Newbie wants a Star sizer - needs some support for understanding!

[6bg6ga]

I'm going to disagree with some of what has been said.

With respect to the air cylinder that takes the place of the Star Pressure Screw Assembly (standard)

It is FAR more cost effective to purchase an air cylinder on line than it is to purchase the whole assembly from Magma.

The PN for the air cylinder is as follows NCMB106-600 from the SMC corp or similar.

The parts needed from Magma are as follows...AF107 Piston, S107 Hycar Washer, S130 Pressure Spring Steel Washer, and AF108 Hycar Washer mounting screw.

[6bg6ga]

With respect to the heater from Magma.....my opinion is its a joke. Buy a PID, heater, thermocouple and you have the basics for making your own heater that no only will perform better but will cost less. I recommend going to a salvage yard and purchasing a piece of scrap 1/2" aluminum for use as a bottom plate in which to mount the press and install the heater and thermocouple in. Mine was less than $20

The MAgma is shipped with a S101 die extractor which includes all the parts needed to remove the dies from the machine.

I will recommend purchasing the bullet feeder assembly because its probably cheaper than making your own if you figure your time in.

[6bg6ga]

Just wanted to give a heads up to anyone thinking of buying a Magma/Star Sizer. I was on the phone with Magma the other day ordering a Master Pot and in a general conversation I mentioned I bought my Star from Star in the mid 80's and I was surprised to see so many on e bay at what seemed like a good price relative to the new ones from them. Apparently a lot of them sold on e bay are damaged and that's why they are for sale. They are bought on e bay then sent to Magma for repair. She said they had quite a few they hadn't been able to get to fixing.

You can buy junk anyplace but if you take advantage of their warranty you can return these so called non-working units. I purchased a used Star as my second of this type. It was full of hardened lube with was probably in excess of 30 years old. Instead of trying to heat it up I simply filled it with new lube and removed the removable clean out plugs and pumped two stickes thru the sizer until it was 100% clean. I painted it and dedicated it to 38/357's and with the two piece punch it sizes everything in that caliber.

[jayjay1]

Well, I´m a German mason / bricklayer master (Maurermeister for Dave ).

What means I´m good with my hands, but not so if the game gets too small.
Electrics are not mine too, so I have to go with the Magma heated base or must take a look if I can find someone who makes me one.
Could build a house for that, the German way, massive with concrete and stones, a swimming pool or building up a unique massive grill out of rocks .....

To be serious, maybe I have someone who can make me a heater plate, but therefore I do need the measurements of it.

Is there any plan around where the measurements and the holes are evident?


Cheers with beers,
Jay

[jayjay1]

Sgt. Mike,
I love sarcasm, but unfortunately can´t enjoy it if I don´t understand the meaning.


But to explain it would be much more worse than not to know what it means, so....
... if we both don´t tell anybody, no one will notice it.



Best wishes,
Jay

[6bg6ga]

Well, I´m a German mason / bricklayer master (Maurermeister for Dave ).

What means I´m good with my hands, but not so if the game gets too small.
Electrics are not mine too, so I have to go with the Magma heated base or must take a look if I can find someone who makes me one.
Could build a house for that, the German way, massive with concrete and stones, a swimming pool or building up a unique massive grill out of rocks .....

To be serious, maybe I have someone who can make me a heater plate, but therefore I do need the measurements of it.

Is there any plan around where the measurements and the holes are evident?


Cheers with beers,

Jay

I believe there is a person on the forum that makes complete PID units. The size of the aluminum plate is of your choice. I used the base of the Star and Magma sizers for my drill pattern for my plate. I used a thermocouple with a diameter of 1/8" and drilled a 1/8" hole the same depth as the probe. I used a 1/4" diameter 4" long heater and drilled a 4" depth hole 1/4" diameter. I located the heater right under the sizer between the bolt holes on the side and my probe came in the opposite side of the plate. My plate measures 10.5 X 10.5 and as I mentioned is scrap 6061T6 1/2" thick aluminum.

I use a C clamp or two to clamp my plate to my bench. I used 3) 1/4-20 countersunk headed screws to mount my sizer. So you will need a drill bit for the probe/thermocouple and the heater in my case it was 1/8" and 1/4" for them. The drill for the 1/4-20 screws is according to a drill/tap chart and the tap is a 1/4-20 like I mentioned. In short if you can build a house you can drill a few holes and tap 3 of them.

As I mentioned I have two sizers mounted on my aluminum plate and I just turn the plate 180 degrees and I have a different sizer in a different caliber ready to be used. I swap the bullet feeder from one press to another and make the caliber change on the feeder and I'm ready to go.

My heater is a 300 watt and is plenty big enough to warm the plate quickly in the winter when my reloading room is cold.

[6bg6ga]

You had asked about caliber conversions...

With respect to the bullet feeder it is possible to use a 45 caliber and insert a piece of plastic tubing in it like I did and not have to change to a different feed bar or feed tube. It just depends on how creative you with to be. In my case I used a 45 caliber feed tube with the plastic tube inside it and a piece of plastic cut for the feeder bar to do 9mm, 38, and 357's. So, you do not need to purchase a caliber change setup for every caliber.

The same hold true to the punches. Some here wish to have a punch and lock nut made up for every change. I have found that I can do it with one two piece punch. The two piece punch that is smaller than the smallest caliber I shoot works with everything I run thru the sizer.

I kept measurements for each setup and its a simple matter to adjust the two piece punch just a tad if needed.

[jayjay1]

Thank you, 6bg6ga, so far.

Could you please tell me what the "two piece punch" is?

Another question is coming up:
Dia of the sizing die, shouldn´t be to small because of the lack of accuracy, shouldn´t be to big, because of getting messy bullets.

Someone told me I should order the dies 0,005" bigger in dia. than needed, because of the shrinkage of the lead?
Is this true?

[6bg6ga]

Thank you, 6bg6ga, so far.

Could you please tell me what the "two piece punch" is?

Another question is coming up:
Dia of the sizing die, shouldn´t be to small because of the lack of accuracy, shouldn´t be to big, because of getting messy bullets.

Someone told me I should order the dies 0,005" bigger in dia. than needed, because of the shrinkage of the lead?
Is this true?

Well, you know what a one piece punch looks like. It has a threaded portion that screws into the sizer. A two piece punches end screws into the sizer just like a one piece punch but it has a body with an internal thread and a body with an external thread. The lower portion of the punch can be screwed in or out to affect overall length. For example I might have say 1" of the puch sticking out if the punch has both pieces screwed together tight and the overall length will increase if I unscrew the bottom portion of the punch therefore I can make the punch length bigger or small as desired. It makes small adjustments so easy.

I generally order a die .001 or .0015 larger than the bullet mold. It all depends on how the barrel slugs. When reloading one should cast some and then shove an unsized bullet down the barrel and mic it and order your molds and dies based on that information.

[jayjay1]

The die larger than the mold, really?

If the die is larger, it can´t size, so whatfor do you want to have that?

[VHoward]

I generally order my sizing die .002" larger than what the barrel of the gun I'm going to shoot the bullets out of is. I have a 357 magnum revolver that the barrel slugged at .356. So I ordered a sizing die for .358. The mold I use throws bullets at .359 to .360 ( one cavity throws .001 smaller than the other three).

And no, It doesn't make sense to order the sizing die bigger than what the mold throws.

[6bg6ga]

The die larger than the mold, really?

If the die is larger, it can´t size, so whatfor do you want to have that?

not what I meant to say....sorry.

[jayjay1]

not what I meant to say....sorry.

Don´t bother about that, just wanted to understand your saying.

You did help me a lot inhere as I´m new to this "sport".
I appreciate this pretty much.

[jayjay1]

And another question, sorry....


I´ve read now a loooooooot of freds inhere about the heated base-plate.
Ok so far, I think a PID-controlled version is the way to go for me.

But I can´t find anyone, who offers one.

Does someone inhere know a guy who sells them?

[6bg6ga]

Someone here on the forum will be able to find the link to the PID sales.


If not then check this out

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ller-Schematic


I used an old computer power supply box for my enclosure. I used the Auber unit instead of the Mypin unit but to each his own.

Its so simple a child can put one together. There are threads showing the wiring diagrams and part numbers which will guide you in purchasing the correct parts.

If you can build with brick and stone this WILL come easy to you. Use the savings to buy more dies and punches for your sizer.

[jayjay1]

All right, I´ve found someone over here, who will make me one.

I´ve found plans here on the forum, where the measurements for the holes are shown, too.

But in this plans, there is no bullet feeder respected, so I want to ask you to tell me the outer dimensions of the base plate with the bullet feeder, please.

[mike daniels]

what is a good price on the star lubra sizer ?

[6bg6ga]

what is a good price on the star lubra sizer ?

Some people are caught up in the idea they need to get a Star sizer lubricator. The Magma is the same machine with several small differences. The Magma sells new for $325.00 and I've seen used Star's sell from anywhere from $150 to $300.

I have both and can see no difference between them. They use the same top punches and bottom dies as well as the bullet feeder and air cylinder to pressurize the lube.

[ReloaderFred]

Magma recently lowered their price for the Star Sizer, but it no longer comes with the top punch or sizing die. The base price for the new machine is now $275.00. Here is the link to their current price sheet: http://www.magmaengineering.com/pricesheet.html

Hope this helps.

Fred

[jayjay1]

I don´t think so, this seems to be a very old price.

Have paid 338 Dollars for my new star (which already arrived now).