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View Full Version : I have searched...but need some help!



63 Shiloh
09-18-2009, 08:29 AM
Hello Fellers,

I recently received my Star sizer from Magma, it arrived safe and sound down here in Australia.

I have the heater base, air comp attachment and some dies. The lube I am running is White Labels's Beeswax/ Alox/ Canubra blend.

OK, why can't I get consistent results with my Saeco 9mm conical with a single lube groove??

I have not put the air on yet as I am not happy with my results and trying not to introduce a new variable before I get the basics right.

I have tried all the methods mentioned on this forum with varying success, I now have lube running out of the large lock nut on the base of the sizer. I cannot manage to get a run of more than 3-5 boolits until I get no lube at all.

So, I add some pressure and it puts lube everywhere?? I know this is a good machine and it is driving me up the bloody wall trying to get it right.

Any advice welcome!

lathesmith
09-18-2009, 09:11 AM
Well, let's start from the beginning. You say you have lube "running out" of the large lock nut? Do I understand this right--your lube is hot enough that it is liquid? If that is so, you have WAY too much heat...getting the Star to work in its "zone" is a combination of the right pressure AND temperature(or lack thereof). Try leaving the heater off, and only gradually adding heat as needed. I'm sure that in a little while some guys will chime in here that use the White label lube that you are using. Personally, I use the standard 50/50 Beeswax/alox stuff, or lube for Black Powder stuff(can't think of the name at the moment), and I don't need any heat at all. The temp out in the garage stays between 60-75 degree F year round.
BTW, I only have to turn my lube screw 1/4-1/2 turn to lube 20-30 bullets, depending on how much lube the bullet requires. Hang in there, it may take some time, but you'll get 'er dialed in.
lathesmith

bobthenailer
09-18-2009, 07:20 PM
i have used lars carnubia red and in my star it works best at 80 degrees ! i have a c&h heater with a adjustiable thermostat . i drilled a small hole in the heaters base and put a automotive type AC therometer to moniter the lube temp so you can get repeatble results, every lube that ive tried has its own sweet spot temp wise someware between 80 to 118 degrees for soft or hard lubes and the window for perfect operation is only maybe + OR - 2 degrees for each type lube. go easy on the pressure screw it doesent take much!

canyon-ghost
09-18-2009, 08:30 PM
That's a soft lube, may not need heat. I use Carnuba Red, it does take a little heat. I can warm BAC in my hand enough to compress it, pretty soft.

crabo
09-18-2009, 10:00 PM
I turn my heater on while I am casting, that way it can be warmed up when I need it. I use very little heat for carnuba red. This method has worked a lot better than turning the heat up and then trying to cool it down.

How many rows of holes do you have open? You should only have one, and I suggest the top or middle, for a single lube groove.

Bob, do you have a picture of that thermometer in your base? Sounds like a great idea. I am using some sharpie marks on my dimmer knob that I use for tempature control.

bobthenailer
09-19-2009, 07:25 AM
sorry no pictures ! just drill a slightly angled hole in the base so the thermoter will face you , it wont hurt the base as the heater is in the cover, make the hole slightly bigger than the stem on the thermoter and insert stem into hole . the repeatiablity of the thermostst is not lab quality so there is some variation thats why i installed the thermoter. and i also use different lubes in my lube/sizers i also found that preheating the lube in the sizer for 15 min or more befor useing helps make all the lube in the sizer a even temp and it works better.

Dale53
09-19-2009, 10:02 AM
I have the Lyman heater for my Star, RCBS, and Lyman lube/sizers (the flat one without temperature adjustment). I plug the heater into my Dremel tool speed control (which is merely an attractive rheostat). I adjust the heat until it is just warm enough to work well and leave it there.

One "problem" I had was that it takes about 30 minutes warm up before it comes up to temperature. Being an impatient type, I discovered that if I turned the heater on, then heated the base of the sizer TWO MINUTES with a heat gun, I could then start sizing/lubing immediately. It greatly reduced the "irritation factor" and I can now start almost immediately to size/lube.

When using Carnauba Red lube, it is helpful to heat the Star sizer before trying to change dies. The warm lube releases the piston (that pushes the lube under compression) from the sizer with much less force when it is warm. No need to heat it past normal operating temperature.

If your heater does not have a heat control, you can easily and inexpensively build a speed control by buying a light dimmer at your local Home Supply (Lowe's, Home Depot, or a good hardware store), install it in a small electrical box, add an outlet and a short length of electrical cord. You then plug the heater into the speed control box, plug the box into the wall outlet, and set the heat to your preference. Cost - probably under $10.00.

Dale53

63 Shiloh
09-20-2009, 04:26 AM
Thanks for the replies fellers.

I am still having issues with it though??

Today I removed the brass screw on the bottom left to see if lube was getting in this area; well it is, as I had two 'straws' of lube come out of this area. It seems that there is pressure is there, it will not come out of the lube hole inside the die body cylinder at all.

About to pull everything apart and see if there is a blockage in this area.

Sure I will get there in the end.

canyon-ghost
09-20-2009, 09:38 PM
:coffee: I use a Lyman but, this probably works with any of them. I take the size die out and use some light penetrating oil to clean them. I keep all mine oiled because the Lyman isn't push-through. Has a rod that pushed the bullet back up. Height adjustment determines the lube flow to top or bottom. If it isn't coated with light oil when I first install it, I'll have trouble. To keep from having voids in lube, heat it until the front area around the sizer die is warm. That way you don't start sooner than the sizer, you can always unplug the heat if it gets ahead of you.

flinchnjerk
09-21-2009, 01:55 AM
At the risk of asking the obvious (I often overlook the obvious)... have you worked the pump with no boolit in the die, to see if it is in fact the boolit that's creating the blockage? Sounds like a misaligned lube groove problem in part.
I use Lars' BAC. It requires NO heat. If the room temperature's below about 70 degrees, I'll warm the die area and pump plunger with a hair dryer for about 15 seconds, just to get things flowing; any longer than that and the lube melts. Once it gets going, I'll go through an entire stick of lube with no more heat required.
Bear in mind that there's no valve or shut-off of any kind between the lube cylinder tube and the die. If you have too much pressure on the pressure spring, the lube will be forced through the pump plunger tube directly to the die.. just like an RCBS or Lyman... except that there's no punch in a Star to block the flow. The pressure spring's purpose is to force a small amount of lube into the pump plunger tube. To sum up... kill the heat, back off the pressure, and be certain that the lube grooves lined up with the port in the die. I've also found with BAC that holding the pump at the bottom to ensure full groove fill-out will leave "boogers" on the shoulder of the next boolit... hypothesized that too long a "dwell time" leaves a bit of residual pressure that forces a bit of lube out the die ports when the lubed boolit clears the ports.

63 Shiloh
09-22-2009, 03:57 AM
Success!!

The issue was with the lube piston, it was stuck in the forward stroke and would not allow any lube in.

The reason? Well, the collar that is around the piston that in turn is contained in the lube spring had broken off. So this meant the piston could never return to the open position, glad I finally found out the issue as I was getting close to taking an axe to it!!

Anyway, peened the collar back on and everything is working like it should.

Its been emotional!

Cheers Fellers.