To heat, or not to heat...

Tony

Active Member
While I expect to use soft lubes exclusively, is there anything to be gained from using a PID controlled heater for my lube sizers? I will be lube/sizing indoors where the temperature is normally between 74 and 78 degrees F. Is there any benefit to having a consistent temperature by setting the PID at, say, 90 degrees?

Thanks,

Tony
 

williamwaco

Active Member
Depends on your lube.

If you are using a hard lube and spend long times at the lubrisizer, maybe.

If you are using softer lubes, no.

When I am using a hard lube. I plug in the heater, let it heat until the lube flows then turn it off.
I am usually finished before it cools off enough the lube will not flow.

After a couple of trials, I will never be using a hard lube again.
 

Ian

Notorious member
If it makes you happy to spend the extra money, time, and effort to use a PID controller on your lube reservoir, then go for it. As to the consistent temperature mattering, it only does if your swings get the lube so hot that it shrinks in the groove when cooled, or not hot enough so you get air pockets. That takes a pretty large swing. An aluminum plate with an old clothes iron stuck to it with conductive silicone grease makes a great heater base and has a decent thermostat.

I no longer use ANY lube which requires a heater. A big group of old, shot-up targets got together and told me to stop using hard lubes a long time ago.
 

Josh

Well-Known Member
Since trying Lamar's Simple Lube, you can throw the heater out the window. I was a hardcore Carnuba Red guy, for everything, but I have found Lamar's (fiver) lube is out of this world compared to anything else I have tried and it is a soft lube.
 

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
I no longer use ANY lube which requires a heater.

BRAVO ! !
Come to the head of the class !
 

Mike W1

Active Member
I'm probably one of the few that ONLY casts for handguns anymore but for my purposes I'm usually lubing several thousand's when I get at it. Long ago settled on LBT Blue as meeting my particular needs. Don't get leading and it stays in the groove. Bullet boxes probably hold about 700 and they're not neatly stacked. Basement room varies quite a bit temperature wise so it's nice to set the PID and know things are gonna be just right. Besides I like toys!
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I would call them both a soft lube. Ben's lube won't need any heat to flow well and FWFL usually doesn't either.
Soft vs hard isn't just about temps to me. Some lubes feel hard but under pressure get softer. Those lubes flow well without heat because they work soften. Good thing is that at rest they stiffen back up and aren't so bad to handle.

I have some lubes that like a little heat to start flowing but prefer those that need no heat. I am using a Star and tend to run the air around 80 PSI. Once the lube starts flowing well I unplug the heater and it goes fine.
 

williamwaco

Active Member
I lubbed some 38's yesterday with BLL.

The temperature in the shop was 55 degrees. It flowed like water.

That said, it is not relevant because obviously you can't use it in a Lubrisizer.
 

Josh

Well-Known Member
I lubbed some 38's yesterday with BLL.

The temperature in the shop was 55 degrees. It flowed like water.

That said, it is not relevant because obviously you can't use it in a Lubrisizer.
Sure ya can, it just flows really fast! ;)
 

JonB

Halcyon member
Before SL68B, when I was using lubes like Carnuba Red or randyrat's Tak #1, if my room temp was cold, like 60º, I'd plug in the heater for the lubesizer. When it came up to temp, I'd unplug it. It would hold the heat long enough to get all the lub/sizing done. I no longer use Lube that requires heating a lubsizer...I just lubed some last weekend in a cold room (60º)...the lube (SL68B) and lubesizer were also 60º...No problems.