LYMAN 45 HOW TO?

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  • Last Post 11 December 2012
smifffphe posted this 10 December 2012

I have the Lyman 45 Lube sizer and I was hoping to find a solution to this problem and here are my options below that might work.   Please reply as I need a Warmer:

1.  Can I drill the Universal Lyman Lube Warmer to fit the 45 without ruining it?

2.  Is it possible to make a lube warmer and If so what are your solutions on how to make it?

3.  Can I possibly make a warmer hooked to 110V plug.   This would be like a coated electrical wire that heats up using 110V and I would wrap it around the Lube Cylinder then just plug it in.  This sound like the cheapest way but I don't want to start a fire or pop breakers. 

Any Ideas would be greatly appreciated as for now there is no lubing for me in this cold weather in Ohio. 

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Chargar posted this 10 December 2012

I bought a Lyman 45 in 1960 and today I have 3 Lyman 450s. I have never used a heater on any of them. Use a softer lube or lube in a warm room. They can be attached to a short 2x4 and c clamped just about anywhere

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LWesthoff posted this 10 December 2012

Before we moved to our present home (where my “office", gun safe and reloading room is over the attached garage and heated as part of the house) all my reloading was done in my unheated garage. I commandeered my wife's old hair dryer and laid it on the bench so it blew warm air at my Lyman lubricator/sizer. Worked like a charm - except that it sometimes got things TOO warm and the lube started to leak. I have always used NRA formula lube; either Tamarack or Javelina. Maybe some of the harder lubes would need more heat, but I doubt it.

Wes

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smifffphe posted this 11 December 2012

Thanks for the ideas guys. I have heard a shop light next to it might work as well. Any possiblities of making the electric heater and the wire wrapped around the cylinder though? I would really like to keep it in the garage on my reloading bench

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delmarskid1 posted this 11 December 2012

They used to make an electrical tape for keeping water pipes thawed.

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smifffphe posted this 11 December 2012

I did think about that but didnt think i could shorten it. I will rethink that a little more, thanks!-

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linoww posted this 11 December 2012

I use the hair dryer trick like Larry does when i dont feel like starting a fire in the woodstove.

G-

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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smifffphe posted this 11 December 2012

How long does a hair drier have to run to warm the lube in a cold garage roughly?

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Uncle Russ posted this 11 December 2012

If you get the right type of freeze tape as we call it, you can cut to any length and terminate with the plug and end you buy with the tape. Problem! Tape works on the semi-conductor theory and only conducts (works) below an ambient temperature of about 38 degrees. It'll keep the luber warm if you wear a coat in a cold room.

Average (cheap) heat tapes only come in premade lengths and you cut 'em, they are toast. Shortest I remember seeing was 6 foot. This type also is non regulating so if you cross it on itself it will over heat at that point and melt in two. This is the type that famously starts so many moble home fires. Separate thermostat required.

The LYMAN heater I purchased was predrilled for I guess most any luber as there are a bunch of threaded holes present. You can drill as many additional holes as you like-as long as you miss the element buried in the aluminum.

I went this route also, for awhile. Then could not find any advantages to hard lubes and now I never use the thing, or the hard lube. Professionals want a hard lube so it stays in the grooves and does not gather dirt and crud while it makes the long trip to it's ultimate destination. Do you really need those benefits?

A heat lamp in a portable fixture such as used by farmers are effectual. Aim it at the luber, plug it in and wammo, warm luber in a cold room. It'll keep your fingers warm too.

Your call! :kilroy:

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Balhincher posted this 11 December 2012

With stiffer lubes I use a simple clamp on light fixture and shine it on the sizer.  I think it has a 75 watt regular incandescent bulb in it and it gets the lube warmed up in just a little while.  The closer the bulb and bigger the watt rating the more heat you can transfer to the lube in the sizer.

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Ishi posted this 11 December 2012

If you can find an aluminum plate (I use a 3/8 one) mount it and your sizer to a 2 X 6 and pick up a cheep iron at Good Will or the like. My plate is about 12” long. Set the iron on the plate back of the sizer and you can get any temp that you want.

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Rich22 posted this 11 December 2012

Greetings Brassrat ! Well here in MN have run into same problem; cold basement = cold lube in my 550 Lyman luber/sizer. Back in the 60's with straight weight oil in cars, we tried clamp on “oil pan heaters” from a auto parts store, to assist in keeping cars starting in below temps. They run on 120v ac and various sizes and shapes. Worked for me! Seasons Greetings! Rich22

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larryfisher posted this 11 December 2012

On the 45 luber the bracket moves up & down with the handle so you couldn't wrap wire around the reservoir.On my 45 when the handle is allthe way down there is about a half inch clearance.

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LeadBrain posted this 11 December 2012

I took a piece of 3/4 aluminum mounted the lube sizer, drilled a hole for a 120v heat cartridge. Connected the cartridge to a hot water heater thermostat that I mounted to the aluminum. Set the temperature and forget about it until I need more or less heat for any reason. The thermostat makes a big difference, I had to guess before I added it. I bought the parts off ebay and at home Depot. Works well. You can go on the Internet, And search for engine oil heater, there are a couple companies that make stick on heaters for engines that might work well. I would stay less than 100w if possible and get one with a thermostat or add one. Or buy a Lyman heater.

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