Star Lube/sizer

[Edubya]

I received my used Star Lube/sizer yesterday and messed with it for about 3 hours last night. Trying to learn how it works and tested the adjustments.
Things that "I think" that I've learned so far:
Instead of buying #7 shot lead to plug the extra lube holes, just shave a little lead from a soft WW.
This morning I lubed up a batch. I've just about used all of the lube that was in the press (250 bullets). I'm lube/sizing with the nose up, the punch that came with the press fit my Saeco bevel based, home cast, bullets perfectly. You can see that I'm not 100% in tune with the press yet, but I've learned a lot in the past 16 hours. I learned that if the lube is not oozing out of the plunger and the sizing die, you've not got enough heat or pressure spring tension. I guess this is normal, it is what I found to get the lube groove to fill out most consistently. Also, the lube holes have to line up as the fulcrum lever is making contact with the crank shaft.
I'm thinking that I'll have to use hard wax that has a higher melting temp due to the weather that we have here in NC. It's suppose to get to 98 degrees tomorrow.
Some are coming out not 100% filled.
Yes, I figured that I would have to run those that are not 100% lube filled through a second time. I did that to a bunch of the first ones. That colored lube sure does make the QC portion a lot easier. I set a cigar box with the lid opened and leaning against the bench-top, below the sizer. The bullets would drop onto the sloped lid and roll down and into the box. I would watch them and see most of them that were not completely lubed. I imagine that the ones that I failed to catch were rolling when I was messing with the heat or the spring tension. I'll get better as I learn the amount of tension and heat settings.
Please confirm these thoughts for me.
Yeah, I'm planning on loading up a few of these bullets this evening. It'll probably be Saturday before I get to the range, got company coming in tonight.

A picture of the few bullets that I have (successfully?) lubed.

[KYCaster]

Edubya, looks like you have it figgered out.

There's not enough lube missing on those to cause any problems, they'll work fine.

Is that Lar's CR lube? I've found it works better with just a little heat. A 60 watt bulb in a reflector aimed at the base of the sizer will do the job. Adjust the distance to control the amount of heat.

Keep up the good work. :drinks:
Jerry

[Edubya]

Thanks for the encouragement Jerry.
I don't know what the lube is. I bought the STAR from another member and he said that he hadn't bought any in a long time, he had bought a case of it when he did buy. Are you saying that Lar's CR lube is good for your bullets? Where do you get it from. I need a good lube for the 9mm, .38, .45 and .44 pistols.

[fredj338]

Thanks for the encouragement Jerry.
I don't know what the lube is. I bought the Saeco from another member and he said that he hadn't bought any in a long time, he had bought a case of it when he did buy. Are you saying that Lar's CR lube is good for your bullets? Where do you get it from. I need a good lube for the 9mm, .38, .45 and .44 pistols.
There is a little learning curve on the Star, but you figure out the depth pretty quickly. Small adjustments are the key.
White Label lubes is where you get the Lar's Carnuba, which needs a little heat. The BAC works w/o heat & is a good product. I love my Star, wouldn't lube/size any other way and I have before.

[Gunslinger]

Then how little is too little lube? 30% of the groove?

Sorry for the hijack this just seemed a good time to ask :-D

[IcerUSA]

I've run some boolits with only 50% lube in the grooves , I use WFFL , and have had no problems with lead build up . As long as they are mixed with the full luge grooved ones I don't think you will have much of a problem with them.

YMMV

Keith

[runfiverun]

yep.
the lube you got there looks like magmas lube.
little less heat and more pressure.
the lars red runs really nice through a star. just look down this page at lars 45's stuf click on it it will take ya where you need to go be patient with them.

[KYCaster]

yep.
the lube you got there looks like magmas lube.
little less heat and more pressure.
the lars red runs really nice through a star. just look down this page at lars 45's stuf click on it it will take ya where you need to go be patient with them.


My second guess would have been Rooster Red Zambini. I found it to be a PITA to run in a Star sizer. As the heater I had would cycle on and off the lube would go from too cold and stiff to too hot and runny to get any consistant results....too narrow of a "plastic" stage to work well. Haven't had that problem with Lar's CR, Thompson's Blue Angel or Bull Shop Speed Green.

Glen's Carnauba Red lube has worked very well for me in everything I've tried it in so far. From 95 gr. 38spl. at 400 fps to 200 gr. 35Rem at 2100, cold or hot, no problems at all....good stuff. I have samples of his other lubes but haven't tried them yet since the CR works so well.

Like R5R said, be patient with him. He makes a good product at a good price and he's a heck of a nice guy to deal with.

Jerry

[fredj338]

Then how little is too little lube? 30% of the groove?

Sorry for the hijack this just seemed a good time to ask :-D
You could get by w/ a few that way but I would bet leading would occur. I have shot multi groove bullets w/ one groove full of lube & they do fine to 1000fps or so depending on alloy. The larger single grooves I try to fill all the way but if there are some 75% or so, I'll shoot them anyway. At 30%, I would run them thru again.

[mroliver77]

"I learned that if the lube is not oozing out of the plunger and the sizing die, you've not got enough heat or pressure spring tension. I guess this is normal, it is what I found to get the lube groove to fill out most consistently."

I would argue that point with you.;) I see you are getting some ooze on the nose and the bevel base of some boolits. This should not happen. Once I changed to using Felix lube exclusively these problems are a thing of the past. Looks like you got most of the fine points isolated. Now you just need to fine tune it.:) Once you get it down to a "science" you'll own it and your problem will be trying to find enough alloy to cast more so you can lube more. I just LOVE my Star sizers!
Jay

[mtgrs737]

With some lubes I "hold" the star's handle in the fully down position for a long second to get better groove filling. This is not nessasary all the time, but does help to fill that last little section of groove with some lubes and some boolits. When I order Star lube dies from Lathesmith I ask for 4 lube holes around the diameter ( every 90 degrees) instead of the usual three and this helps with the filling of large capacity single lube groove boolits on my 41, 44, and 45's. I also lube all my boolits nose first (down) instead of nose up.

[cajun shooter]

Go to the Magma site and download the manual or call them and they will send you one. The Star is set up for nose down sizing and lubing. When you have the correct punch setting , write down the measurement from the bottom of the punch to the top of the die. You can then always fall back on this when changing from one bullet to the other.Finding this distance it is the hardest thing in setting up a Star.

[686]

for my 38's 9mm 40 cal, and 45 acp , i use rooster zambini lube. i use the star heater and bullet feeded, and air cylinder. it does take time to learn the pressure, heat, and speed to lube. once you learn this it works grate. the softer lubes have less to learn. with soft you just work on the pressure. getting the sizing die and punch set right is the hardest. that is why i have 3 star sizers. i wish i had 5. good luck

[Edubya]

Go to the Magma site and download the manual or call them and they will send you one. The Star is set up for nose down sizing and lubing. When you have the correct punch setting , write down the measurement from the bottom of the punch to the top of the die. You can then always fall back on this when changing from one bullet to the other.Finding this distance it is the hardest thing in setting up a Star.

Cajun, I ain't arguing the nose up or down, this is my first attempt with any lube/sizer. I've been a hard core "pan luber", just got tired of messing with it and was reading all of the great reports on the Star.
I read the instruction pamphlet and was confused when I saw the bullet head fit perfectly into the punch. Mine is an "older" model with the die set screw, I thought that this was the reason that the punch was machined and I got the lube groove to match up pretty easily when I flipped it over. When I tried it out, it seemed t work okay. It's not difficult to size them with the base first, most of my moulds are Saeco bevel base anyway.
I've read several forums about others that were lubing this way and I will do whichever is the easiest way, so long as it doesn't damage my bullets.

Thanks, to all of the posters on this forum and especially to the responses on this thread.
EW

[Edubya]

for my 38's 9mm 40 cal, and 45 acp , i use rooster zambini lube. i use the star heater and bullet feeded, and air cylinder. it does take time to learn the pressure, heat, and speed to lube. once you learn this it works grate. the softer lubes have less to learn. with soft you just work on the pressure. getting the sizing die and punch set right is the hardest. that is why i have 3 star sizers. i wish i had 5. good luck

I would buy a couple more too. Maybe we ought to do a "Group Buy"!:)