homemade lubrisizer

[BABore]

Not trying to be a smart a$$ here guys, but check out this pic from the "for sale" section on the hollowpointmold.com website. Interesting resemblance, don't you think?
lathesmith

To what? It's an older model Saeco or it's previous name. I got another one at home just like it.

[lathesmith]

It just kinda struck me as one of those "wow, that's interesting" moments, when I saw the two presses used a nearly identical paint scheme. I had forgotten, those older Saeco's used that fairly common black crinkle paint scheme as well. On close inspection, it's obvious that BABore's is a beefier press, and is also a near-clone of the Saeco. That's pretty impressive, doing that without the benefit of a casting.

My guess is, you had one of those "I could make one of those if I wanted to" moments, and just did it, if for no other reason than to prove to yourself that you could. I've done this on occasion myself, though not to this degree. Nice work!
lathesmith

[BABore]

Not to mention that I'm cheap too. I got spoiled when I bought my first Saeco off of Flea-Bay for $50 with a die and punch. When we're slow, I gotta keep a couple machinists busy with something. I do have a design done for even a larger press so you can lube-size up to almost 12 gauge. No real need myself though.

[BCall]

How about a sizer that uses standard neck size bushings?





Works great and no more bent bullets.
We hope to be offering this and a GC seating die for sale soon.

Swede Nelson

What's the grease cup for exactly? Keep boolits from sticking?

Thanks, Billy

[JIMinPHX]

Building my own lube/sizer is something that's been on my to-do list for about 6 months now. I'm not going to be able to get around to actually doing anything about it until at least some time in early 2010. It's going to fit in a standard single stage press. It's going to look a lot like a Lee sizer with a small piston pump sticking out the side. One boolit is going to get pressed into the lube zone & then sit there until the next boolit pushes it out of the way. It's going to take the boolits heal first so that gas checks will seat better & more reliably. I've had problems with that on .22's occasionally. I may design it so that it will take standard Lyman type dies. I haven't decided yet.

[Bent Ramrod]

I made this one in a machine shop class a few years back. It doesn't size, just lubricates. Set up for .45 caliber boolits right now; I need to make a die and plunger for a .32 one of these days.

[MaxJon]

I have sourced some lyman parts namely the pressure screw and lube piston. I intend to make one using these parts, and to use conventional lube sticks and sizing dies of RCBS and Lyman. Sourced some hydraulic tube the can be bored out and milled to make the lube resivoir and ram guide etc.... I have an exploded view of the Lyman 4500 and have been looking at the star also to work out lube timing because i intend to make a nose first deal. Wish me luck
BB03

[BCall]

I'm still waiting to see if Al's design will become a reality. Or if JiminPhx gets one going.

Personally I wish I could get one like Bent Ramrod has that is fitted for a Lyman 311403. That would make loading at the bench easier.

[MaxJon]

Anyone interested in posting some pics of their sizers, RCBS LAM2 or Lyman 4500?
Might get me keen to start machining!

[LatheRunner]

I have an old lyman 45 I got off of flee-bay. Works good but leaks around the tube. I realy dont like having to crank the lube ratchet for every boolet. So I decided I would build one.

[scrapcan]

KTN made one also. his is press mounted and has the double acting lube valve feature. I am not sure if his pictures are still up or not, but i would be he will share them again.

Meecham made a die similar to the one that Swede put up. Also one can look up pope bullet sizer. I think there is an old post from moons ago that several of us were part of on this topic.

[KTN]

This was one of my first projects I started when I got my lathe.

This is what it looks like now.



If anyone is interested, I can post better pictures on how it works.


Kaj

[scrapcan]

Kaj,

I would like to see the pic again. This time I will save the info!

[MaxJon]

This was one of my first projects I started when I got my lathe.

This is what it looks like now.



If anyone is interested, I can post better pictures on how it works.


Kaj

More pics please!

[LatheRunner]

KTN,Yes please post more picks. Also explain how it works. Does it fit in a reloading press. Mine works like a star except it lubes on the up stroke. LatheRunner

[MaxJon]

Dont think i can be bothered, gunna save some bikkies for an RCBS lam 2!

[KTN]

Yes, this fits on reloading press with 1 1/4"-12 thread.
Here are parts to show how it works.
From left, sizer body without lube reservoir. Lubehole on back and groove around inside of die. Sizer die with lubeholes and groove on top. Base punch and sample boolits.



On this picture parts are lined up like they would be inside sizer, before lube fills groove. Next boolit pushes previous boolit out of die and correct lenght basepunch lines boolits lube groove with die lubeholes. Spring on top keeps sizerdie on place.



And here sizerdie is on top and lubeholes on both dies are lined up for lube to fill groove. When press handle is returned, spring on top will push sizerdie back down and close lube flow.



This system has it's limitations. Spring must be quite stiff and boolits can't be sized down much. But if boolit drops close to correct diameter from mold and alloy is not too hard, it works fine.


Kaj

[MaxJon]

Yes, this fits on reloading press with 1 1/4"-12 thread.
Here are parts to show how it works.
From left, sizer body without lube reservoir. Lubehole on back and groove around inside of die. Sizer die with lubeholes and groove on top. Base punch and sample boolits.



On this picture parts are lined up like they would be inside sizer, before lube fills groove. Next boolit pushes previous boolit out of die and correct lenght basepunch lines boolits lube groove with die lubeholes. Spring on top keeps sizerdie on place.



And here sizerdie is on top and lubeholes on both dies are lined up for lube to fill groove. When press handle is returned, spring on top will push sizerdie back down and close lube flow.



This system has it's limitations. Spring must be quite stiff and boolits can't be sized down much. But if boolit drops close to correct diameter from mold and alloy is not too hard, it works fine.


Kaj

Nice work! thanks for the photos!!
BB03

[LatheRunner]

KTN, Nice job. I like the way it fits in a reloading press.

[garandsrus]

KTN,

Do you have a picture with the lube reservoir in place and the die mounted in a press? It looks like a great design as you have elegantly solved the problem of starting/stopping the lube flow while keeping pressure on the lube.

John