Author Topic: Does anyone have instructions on making a hollow lube mold? (Read 1399 times)

Cheyenne Ranger · « **on:** February 05, 2003, 08:24:13 AM »

I've been reading about the different lube recipes and wondered if anyone has a way to mold it for the Lyman 450? This is the stick with the long hole down the center. Might have to give some of them a try if I knew how to cast these sticks of lube.
thanks
CR

John Traveler · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2003, 10:29:12 AM »

howdy, Cheyenne Ranger!

Years ago, my metal shop teacher friend showed me his contraption for making a lubricant mold for his Lyman 450 lube/sizer.

He was a machinist, and he had no difficulty lathe turning a bar of aluminum, boring a hole in it, and fabricating a ram with center rod for the hole. It worked perfectly, and he was generous enough to share his home made lube sticks with the shooting club.

As I recall, it was a simple affair, and could probably be duplicated in wood using a 1/" twist drill bit, a 1" Forstner boring bit, and sandpaper, and wood finish. A drill press would make it easier.

I would start with a block of some dense, hard wood such as birch or maple, thick enough for structural integrity and bore a 1 inch diameter hole 4 inches deep. Drill a 1/2" hole thru the bottom of the bore.

(Adjust these dimensions to fit the desired lubricator-sizer).

Sand and polish the hole with sandpaper wrapped around a dowel stick chucked in an electric drill motor, and lacqer or shellac it smooth.

Make a plunger by turning a plug to make a sliding fit in the bored hole. Attach a 1/2" thick dowel rod and glue to the plug. Sand the plunger to make a sliding fit in the bore, and lacquer or shellact it smooth. You can also use wax.

That's it! You fit the plunger and rod into the bored hole to to form a cavity. Pour your lubricant melt into the hole and let it solidify before pushing the lubricant stick out of the mold.

My friend said he made the aluminum one so that he could immerse it in cold water and speed up cooling.

John Traveler · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2003, 10:30:58 AM »

Oh, yeah, I forgot!

If you are the patient type, you can simply melt and pour lubricant directly into the Lyman 450 lube-sizer and forego all that effort at making hollow lube sticks!

Pigeonroost Slim · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2003, 04:45:12 AM »

Although I use and suggest the melt and pour method of refilling the #450; I have cast my own lube sticks with ease and success. I used 1" diameter PVC water pipe and and end cap. I center drilled the end cap with a 3/8" drill and then used a 3/8" birch dowel pushed into the center drilled cap to extend into the pipe to create the hollow. My pipe mold is 3' long and it casts a long hollow stick of lube that I then cut into appropriate lenghts to fit the #450. Getting the lube to release from the mold easily is the trick. I used "PAM" cookng spray for a mold release. I wrapped tefelon plumber's tape around the dowel. I chill the filled mold in the frige. I then remove the friction fit cap. I put a 1" steel washer over the lube stick and dowel at the cap end of the mold and use a 3' sectio of 3/4" pvc pipe to press the slick and dowel out -- it resists at first, but steady gentle pressure gets it moving and then it goes EZ. Once it does start to move easily, i pull the dowel out and then finish pushing out the long lube turd. Took longer to type than to do. It works fne to duplicate the commercial type lube turds, but I get a better larger capacity fill with the melt method.

prs

John Traveler · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2003, 05:59:06 AM »

Geeeze, Pigeoroost!

What have we BP shooters degenerated to?

Grunting out three-foot long turds of lubricant???

I really like your PVC pipe hollow lube stick solution. It's ingenious! I'll have to try it myself!

LoLo, SASS #25643 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 28, 2003, 01:44:24 PM »

Here's a picture of my setup.

I made the base out of a piece of plastic and drilled holes to accept the 3/8" rods. The outer casing is made from 1" EMT conduit 4" long. I pour the melted lube into the moulds and place in the freezer for about 2 or 3 minuts and use a solid piece of stock to push the sticks out. It works pretty good.

Sorry about the gigantic picture. It just came out that way.

Cheyenne Ranger · « **Reply #6 on:** March 01, 2003, 06:08:34 AM »

Thanks All,
You have given me some great ideas on how to do this. Will be mixing up some of my own and now know how to fill the luber

Cheyenne Ranger · « **Reply #7 on:** March 02, 2003, 06:21:07 AM »

Went on and did a bit of work on my molds. Took a 2x6x6 piece of wood and bored 1 1/8 holes with a Forstner bit. Just had to take it down about an 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. Then center drilled a 3/8 hole through the rest of the wood. Pressed a length of 3/8 rod from Home Depot into the center and used a piece of 1" copper tubing for the outer part. It is a perfect fit for the 1 1/8 hole.
Melted some old lube I had around to get it back into useable form. Did great.
Some reflections: after filling the molds I let them set for 20 minutes. Then twisted them off the center rod and put in the ice box to cool for another 10 minutes. They come out of the mold with no effort. Just a gentle push. While this was going on I had replaced the filled tubing with empty ones and had another batch going.
I now have enough lube for a long time.
Still looking to make a batch from scrach, though; just need a receipe

Pigeonroost Slim · « **Reply #8 on:** March 03, 2003, 02:19:17 AM »

Ranger:

I made a 100 fluid ounce batch of a new PRS recipe yesterday. When it was finished cooking I poured it into 4 oz muffin tins and they are BEAUTIFUL. Its really easier to pop one of these in a a disposable hot drink cup, microwave it and pour it into the luber machine. No air bubbles and even the cup can be used again next time. My pvc hollow tube mold is very lonesome these days.

prs