Star sizer dies, where to buy?

[Murphy]

I've owned a Star sizer now for close to 20 years. I still use most of my original sizer dies from when I first purchased it.

I now find myself in need of a couple of non-standard size sizer dies for 2 of my group buy boolits.

Should I just contact Magma and order them? Or does anyone have an alternative source for Star sizer dies that I should also look into before buying?

Thanks,

Murphy

[Marshal Kane]

At times I have purchased used Star sizer dies on ebay and have been satisfied with my purchases, however, remember that "condition" is often in the eyes of the seller and not the buyer. You're hoping that the ebay seller is an ethical person who will stand behind their items and is truthful in their description. IMHO, the surest way to get what you're looking for is to order it directly from Magma.

[KS1911]

Should I just contact Magma and order them? Or does anyone have an alternative source for Star sizer dies that I should also look into before buying?

Thanks,

Murphy

Short of going used, the only other place I've found Star sizer dies is Stillwell Tool & Die @ http://www.sizingdie.com/index.htm

[NVcurmudgeon]

I think Buckshot makes sizers.

[Buckshot]

.............Buckshot HATES making Star dies. They're too busy and wastefull of material. Add to that the wierdness of the lube holes and they're a major PITA :-)

Sorry. Just my thoughts.

............Buckshot

[454PB]

I agree with Buckshot. I've only made one so far for my Star, and the lube holes are the biggest problem. I finally drilled them oversize and straight through, rather than the two diameter size of the factory OEM die. Here is a link to the post concerning the trials and tribulations.



http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=6376&highlight=star+sizer

[Sundogg1911]

Magma ( www.magmaengineering.com ) and

Stillwell tool ( http://www.sizingdie.com/index.htm )
are the only two that I know of. I've purchased new from Magma and had one honed out to a larger size by Stillwell. Both seemed to be good companies to deal with. I had my Die from Magma in a few days, and Stillwell had my die back to me withing a week of the day I dropped it in the mail.
I see them from time to time on Ebay, but no great deals on them. The last one I bid on ended up selling for just under what a new one cost but with the shipping charge it was actually about the same. :confused: It looked like a new one, but at those prices i'll buy a new one! If you have something close that's undersized (that you're not using) you can send it to Stillwell and get it honed for a decent price.

[MakeMineA10mm]

.............Buckshot HATES making Star dies. They're too busy and wastefull of material. Add to that the wierdness of the lube holes and they're a major PITA :-)

Sorry. Just my thoughts.

............Buckshot

Buckshot,
In an effort to make it easier on you, I wonder if you could you ream out a Magma to a bigger size, say a .356 opened up to .359? The only thing I'm wondering about is if the inside of those dies are hardened after they are finish-sized. That would still make it a PITA...

[BD]

It's been a few years since I've bought any new Star dies from Magma. However they used to sell "custom' sizes to the full thousanth which were anywhere close to a common caliber for the same price as the stock sizes. I know I bought .432 and .267 from them. I think they were $35/piece.
BD

[Finn45]

...I think they were $35/piece.
BD

They still are. I didn't know getting tools for Star is so difficult... No reply from Magmaengineering, tried two times via their website contact form, maybe it's there for the kids to play with. Sent email to Stillwell Tool&Die and they replied in the next morning (time difference 8 hours), but they accept only MO's. Have Star but no tools, duh... Well, cash is in the mail now, a bit risky, but my only choice it seems. Stillwell said there'll be 10 day delivery time, not too bad.

[3sixbits]

finn45: The folks that own and work at Magma do not live in the shop. This weekend is a holiday weekend. They will return to work in the morning. Tuesday AM, mountain standard time.

[Texasflyboy]

Another vote for Robert Stillwell at Stillwell Tool & die.

I haven't used anyone else for Star dies for the last 10 years. He is really good at getting dimensions right on spec, and the dies he makes are virtual clones to original Star mfg dies.

He gets a 10 out of 10 from me.

[Buckshot]

..................Part of my problem guys, is that I've just become bogged down :-(. I've drawn the plans for the master bath remodel and that project is now 90% done. But also drew and submitted architectural plans (Foundation, foundation ties, plan views, sectional views, re-inforcing schedual, floor joist plans, wall framing plans, electrical plans, insulation specs and schedual, State required heat calc's, engineered truss plan, and yadda yadda yadda. All with no engineering school :-). Lots of mistakes a do-overs before submission, but I have a lot of books and printouts now! The city has the plans now, along with $2850 of my money for 'Plan check fees'.

Then just little life issues that pop up every now and then. The daughter is renovating a cute 2 story Queen Anne cottage built in 1894, so some time is spent over there as she isn't getting along with her structural contractor.

Anyway, I took jobs I should have said no to, or put off if possible. I have a couple that I got in March and haven't completed yet. If that wasn't enough, in the middle of all this I decided to finally replace my crossfeed screw in the lathe. The old one had a bit of play but wasn't desperately bad, however I'd already gotten and machined the new one some time back and just decided to put it in. The old one was 7/16 and the new one is 5/8.

So of course that means 2 new nuts to be fitted to the 2 cross slides I use. One for regular lathe stuff with the compound and the other with a milling vice on it for flycutting and such. The smart thing would'ave been to have waited, but no :-)

It's all kinda like dancing in peanut butter. Lottsa work but not much progress.

.................Buckshot

[Finn45]

Update on Stillwell Tool & Die... I sent payment to Stillwell on 28th of May; 4th of June he sent me an email telling that money has arrived and he will be shipping the dies next morning 5th of June. I received them today 12th of June. Excellent I must say. Dies look great, excellent finish and proper leade (or whatchamacallit that is), not just short taper on the mouth of the die. Very happy. Now another thing is that my Star is still sitting in the Customs... no time to pick it up, but my vacation is coming, so I'll be Starring in couple of weeks...

[lathesmith]

MMA10, those dies are "harder than the hinges on the gates of hell", as someone else on this site so eloquently put it. They can be honed though, but .003 might be a bit much to attempt without some precision equipment. I honed one Star die I had from .357 to around .359 or so, and it did take awhile. Seems to be accurate, at least good enough for me.
I have purchased Star dies from Magma on E-bay. Their communication was terrible(read, non existent), but I did get my dies via US mail about a week after I ordered them, so I was satisfied. I love my Star sizer, it is what makes casting practical for me. I can size/lube about 4x faster than with my Lyman, and I handle the lead a lot less. What's not to like about that?