montana_charlie
09-07-2006, 01:38 PM
There was a thread some months ago about DIY heaters where I mentioned my modified coffee cup warmer. In replying to a similar thread (today) on another forum, I finally found time to take a picture.
Here is the whole story...and the picture...
Reloading is my hobby...not my vocation...so my reloading bench is a small-but-efficient 48 by 16 inch arrangement in the corner of my den.
When I decided to add a lubrisizer, I had a small area available on the right end that accomodates the little Lyman #45.
Too short of space for either the 'electric iron' or Lyman 'universal' heater, I re-engineered a coffee cup warmer that has an On/Off switch, power light, and a Hi/Lo switch. New-in-the-package, it cost about six bucks on eBay.
I cut away half of the circular case, leaving the controls unchanged, and routed the 'heating wire' and it's leads out the left side of the remainder of the case. This was screwed down to a 'base' which is just a piece of aluminum sheet that also extends to the left, under the Lyman #45.
The heating wire was re-bent (from a circle) into a fat 'Y' shape (to make it all fit under the foot of the sizer) and sandwiched between two small squares of 1/4 inch aluminum plate...in a groove routed out to accomodate the wire.
This sandwich, with the Lyman #45 on top, was mounted on four fiber spacers (so heat goes up into the sizer instead of down into the mounting base)...on the left end of the aluminum 'base' that holds the 'control panel'.
Heatsink compound in the groove for the heater wire, and between the sandwich and sizer, allows this unit to heat a Lyman #45 up to about 110 degrees (on Hi)...if you are patient. I turn it on a couple of hours before I plan to do some lubing.
I was concerned about 'too much' heat. SPG (for instance) is supposed to melt at 135°. Garbe recommends using a heater (or pan lubing) for his SPG - if you plan to shoot in hot weather - as the lube gets on the bullet with a more 'durable' consistency. He says to apply it 'cold' for winter shooting, as it is then 'softer'.
But, this unit never gets 'too hot'. I have left it on Lo (in a 70 degree room) for two full days without problems, and it draws very little juice.
CM
Here is the whole story...and the picture...
Reloading is my hobby...not my vocation...so my reloading bench is a small-but-efficient 48 by 16 inch arrangement in the corner of my den.
When I decided to add a lubrisizer, I had a small area available on the right end that accomodates the little Lyman #45.
Too short of space for either the 'electric iron' or Lyman 'universal' heater, I re-engineered a coffee cup warmer that has an On/Off switch, power light, and a Hi/Lo switch. New-in-the-package, it cost about six bucks on eBay.
I cut away half of the circular case, leaving the controls unchanged, and routed the 'heating wire' and it's leads out the left side of the remainder of the case. This was screwed down to a 'base' which is just a piece of aluminum sheet that also extends to the left, under the Lyman #45.
The heating wire was re-bent (from a circle) into a fat 'Y' shape (to make it all fit under the foot of the sizer) and sandwiched between two small squares of 1/4 inch aluminum plate...in a groove routed out to accomodate the wire.
This sandwich, with the Lyman #45 on top, was mounted on four fiber spacers (so heat goes up into the sizer instead of down into the mounting base)...on the left end of the aluminum 'base' that holds the 'control panel'.
Heatsink compound in the groove for the heater wire, and between the sandwich and sizer, allows this unit to heat a Lyman #45 up to about 110 degrees (on Hi)...if you are patient. I turn it on a couple of hours before I plan to do some lubing.
I was concerned about 'too much' heat. SPG (for instance) is supposed to melt at 135°. Garbe recommends using a heater (or pan lubing) for his SPG - if you plan to shoot in hot weather - as the lube gets on the bullet with a more 'durable' consistency. He says to apply it 'cold' for winter shooting, as it is then 'softer'.
But, this unit never gets 'too hot'. I have left it on Lo (in a 70 degree room) for two full days without problems, and it draws very little juice.
CM