Cleaning out a lubber sizer

Sendaro

Active Member
Would like to hear suggestions on the easiest method of cleaning the lube out of a lubber sizer so new or a different lube can be used.

thanks for your in put in advance, Sendaro
 

Longone

Active Member
Last time I did mine I used a heat gun. Once it was uniformly warmed up the old lube just dripped right out, mine is a RCBS LAM. A rag to wipe off any unwanted lube was about all that was needed besides a heat supply.
 

Eutectic

Active Member
I've done a couple of them using an industrial type heat gun. I clamp the sizer to my bench first. I remove the dies..... I put some sort of drip pan under it and warm it with the heat gun..... Takes a bit but it will literally run out of the reservoir when it's above the lubes melt point. Now soap lubes and those with very high melt points???? I won't put one of these in until I've tested a trustworthy 'track record' of that lube! Watch stinky lubes! (including 50/50) That's an outside job.

Several of us here are quite professional 'finger lubers'! It's amazing how quick you get with practice! ALL MY EXPERIMENTATION IS DONE THIS WAY!

MY advice??? Only put a proven lube into the convenience of a lubrisizer! MUCH easier than melting out something you find less than adequate!

Pete
 
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KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
I've read about folks boiling their luber in a big pot, the heat softens the lube and it floats to the top and can be reclaimed when cool. I've never tried it that way so I'm just repeating what I've read. The last time I did a luber cleanout I scraped out all I could and then dumped it into the parts washer to soak. A couple days in the kerosene and it came out clean everywhere. No heat needed.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I usually just start adding the new lube and ride out the changeover. Kinda weird to get two colors of lube on a single bullet.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
one of the nice things about the Star sizers is just opening the screw on the side and plugging in the air cylinder.
a long thin ribbon of lube comes right out.
you then put the new lube in and pull the size die and the new stuff flushes out the old stuff through the hole in the housing.
you get maybe 15 bullets with some old stuff on them.

on a Lyman etc.
strip it down add some heat and catch the drippings.
 

JonB

Halcyon member
If the lube will melt with a Heat gun, then that is how I clean it out.
If I'm wanting to remove a soap lube, a heat gun is the wrong answer. For soap lube in a Lyman: I push the lube out through the die hole til the pressure nut bottoms out, then install new lube, and push remaining old lube out.
...With a Star...just like Fiver said.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Soap lube boils out too, it just takes time.

Sendaro's sizer is full of RCBS lube, which should easily melt out with a heat gun or even a hair dryer. I've used a heat lamp in a spotlamp fixture, aimed at the sizer, let it go for an hour or two, and voilá!
 

Sendaro

Active Member
Thanks for all the suggestions and information. Think I'm going to get a heat gun and give it a try. The lube in the sizer now in a dark brown and there is also a new stick of lube that came with the sizer that is green and in an RCBS
 

KHornet

Well-Known Member
Have used heat gun, but mostly do what Brad does, but only when close to
the end of the sitck I am replacing. However I have 5 lube/sizers, mostly
cal specific, and usually not a problem as I tend to stay with the same lube.

Paul