Magma Lube Master problems

[JakeOz]

I have recently obtained one of these devices and am having some issues with it.

I have been trying to size some projectiles to .429" and while I have been getting the adjustments ok and running for a short time, the wheels then fall off. No lube in the groove.

The machine has the pressure feeder with a heater on the tube as well as the lead feeder ( I have also found out - the hard way- not to turn the lube heater up too high and then releasing the pressure. Had to polish the back my sons car to get all the wax off it that sprayed out of the tiny little breather hole in the tube. Still getting it out of the jacket I was wearing )

But I digress. I have found out that the holes that are used in the Star sizing die are filling up with lead. Now is this a case of the lead being shaved off as it passes through ?. I have cleaned them out - #44 drill to clean out the hole initially and a #59 wil make sure the hole is clear. Put back in and away it goes again. For a short time and back to the lead filling issue. Have changed lube sticks. The pump has been removed, cleaned and adjusted as per the recommended specs.

The projectiles are approx 2 weeks old and made of wheel weight if that helps.

I am getting near the end of my tether. Any help would be appreciated.

Regards

[3sixbits]

What is your pre-sized bullet dia ?

[R.M.]

Jake
Was the luber used when you got it? Lead shot is commonly used to plug unwanted lube holes. Could this be what you're experiencing?

R.M.

[JakeOz]

SixBits, they are approx .430 if not .429.

RM, yes to being used. The very same die I am experiencing the problems with has been used before and ALL the holes were cleaned out then and the unwanted ones filled with 7 1/2 shot (as per recommendations). I pulled the die out last night to check it for blockages (as that was all I could think it was by that stage) and unblocked the bottom 3 holes (see drill sizes above ), replaced and tried again. Same darned result. Went for a little while and would lube no more. Pulled it again and there was the lead again. .

Regards

[R.M.]

Are there scrape marks along the length of the bullet? I have created burrs when removing the shot from plugged holes. I've had to roll up some fine sandpaper and polish the burrs out of the die. It doesn't take much.

R.M.

[Cherokee]

Never had that problem with 1,000's run thru my Star. RM may have the cause identified. Burrs around the lube holes will suck the lead into the holes.

[JakeOz]

It would appear that there were some burrs. Got to it with some 800 grit wet & dry paper and did a little clean up and it ran for a little while before clogging up again.

Got annoyed with that and put another .429 die in using the middle holes. This ran for approx 1500 pills before I needed to pull it and clean out the damn holes. Could not see any scores along the side of the projectiles to indicate anything untoward.

So even though I managed to get further, still not good enough for something that is touted for 6000 per hour.

Will finish this current lot off and throw in the .38 dies and clean them up and see what goes.

Hopefully it will improve.

Regards

[KYCaster]

I have a couple of dies that did that when new...took a 3/16 diamond bob in a Dremel tool and chamfered the edge of the holes inside the die...work fine now.

Jerry

[JakeOz]

KY, I was thinking along similar lines, but the holes are so darn tiny. A #59 drill bit is vewy, vewy small.

I would need more than just glasses to see 'em

Thanks for confirming an idea I had.

Am about to go and see what happens with the remaining 44 mag's/

Regards

[JakeOz]

Set everything up for 38's in 158 grn RNFP and it is working like a charm.

The 44's finished OK (only about 600-700 needed doing) and it did OK. Will need to check to see if any hole have filled though.

Have done approx. 2500 38's before the thermal cutout on the motor kicked in, but looking good at this point. Need to investigate the .429 die further I think.

I'll let you know how it goes.

As an aside, does anyone know what the fingers on the sorter/collator are supposed to look like. The one I have had 2 broken and the other 2 were not of any design that would have come from the factory. If someone has (or can supply) an image of approx full size, it would be much appreciated as it would make feeding a lot easier

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive had a few rough ones. What i do that seems to work is run about a 1000 gas checked bullets through them it seems to help smoothen them out. Ive had a couple that were so rough that the first few bullets had to be pushed though with an arbor press. Once you get a few bullets through and get some lube on the die they work fine.

[3sixbits]

When a die has not been used in a long time and the lube in the die is as dry as a Texas two year old cow paddy, I find that a squirt of All seems to get things moving right fast. I think of it as the "bran muffin cure" for impacted Star dies.

[JakeOz]

3six,
pardon my ignorance, but what is All. We most likely have it downunder, but under a different name.

Would it be a Silicon spray, a water dispersant like WD40 or CRC etc ?.

Regards

[ron brooks]

All, you know like motor all, or 3-in-1 all. From an all well.

It's oil pronounced with a heavy Texas accent.

[454PB]

Do yourself a favor and drill those lube holes bigger. You'll have to polish the die interior afterwards, but the machine works better with larger lube holes.

[3sixbits]

ALOX, I don't know how that slip by? Sorry folks.

[Marine Sgt 2111]

I was looking over the posts and had to reply. About 17 years ago I used to supply both Magma and Ballisticast with star type sizing dies. I bought a Magma auto sizer supplied with a Star Die and was dismayed with the quality of the sizing die.

I changed the hole configuration and sizes, the feeding cone section of the throat of the die and began producing them. At that time the ones I made were heat treated and tougher than wood pecker lips. They were also honed to a 5 micro on the ID finish.

The only times that I got complaints about lines in bullets dia's was when someone tried to open up the holes with a drill. The only way that I could change the lube feeder hole dia after heat treating was to EDM (electro discharge machine) the holes bigger then have the die ID re-honed (just dusted) for good measure.

I have no idea if they (Magma) still heat treat their dies or not, but if they do, proceed with caution.

For what ever my two cents is worth!

[JakeOz]

I have just done another 3500 .38's (this time 158g SWC PB) and had no real dramas. Did not need to remove and clean the die at all. Will finish off the remainder tomorrow and do another round of 158 RNFP and hit 9mm after that.

It looks as though it may be the dies have slight burrs and I will need to clean them up thoroughly before trying 44 mag again (which will be very soon) and then hit 44/40 not long after that

Regards

[JakeOz]

My business partner and I just got back from a range about 2 hours from here.
We collected a little bit of range lead and will need to go back for another 4 trips to collect more.

This trip filled a trailer with approx 750 kg of lead and we barely made a dent in what is there. This lot was left at his house to get melted back into ingots. Next week the delivery will be my place (I have no idea where it is going to be put), but it looks like tonnage is on the way

Now to see how this darn lube sizer handles it all

[JakeOz]

Just thought I would let everyone know how this thing is progressing.

Have lubed and sized approx 2000 44/40's and no more probs.
Have done about 7500 44 Mags as well as 32.20's, 38/40's and just finished around 2000 9mm (this one after much mucking around to find the die has been played with and holes welded up - with a pin hole in one of the welds stuffing things up).

Every new die that I have not used before gets the 800 grit paper treatment to make sure that the sizer is clean and clear. This seems to be the trick with these dang machines and using the middle holes for the lube. Magma suggest using the bottom holes, but I find more success and less hassles using the centre.

Now to address some issues that my business partner seems to be experiencing with the lube/sizer (another Magma) he has got at his place.

I can't remember if I explained before, but we were both laid off from our previous jobs (he after quite a few years and me from IBM after 17 years) and decided to go into projectile manufacture. As a result, we have 2 x Lube Masters, a Magma Master Caster as well as a Mark 6 8 mold auto machine, a BallistCast 4 mold auto machine and 2 Dillon 650 presses.
He seems to the one casting and as I seem to have more luck with the lubers (I have the dubious role of also being the maintenance manager), I have got the sizing job. Hoping that the equipment (even though second hand) continues to function for some time to come.

Anyway. Thanks for listening and see further down the track.

Regards