lyman 45 rant

[Wayne Smith]

That's why I size my water dropped boolits same day.

[fryboy]

any hard alloy should be sized asap - especially if they tend to harden over time , the #45 isnt the most robust of machines and any machine will break when used beyond it's capabilities, It does work wonderfully well within reason ( love it for my lil 22's !! )

[bruce drake]

Looking back at this thread, I should have upgraded to the 5/16" bolt the first time I broke this shoulder bolt....I broke the replacement bolt I procured back in January last night...Going to drill out the hole for the thicker bolt tonight...

[bruce drake]

replaced the broken bolt with a 5/16" 1.75" length bolt tonight. I used a dremel to cut the bolt head to fit into the new hole and used a compression washer and a nylon/steel locknut to secure the bolt in place.

Ideal should have offered this upgrade to their Lyman 45s to help the owners of their sizers who didn't want to upgrade to the 4500 series...

[1989toddm]

Ive been sizing .4615 405gr slugs cast from WW lead down to .459 and for this very reason, sizing a day or less after casting. Boy those are tough! I think part of it also is the lube I'm using and that its in a 65 degree basement.

[leadman]

Some heat on the lube will ease the pressure needed to size the boolit. A hair dryer or better yet a Harbor Freight heat gun works great if you don't want to spring for a lube heater.
For very hard boolits I would size down by .001" then change sizer dies for the next .001". I did not keep the 45 very long. I have 2 older RCBS luber/sizers plus a bunch of Lee push thru sizers for tthe Hi-Tek coated boolits.
If the OP still has problems he could use a Lee push thru first then run them thru the 45 to lube them. Extra work but better than breaking the 45.

[Ed in North Texas]

I'd say I made the right decision when I dedicated my 45 to my BPCR boolits. Soft lead, mostly no sizing to speak of, home made lube warmer (1/2" aluminum blocks big enough to mount the 45, 450 and LAM II on, drilled and cartridge heaters installed - first use on the 45 I found out how hot that sucker could get as I had lube all over the bench and floor , got a rheostat to switch between the 3). Works good for what I wanted it to do.

[1989toddm]

Just like casting, it takes a "feel" to know when your pushing the machine too hard.


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[montana_charlie]

Just like casting, it takes a "feel" to know when your pushing the machine too hard.

I fully agree with that concept ... when using ANY tool or machine.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I have owned many Lyman 45 sizers over the years and never broke anything on any of them. Several years ago I sold five on the S&S Forum at once, I'll never do that again. I am currently using three along with six other sizers. I hate changing dies.

[1989toddm]

I fully agree with that concept ... when using ANY tool or machine.

True. Too many guys don't take the time to learn to listen, feel, watch, and learn from the equipment they are running. Breakage soon follows.


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[bruce drake]

And many of us are using a instrument that was made 75 years or longer ago. Parts do fatigue over time even with proper usage of the equipment.

[Duckiller]

Why would anyone get mad at a tool that probably hasn't been made for at least50 years? The 45 is a very useful tool, but it has limitations. Don't want to live with the limitations? Get a 450 or 4500. There is a reason Lyman now makes the 4500.

[almostgone]

I really like my 45 although its only sizer Ive ever had. Got it in a collection of old misc. reloading/casting stuff 20 odd years ago. Kinda where I got started casting. The screw on my handle is constantly backing out and I have to be ever watchful. Is there a fix for that? I guess locktite comes to mind but? I didn't know the true purpose of the top cap, I had put a dust cover(rubber cap) over mine when I replaced the pressure screw and plug. Guess I'll have to get a replacement. This site is a wealth of knowledge!

[fryboy]

Drill your old cover out to 5/16" iirc it'll then fit over the longer threads on the new rod
As for the handle coming loose ...ummm actual handle ? ( which is a press fit ) or the pivot point ? ( which the early ones had a shoulder bolt and later models a pin with a cotter key ) if it's the shoulder bolt one clean the threads and use a square shaft big screwdriver with a wrench ,crescent or other,to get it good and tight,one can use locktite but I've never found the need if I had clean and tight threads,if you do use locktite allow it to fully dry before using

As for guys complaining about 70+ year old tools ...they're only jealous 'cuz they may not work so well after 70+ years

[Graybeard96]

Some heat on the lube will ease the pressure needed to size the boolit. A hair dryer or better yet a Harbor Freight heat gun works great if you don't want to spring for a lube heater.
For very hard boolits I would size down by .001" then change sizer dies for the next .001". I did not keep the 45 very long. I have 2 older RCBS luber/sizers plus a bunch of Lee push thru sizers for tthe Hi-Tek coated boolits.
If the OP still has problems he could use a Lee push thru first then run them thru the 45 to lube them. Extra work but better than breaking the 45.

Man, every time I get on this site I learn something new and useful- Thank's from another 45er.

[Beagle333]

I use the Lee push thru first, then lube with the 45's. It's very gentle on my lubers that way. I even have three No. 1 lubers and if I size with the Lee die first, they should also outlast me.