the trays that meat comes in from the market are good to use, you can cut one using the mouth of a cartridbe case, put the disk under the bullet and this will keep the lube off the bottom once you get the die adjusted , a disk will last a pertty good while before it needs to be changed out /// hope this will help you
mule

[lakota]

I tried the styrofoam disc and more adjusting and was still getting lube under the bullet.
I then tried lubing a different bullet-a .358 Lee 105 grain SWC which has a plain flat base and had no issues. Maybe the other Lee bullet just isnt compatable with this lube sizer?

I will try to stay away from bevel base bullet molds in the future.

[462]

lakota,

Can't stuff a .40 caliber top punch into a .358" die. The 43 top punch is your problem...it's designed for a .40 caliber bullet. It's too wide for a .358" sizer die and it's not allowing the boolit to go far enough into the die for the groove to pick up any lube.

For that boolit, I use a Lyman 429 top punch.

Don't give up on the boolit's bevel base design. If lube on the base is a bother, wipe it off.

[lakota]

lakota,

Can't stuff a .40 caliber top punch into a .358" die. The 43 top punch is your problem...it's designed for a .40 caliber bullet. It's too wide for a .358" sizer die and it's not allowing the boolit to go far enough into the die for the groove to pick up any lube.

For that boolit, I use a Lyman 429 top punch.

Don't give up on the boolit's bevel base design. If lube on the base is a bother, wipe it off.

Well dont ask me where I got the idea to buy a 43 top punch when the chart cleary says 429!???? I did order the correct 429 top punch for my new mold!

[462]

lakota,

Infallibility is not one of my better traits, either.

[lakota]

Yep I even found the shopping list I took the day I picked this stuff up and it clearly says "429 top punch" I have no idea where I got 43 out of that.

Might be a good excuse to buy a .40 caliber pistol-"but honey, I already have the top punch for it."

[kingstrider]

Wow I feel silly as I've had the same problem the other day. Seems I'd left a different top punch on and could not figure out why only one of the lube grooves was getting filled. You guys are a wealth of info!

[canyon-ghost]

I have a type of solution to the mix up. I use torch tip boxes, the plastic see-through kind to put my dies in, they're longer and have enough room to store the top punch with the die. If the two stay together, I'm set.

[kingstrider]

I have a type of solution to the mix up. I use torch tip boxes, the plastic see-through kind to put my dies in, they're longer and have enough room to store the top punch with the die. If the two stay together, I'm set.

Where can one source torch tip boxes? Not sure I've ever seen one before..

[sst04]

Yep I even found the shopping list I took the day I picked this stuff up and it clearly says "429 top punch" I have no idea where I got 43 out of that.

Might be a good excuse to buy a .40 caliber pistol-"but honey, I already have the top punch for it."



Dont feel bad, I did the same thing when ordering a top punch. I ordered a 45 for my 40. If the design of the punches is the same then just do as I did(folks on this board gave me the idea) and chuck it in a drill and get a file and go to town.

[45nut]

Might be a good excuse to buy a .40 caliber pistol-"but honey, I already have the top punch for it."
ROFL,,thats the idea! think she will go for it? LOL

[Russ in WY]

Torch Tip Box substitute, try saving your prescription plastic bottles from the Pharmacy. The labels peal off easy & then ones I got you can turn the tops over & they just screw in bypassing the kid-proof feature. By the time I got finished with the Root Canal I had enough to keep my small supply of dies & top punches . My2¢ Russ.

[doubs43]

A bevel-base boolit will generally have lube around the base as it doesn't seal the sides of the sizing die. That's why I try to avoid BB boolit designs. The one machine that does a good job of keeping lube from the base is the Star but it's expensive and so are the dies and top punches.

If lube is getting under the base of the boolit in quantity - a blob, you likely need to do two things: set the die to allow the boolit to go deeper and keep constant pressure on the boolit as you push it down.

I keep a folded paper towel on the bench to rub the base of my boolits on to wipe away any lube on the base. Lube on the sides is a non-issue IMO unless it's above the top drive band.

[runfiverun]

i use the clear tackle boxes designed for lures to keep my sizers in a label maker on the top and inside makes the crs a non factor.

[Mk42gunner]

...Might be a good excuse to buy a .40 caliber pistol-"but honey, I already have the top punch for it."

Now this is just going too far, we all know that a mold with no gun is the proper excuse[smilie=1:.


Robert

[opentop]

I will try to stay away from bevel base bullet molds in the future.

I'd keep an open mind when you get it figured out, That LEE 358-158 is a dang good shooter!

[lakota]

I'd keep an open mind when you get it figured out, That LEE 358-158 is a dang good shooter!



I bought that mold for my Rossi 92 and it has quickly become my favorite boolit for rifle and revolver.

[lakota]

I got the right punch and the press works perfectly with the Lee 358 158 RNFP and man do them boolits look nice without LLA all over them. Got a box loaded and cant wait to shoot them.

Thanks to all for the advice.

[MT Gianni]

I labelled a clear fishing box for my top punches and use a 12 gauge plastic shotshell case for the sizer dies.

[KansasScout]

My Rossi 92 is exactly what I am going to cast/load for too! I plan on getting the Lyman 4500 as well. Or I think I will. Thats for my next thread question.

[EMC45]

I got the right punch and the press works perfectly with the Lee 358 158 RNFP and man do them boolits look nice without LLA all over them. Got a box loaded and cant wait to shoot them.

Thanks to all for the advice.

That is a fine shooting bullet! I have loaded them by the coffee canful, and have never been dissappointed!

[Walter Laich]

On a similar note I have ordered the same top punch twice (actually did this twice!):wink:

[johnlaw484]

I have used cut to lenght drill bits to quarter twenty bolts for top punches. It's not rocket science.