New punch and nut

Crafted up a new punch and nut for the Magma Star I just acquired and cleaned up. I always wondered why they used 1/2”-27 threads...

Attachment 241147

Nice job. Did you cut the threads on a lathe?

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Originally Posted by ReloaderFred

Nice job. Did you cut the threads on a lathe?

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I did. The punch on the top (or the right) is the new one modeled after my factory one on my other sizer. Single point cut on A1 tool steel. I also used cold rolled hex stock and a 1/2-27 tap to make the nut.

I once planned on making punches and nuts with set screws for all my boolits, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Nice looking work! I love the nuts with set screws that I got from Lathesmith. I've often wondered why so many manufactures use off the wall threat sizes?

[QUOTE=cheese1566;4640979]I did. The punch on the top (or the right) is the new one modeled after my factory one on my other sizer. Single point cut on A1 tool steel. I also used cold rolled hex stock and a 1/2-27 tap to make the nut. QUOTE]

I recently purchased a hobby lathe from Grizzly, but I don't have the knowledge yet to try cutting threads. I'm still learning the basics, but hope to get there eventually, as time allows.

Nice work. The reason manufacturers use special threads is the consumer has to return and purchase those specialized products from them.
Unfortunately this is first hand knowledge from a machinist..

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Originally Posted by bessemer20

Nice work. The reason manufacturers use special threads is the consumer has to return and purchase those specialized products from them.
Unfortunately this is first hand knowledge from a machinist..

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Yup, they call it "proprietary" The computer manufacturers have used the same practice. Apple is the biggest user (abuser?) of this practice.

I lost the nut for the punch. Looked all over for the nut and finally came up with a jam nut for a flash hider/suppressor. works for me.

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Originally Posted by cheese1566

Crafted up a new punch and nut for the Magma Star I just acquired and cleaned up. I always wondered why they used 1/2”-27 threads...

Attachment 241147

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Because they can. Not real common and it insures that someone won't try to cobble something up from the local hardware store.

I have two punches. One for 9mm,38,357 and is two piece via Lathesmith. The two piece brass punch from Lathesmith allows me the very slight adjustment I need to accommodate the different bullets without the need to change punches. I just look in the book I made and adjust my open height to what I have found that works for me with that bullet and I'm adjusted perfectly.

The other is a one piece from Lathesmith. Two sizers one a Star and the other a Magma. One for the 44mag,45acp, and 45LC. The other does the 38,357, and 9mm. No need to change punches for me. Sizing dies are engineered so that the 45 caliber die does all my 45 bullets and no lube holes to plug. The same with the 38/357/9mm sizing.

When you take the time to figure things right you can eliminate extra tooling. I would sooner make a slight adjustment in a two piece punch than pull the punch out and change to a different one. The cost of the two piece punch is more than a standard punch but it more than makes up for it in the fact that the two piece punch does ALL my 38's, 357's, and 9mm's and I'm setup in less than 30 seconds with the correct open height adjustment.

Greetings,

Star Machine Works made loaders as a side line. Their primary goods were sprinkler heads for the local citrus farmers.

A lot of 27 pitch threads in plumbing parts.

Cheers,

Dave

Makes sense....use the tooling you have on hand. They probably had a foundry with the ability to make their own castings. A smart move on their part. One of the owners must have loved shooting and reloading.

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Originally Posted by 6bg6ga

I have two punches. One for 9mm,38,357 and is two piece via Lathesmith. The two piece brass punch from Lathesmith allows me the very slight adjustment I need to accommodate the different bullets without the need to change punches. I just look in the book I made and adjust my open height to what I have found that works for me with that bullet and I'm adjusted perfectly.

The other is a one piece from Lathesmith. Two sizers one a Star and the other a Magma. One for the 44mag,45acp, and 45LC. The other does the 38,357, and 9mm. No need to change punches for me. Sizing dies are engineered so that the 45 caliber die does all my 45 bullets and no lube holes to plug. The same with the 38/357/9mm sizing.

When you take the time to figure things right you can eliminate extra tooling. I would sooner make a slight adjustment in a two piece punch than pull the punch out and change to a different one. The cost of the two piece punch is more than a standard punch but it more than makes up for it in the fact that the two piece punch does ALL my 38's, 357's, and 9mm's and I'm setup in less than 30 seconds with the correct open height adjustment.

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Per chance to see a picture of the two piece punch. Sounds interesting but I can't conceptualize exactly how it works. Thanks.

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Attachment 245279Attachment 245280Attachment 245281

Maybe this will help

A little dirty and well used.

Pretty simple and slick. You screw in a piece that is threaded on the outside like a normal punch and it has been drilled and tapped to accept the threaded punch portion. This is the only punch I use in this sizing lubing machine to do all of my 38's,357's and 9mm bullets.

Thank you for taking the pictures.

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