wanting to buy a star, what do I need?

[bruce381]

look just start easy get a star and a set of dies from them or Chris to start. Then try a softer lube like the BAC from Lars.

Then if too sticky go with the carnuba red and a heater.

i made mine with a eby PID unit for making beer or something and a heater "cartridge" then drilled a 5/8 Alumiunum plate to match the star and a 1/4 hole to put the heater in and you are on the way.

[bbqncigars]

I'd advise on getting a punch and set-screwed nut from Chris to go with your die. Having a punch already set for the die is real handy when you switch over to a different boolit/caliber. Count me as another one who would buy from Chris even if his dies were a little more than factory. The quality comes through. He also handles requests very well.

[kryogen]

I should get my lube this week so hopefully I will be able to pan lube 200 or so to test the lube/load. If it works without leading, then I'll buy the star.

I do bullets around 1000 at a time.

How hard is it to gauge/ get constant pressure with the handle only? There is no pressure gauge.
Will be used to lube 9mm bullets with just one groove. 2500+ lube.
How hard is it to use without the bullet feeder?

With the exchange rate costing me x1.33, and the expensive shipping for the usa, +tax , a fully loaded star is 1300$ or so for me. That's a little expensive considering I usually shoot 2-4000 bullets per year.
(Well I didn't shoot much lately because we had a newborn at home).

I wonder how just the basic star would work with 2500+ VS a fully loaded one. The bulletfeeder+air add 350$ CAD to my order (500$+tax if I add the heated base also) and I just question if that's really needed to lube 2-4k a year.

The base star+die+handle would cost me 630$ including taxes and shipping, and I'm starting to think that that's already a lot of money...

[1bluehorse]

As you can see there's no shortage of folks who are more than willing to spend your money. And there's also a lot of people who have to have all the bells and whistles on their equipment to make them happy. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but for some of us all that isn't necessary. I've had my (1) Star for many years, bought it new for $125 dollars, this was back before most even knew they existed. The only "addition" I've ever put on it is a Lyman heater (also many years ago) but I rarely use the heater as I pretty much just lube pistol bullets with it and I use NRA 50/50 lube and heat isn't needed. 50/50 is soft, and a bit "messy" for some I guess but it doesn't bother me in the least. It's just bullet lube, not chicken $1-1L!. With just the "basic" Star you can lube and size 500 bullets in a hour or so (I've never timed my self) fairly easy and turning the lube crank a half turn every 20 or so bullets isn't all that hard to do even though some seem to think so. I've never had any trouble with the Star at all in all the years I've owned it. Great piece of equipment for the bullet caster in any configuration.

[Love Life]

I use a standard star to lube 38/357, 9mm, and 45 acp bullets. I have the Lyman heater. No pressure gauge, no air regulator, no bullet feeder. It's easy to regulate and use. A turn of the handle every 25 bullets or so depending on size of lube groove. You'll get the hang of it pretty quick. The only upgrade I am looking at is to install a dimmer switch on the heater to have a consistent heat setting. As it sits now, I have to unplug the heater for a few minutes every now and then while lubing.

[toallmy]

I use the basic magma star lube sizer with crisco beeswax lube ,a soft lube, on 9mm,45acp ,38-358 and can lube size 1-2 thousand in a afternoon with no problem. I was planning on upgrading the handle but have not gotten around to it yet. I have not tried the harder lube yet , but the heater should not be a problem. I went from pan lubing with a cake cuter to the magma star sizer and it is heavenly to use . I'm shore you will be happy eather way.

[MT Chambers]

I use 3 Stars in the basement and use lar's Carnauba red with Magma heater and their air unit, nothing can touch it.

[rodsvet]

I'm with MT Chambers. I like the magma style air cylinder better than putting air pressure into the lube tube. It cost a little more but functions better for me. I've had both. If you can afford it, get the bullet feeder and save yourself from cutting off the end of one of your fingers. I don't use tubes, I just drop the boolits into the top of the short bullet feeder tube. It's fast and safe. Magma's heater is great and I don't see any advantage in a PID. Mine keeps the temperature where ever I want it. Enjoy the machine, you will of course have a learning curve, but once mastered there is no machine that equals it that is hand operated. Rod

[AbluquerqueBullet,LLC]

keeping the pressure correct with out air is pretty simple after the first 2000 you will totally master it.

The bullet feeder if you dont plan on buying a collator and i am pretty sure you are not at only 4k a year it would be a total waste. is nothing more than a helper that keeps you from smashing your finger and will only speed it up a tiny amount if any. some say to get the feeder and use tubes but it takes time to fill tubes might as well feed the sizer. and with tubes you can not crank the pressure screw it will hit the tube. doh. you will need air with tubes so just forget the feeder.

Heater base just make it, the digital heater controllers are about $14"usd" (ebay) you do NOT need a PID for these temps just a generic digital temp controller. a aluminum plate and cartridge heater and a power wire you might wind up with $50 into it.

dont get the special handle its for guys doing thousand of bullets at a time i have sized 5k with the normal handle none stop 2 helpers filling tubes on a decked out star. almost 2.5 hours none stop.

And you might be able to find a used one you can get out your way for a lot less than a new one.

[6bg6ga]

I should get my lube this week so hopefully I will be able to pan lube 200 or so to test the lube/load. If it works without leading, then I'll buy the star.

I do bullets around 1000 at a time.

How hard is it to gauge/ get constant pressure with the handle only? There is no pressure gauge.
Will be used to lube 9mm bullets with just one groove. 2500+ lube.
How hard is it to use without the bullet feeder?

With the exchange rate costing me x1.33, and the expensive shipping for the usa, +tax , a fully loaded star is 1300$ or so for me. That's a little expensive considering I usually shoot 2-4000 bullets per year.
(Well I didn't shoot much lately because we had a newborn at home).

I wonder how just the basic star would work with 2500+ VS a fully loaded one. The bulletfeeder+air add 350$ CAD to my order (500$+tax if I add the heated base also) and I just question if that's really needed to lube 2-4k a year.

The base star+die+handle would cost me 630$ including taxes and shipping, and I'm starting to think that that's already a lot of money...

You don't need to purchase the Magma air cylinder/ air feed when you can purchase a simple cylinder off the net for about $30. Also you don't need to buy someones special kit when you can go to the hardware store and spend less than $8.00 to do the same thing. The same can be said for the heater..... a simple PID and a heater and probe and your in business. The heater can also be managed with a primitive light control to run the heating element. The actual bullet feeder is a needed asset and makes the task fun and surely better than feeding one at a time.

What you actually need..... The Magma sizer / lubricator. The bullet feeder assembly. A punch and die from Lathesmith. What you can make... a heater using a $20 heater element and a piece of scrap aluminum. The control for the heater... PID is best but others will work. The air cylinder that puts pressure constant pressure on the lube and no its not air feed.
Cylinder is SMC pn NCMB-0600 along with the washer from Magma.

[6bg6ga]

Check this thread by TMaloy Star sizer air mod

[fng]

Magma's great, but I like finding used Stars.
Just picked these up, the gentleman was asking $200 total.
Just call me Lucky.

[FISH4BUGS]

I use the Magma lube and have been using it for years. I shoot 380, 9mm and 45 caliber machine guns and shoot cast only in them (unless subsonic 9mm 147 fmj or anything through the supressor). The Magma lube works well and I have no leading, even after many 30 round magazine dumps.
My Star sizer uses a Midway heater that I bought off ebay years ago. I bought that before the Star. I never experimented with lubes. I found Magma's to work just fine. So i bought a bunch and use that exclusively.
You know, I never found it a burden to turn the handle every 25 or so bullets. All part of the deal.
When you get in a groove and everything is adjusted properly, the Star is a wonderful piece of equipment. Get it out of adjustment and it will drive you nuts.
One of the best things a caster and mid to high volume shooter can buy.

[rbuck351]

I have a bare bones Star. I have no heater no bullet feeder no air thingy no fancy handle. I use FWFL which does not need heat, yep it's a bit sticky but there is no lube on the bullet except in the groove. I believe I could lube size 1000 per hour easily enough as that is only one bullet every 3.6 seconds. With a smaller bullet like a single groove 9mm a single pass will give good groove fill. When size lubing my 3 groove 45/70 boolits I don't get full groove fillout with a single pass so I pump the handle 2 or three times depending on how warm the Star is. It's quite a bit faster than feeding the boolits back through a second or third time. I can still do 500 per hour. For 2000 to 4000 boolits per year and money being a bit tight, I would stay with the press, die and top punch. It's way beyond a lyman or RCBS even without the bells and whistles. If you want to use hard lube just hang a trouble light against the star with a 75watt bulb. Yeah, I'm cheap so what.

[Don Purcell]

Mine has the heater base, air pressure cylinder and the roller handle from Lathesmith. Before I got the roller handle my average was 1000 bullets every 35-40 minutes. The roller handle upped that rate even and is easier on the hand.

[rbuck351]

The problem is speed costs money. The basic Star is quite fast but it costs double what a Lyman does. It's fast enough for most folks that are not regular competition shooters. Making a Star faster is not hard, it just costs more. I got lucky and found a Star at a gun show with 1 die and a top punch for $65. Had I known how fast they are and how well they work, I would have bought the basic Star years ago at whatever they cost.

[toallmy]

After you pan lube a few you appreciate a basic star .

[Dusty Ed]

Toallmy
How do you fill your Star with lube? I assume you are make your own in bulk,a pound or 2 at a time .
My problem is if I slice it in pieces I get air into the lube an then down in the die it messes me up for awhile ,I hate to melt it because it takes quite
awhile to cool an harden.
Thanks
Dusty Ed

[MT Chambers]

No, I buy the hard lube from Lars(carnauba red) It's inexpensive and just drop the solid cyl. of lube in the machine, no mess, no cooling, etc.

[ReloaderFred]

If you know anyone who uses Airborne, the plastic tubes the tablets come in make perfect molds for bullet lube. I just melted down one of the large tubes of lube from my Lube Master machine with a heat gun and poured the lube into several of the Airborne tubes for use in my Star sizers. The same could be done with homemade lube, or for that matter, any other lube.

Hope this helps.

Fred