My homemade heater

[Patrick L]

I finally got around to snapping a few pics of my poor man's lubesizer heater.

Actually, I often just use a simple flex lamp with a 100 watt bulb right smack up against the base of the unit. If I know in advance I'm going to size, I'll turn it on and let it sit. The down side is its slow, but even 30 minutes warms things up nicely. If I leave it a few hours the whole machine feels like nice warm toast.
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/Lubesizer%20Heater/GunStuff008.jpg


As to the heater, I just cut two pieces of 1/4" aluminum plate, one about 4x4 inches, and another 4x8 inches. I sandwiched and screwed them together as shown, and drilled holes for the sizer mounting bolts to pass thru. The sizer goes on the double thickness, with the small piece on the bottom and the long piece on top extending straight back away from the sizer. A common travel iron is then placed on the back portion for no more than a minute or so. Since the back part of the plate is up off the bench top, the heat travels forward right into the base of the sizer.
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/Lubesizer%20Heater/GunStuff006.jpg


Here's some closer detail
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/Lubesizer%20Heater/GunStuff007.jpg

The picture shows a LAM II mounted, but I also have holes for the old Ideal 45. I don't use any really hard lubes, but even the medium soft ones I do use flow just a bit easier when warmed, especially in the winter.

Works pretty well, and the price was right; I think I payed about $12 for a 12x12 piece of 1/4 inch aluminum, and my sis gave me the travel iron for free!

[RobS]

That looks just about like mine........except I used four 1/4" spacers and fender washers between the base plate and the table as it was cheaper than using another piece of aluminum. Looks good!!! and +1 on using a touch of heat even on the soft lubes.

[sagacious]

Good job! Sure helps on those cold days.

[LAH]

Nice job there Patrick....................Creeker



Dry Creek Bullet Works
Dry Creek Firewood

[MSGO-Hammer]

Think I am going to have to try this out myself!

[LatheRunner]

Hi Patrick. I heat my lube sizer the same way. Cheap and easy. Right now I am using Rooster red. I will get some C Red from Lars when the Rooster runs out. LatheRunner

[prickett]

Do you guys have a source for cheap aluminum plates? My cursory search via google resulted in plates that run around $50 - WAY more than I'm willing to pay (considering you can buy a complete Lyman heater for less than just the aluminum plate).

[rodsvet]

Almost any city will have a metals retailer who sell to welding shops. They will have remnants of just about everything they sell. !/4 inch aluminum plate sells for $3.00 a pound. That would be a piece 5 inches wide by 8 inches long give or take. I paid 3 bucks and made a backup heater for my Star that also works for my Lachmiller. Use the yellow pages not the internet. Good Luck, Rod

[Suo Gan]

Do you guys have a source for cheap aluminum plates? My cursory search via google resulted in plates that run around $50 - WAY more than I'm willing to pay (considering you can buy a complete Lyman heater for less than just the aluminum plate).

Use google, but type in the nearest semi large city and type in steel dealers. The steel guys have pipe, aluminunuminum, plate steel, diamond plate, corrugated pipes, etc. All kinds of stuff from the opposite end of town than the wife shops at, which suits me to a T! When I go over there, I just ask her if I can get my balls out of her purse for a few hours so I can be a manly man and curse, and wear my torn plaid shirt, and boots with holes in them and be the best dressed most well mannered guy in the place. But I think Pat Marlin has something like that he sells already?

[Patrick L]

I cut that out of a 12x12 piece of aluminum I got a a scrapyard. If I recall, I paid $10 or $12 for the piece.

[1Shirt]

No doubt it works fine, looks good, etc.etc.etc. I have long used a $2.00 or so hair dryer from good will. Have 4 lubersizers, and one hair drier is all I need for the four.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[DukeInFlorida]

Hair dryers are too noisy for my liking!