Air Assisted Star Sizer

[mktacop]

Thank you sir!

[scarry scarney]

Yes, thank you for the parts list.

[Pete P]

I would add two flow controls to the pneumatic cylinder to slow it down. I do packing and every machine that I ever worked on uses them.

[wymanwinn]

I would add two flow controls to the pneumatic cylinder to slow it down. I do packing and every machine that I ever worked on uses them.

i did.....

[slinger35]

Knowing precious little about pnuematics. What is the purpose of 2 flow control valves ?

[wymanwinn]

Knowing precious little about pnuematics. What is the purpose of 2 flow control valves ?

to control the amount of air that flows to the cylinder...they do not control pressure...

[Silver-Silver]

Knowing precious little about pnuematics. What is the purpose of 2 flow control valves ?

To simplify things, there are 2 main factors in fluids, pressure and how fast the fluid moves.

The pressure exerts the force necessary to size the bullet.
The flow rate can speed up or slow down how fast the bullet is sized.

[slinger35]

As I understand you are using one air cylinder to operate the lube sizer. One flow valve controls the volume of air delivered to the cylinder. The pressure regulator contols the pressure at which the air is delivered. I think I got the pressure/ volume thing, but why do you need two flow valves ? This is probably plain as day but I'm not getting it. Is one flow valve to extend the cylinder rod and the other flow valve to retract the cylinder rod ?

Great hat Mr. WymanWinn

[wymanwinn]

As I understand you are using one air cylinder to operate the lube sizer. One flow valve controls the volume of air delivered to the cylinder. The pressure regulator contols the pressure at which the air is delivered. I think I got the pressure/ volume thing, but why do you need two flow valves ? This is probably plain as day but I'm not getting it. Is one flow valve to extend the cylinder rod and the other flow valve to retract the cylinder rod ?

Great hat Mr. WymanWinn

yes, two flow control valves...one for the push and one for the pull....the extension or push stroke just needs to get the Star back to the start position, little flow....the the contraction or pull stroke need more volume to push the bullet through the die and the pressure is needed to "pump" the lube...

the system works REALLY, really well...i can feed the bullet feeder by hand or load tubes...either way it takes about the same time to size/lube bullets...contrary to popular opinion, it still takes time to load the plastic tubes THEN size/lube them....

also with the flow controls i can control the flow needed to size different caliber bullets...right now i have only sized Magma mold 38-130 RNFP....

thanks on the hat....

wyman

[slinger35]

Now it's becoming clear in my cloudy mind. Ever thought of a bullet feeder ? Mr. Bulletfeeder will soon have one that feeds both base first and with reajustment, nose first. I hope you'll put up more vids, especially your Master Caster when completed.

Thanks for 'splaining it to me.

[wymanwinn]

Now it's becoming clear in my cloudy mind. Ever thought of a bullet feeder ? Mr. Bulletfeeder will soon have one that feeds both base first and with reajustment, nose first. I hope you'll put up more vids, especially your Master Caster when completed.

Thanks for 'splaining it to me.

my pleasure...

for the price and hassle of a collator, i can buy another Star and much more lead...LOL

i will, as soon as i can, post a better video of the Star in action...Master Caster too once i get a couple of minor bugs worked out...like throwing sprues all over the place...

wyman

[6bg6ga]

Quote:
for the price and hassle of a collator, i can buy another Star and much more lead...LOL

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Actually I have designed my own for a fraction of what one can be purchased for. It will do cases and with a setup and slight change it will do bullets. With what you have done with the automation of the sizer it would be a snap to make a collator. I sincerely hope that the base doesn't fracture due to being automated. You will have to admit that the base is being subject to more stress as a result of the air cylinder being able to exert more pressure quicker that the arm does.

Yes, I do understand that it takes time to fill bullet tubes if the comment was for me. I fill tubes first and then size.

[wymanwinn]

Quote:
for the price and hassle of a collator, i can buy another Star and much more lead...LOL

************************************************** ***************
Actually I have designed my own for a fraction of what one can be purchased for. It will do cases and with a setup and slight change it will do bullets. With what you have done with the automation of the sizer it would be a snap to make a collator. I sincerely hope that the base doesn't fracture due to being automated. You will have to admit that the base is being subject to more stress as a result of the air cylinder being able to exert more pressure quicker that the arm does.

actually, given the air pressure, the stress on the Star is about the same...the only time the pressure comes into play is on the "pump" stroke at the end of the cycle......the real reason for the "air assist" was to alleviate the strain on my shoulder...too many years of being a production framer and Rugby player....gotta save what is left for Cowboy Action Shooting...LOL

BTW, still fine tuning the system to the small bullets...will need to fine tune for the larger 45acp next batch...

[6bg6ga]

I haven't seen it run since you fine tuned it but from an earlier video it looked like it got with the program rather quickly thus my worry about the base of the Star. Not meant to be a negative comment by any means. Yours is probably the most well thought out automated sizer yet to be viewed. If you incorporated a few sensors it could be made to run full automatic without any problems.

[Silver-Silver]

You will have to admit that the base is being subject to more stress as a result of the air cylinder being able to exert more pressure quicker that the arm does.

I disagree completely.
When setup with flow controllers and regulators, you can adjust the sizer to have a smoother and softer stroke than if a person was pulling the handle. Why would you think that there is an increase in internal stresses? The force on the handle pivot is either a persons hand on a handle or air pressure acting in a linear motion on a lever arm. Either way the pivot pin sees the same force when setup correctly. And wymanwinn said earlier that he adjusted the flow controllers to slow down the system. So all things considered I just can't see how there would be an increase in stress of the base.

[wymanwinn]

I haven't seen it run since you fine tuned it but from an earlier video it looked like it got with the program rather quickly thus my worry about the base of the Star. Not meant to be a negative comment by any means. Yours is probably the most well thought out automated sizer yet to be viewed. If you incorporated a few sensors it could be made to run full automatic without any problems.

thought about fully automating it, but opted for just using the foot method....easy to control, re-pump if needed and stop without thinking (something this old brain sometimes has problems with..LOL)....

doing the same with the Master Caster too...still working out small bugs on that...but it works very well too....

not taking your comments negatively at all...constructive criticism is ALWAYS welcome...

[Suo Gan]

Could you post a parts list and schematic of how you built this? I'd like to try and build one myself.

I second this, as I am a fifth rate engineer and need all the help I can get.

[wymanwinn]

I second this, as I am a fifth rate engineer and need all the help I can get.

hang on for a bit...i will take detailed images of the whole setup and a video of it in action....

parts list has already been posted....look at post #20 on page 1...

[scarry scarney]

Not meaning to hijack the thread, but can you (6bg6ga) post info about your bullet/case collator? Maybe as another thread?

Actually I have designed my own for a fraction of what one can be purchased for. It will do cases and with a setup and slight change it will do bullets.

Along with a parts list, video, etc.

thanks

[6bg6ga]

Quote:
Not meaning to hijack the thread, but can you (6bg6ga) post info about your bullet/case collator? Maybe as another thread?
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Probably would have been better in a PM. To answer your question. No, no plans to share my work. I will begin to tool up shortly to manufacture the multipurpose collator for resale.