New Setup Questions On Star Sizer

[kfin]

I am jumping in whole hog into this bullet making. I have a thread for the rest of my purchases in the main section but am getting a Star so I will put that part here. After reading a bunch I decided to go ahead now and get the Star sizer/luber and the dies with top punches from Lathesmith. Several questions though that I could not find by searching.

I will start off with the plain machine, may add the bullet feeder, for my 45 anyway, later. Probably will get the heater or some type of heating it by this summer. Air does not seem to impress me much yet, but that may change after my first session of 500 - 1000 bullets....have to wait and see on that one. For now I just want to get started.

Question on the dies.....I have only used the 200 grain LSWC from Missouri Bullets for years but will probably be buying the Lee die for that bullet. So do you get a die for a 45 caliber SWC? Or is this something really specific? Like you get a die for every mold? Obviously every caliber but do you need one for different 200 grain SWC molds? This may make me buy a nice mold now if I would have to buy a different sizing die later if I upgrade molds. Sorry for the totally beginner questions but I did look first. From what I have read, it seems like this is the case. I figure I would have to have a separate die for a 200 grain RN and a 200 grain SWC.

Question on the top punches.....Are these caliber specific? Or are they caliber and bullet mold specific? ie: Will the same one work for 9mm as 45 acp? Will the same one work for 45 200 grain SWC and RN?

What is the best lube to use for my new machine? With heat and without as I'm still undecided on that part?

Anything else that I am needing besides machine, lube, dies and top punch just to get started?

Thanks guys/gals,

[HATCH]

The magma feeder uses the magma heater.
So your gonna have to get the heater or rig a plate up to space it properly.

Dies are purchased by diameter and hole pattern.
IE - I size my 45 colt and my 45 ACP the same size (.452)
The difference is the adjustment of the punch depth.

Punches - unlike the lyman and most other sizers, the Star pushes them NOSE first. So you are pushing against the flat base.
So as long as you have a punch that is close to the diameter (smaller) then your fine.

Pointers I can give you
(1) get a punch and lock nut for every caliber/boolit you cast for
(2) if you run a lube that requires heat then get a PID
(3) purchase or make a AIR lube feed setup


Start out with the Magma lube. Your gonna need a heater.
Once you get it all figured out then you can switch lubes.

[toallmy]

Good machinery. If you get a flat top punch for say 9mm or 38 it will work on the 45 as well as long as you size nose down ,if you onely lube a singal lube grove you may be Abel to adjust it up and down to lube multiple dies without readjustment. Choose your sizer dies so it fits your gun. In most cases you want to size 1-2 thousand over bore. Don't worry about how many rows of holes in your dies you can easily fill them. I'm shore a lot of people will help you out with set-up once you have it in frount of you.

[tja6435]

The top punches push the bullet from the base, so you can use a 9mm to push a .45 through it, but it won't be ideal for seating gas checks with, but it'll work if $ is tight currently.

A .45 sizing die at .452" will work for round nose, SWC, WFN, etc as the machine pushes the bullet nose first though the die. You will have to plug the lube holes to block where you don't want lube flowing onto the bullet, but once you have one in hand, you'll see that it's not a big deal. Just tap some 7.5 lead shot into each hole you need to plug.

For what Lathesmith charges for the punches, I buy a punch for each die. I have more punches than dies, that allows me to set a punch specifically for a bullet and tighten the set screw on the punch ring so it'll be the same next time I size/lube that particular bullet.


As far as lube, I like Randy's TAC, White Label's Red Carnuba and LBT's Blue, but all of those will require heat of some sort unless it's 80°+ where your sizer is setup. Heater can be a hair blow dryer, a paint removing heat gun, a piece of aluminum plate with a clothes iron set on it. Building a base heater is cheap/easy with some 1/2" thick aluminum plate, a 100w cartridge heating element, cheap extension cord and a 600w light dimmer switch.

[toallmy]

It won't seam so complex , when you have one in front of you. Just explaine what you want to do with the dies when you are ordering them lathsmith will be able to tell you want you need.

[ReloaderFred]

Since the majority of the bullets I run through my Star machines are single lube groove, I've been ordering my sizing dies from Lathesmith with just one row of lube holes. I use the same sizing die for .45 acp and .45 Colt, and it's .452" diameter. For .38/.357, I use the .358" diameter sizing die, but I have several of them for different .38 caliber bullets, some of which have multiple lube grooves. Like some of the others, I've ordered several different punches for different bullets, along with Lathesmith's locknuts. Once I have the depth set for a specific bullet, I write that bullet on it with a Sharpie and it's always set up properly when I go back to that bullet. It saves a lot adjustment time, and since time is the one thing that once spent, can't be bought back, and my time is becoming more valuable as I get older...

All my Star machines have heaters, and three of them have bullet feeders, but you can get by without the feeders. As far as I'm concerned, I can't get by without the heaters, since I use all hard lubes, mostly from Magma. I have some other lube machines set up for soft lubes, but I very seldom use them, since the soft lubes are so messy and you can't bulk pack the finished bullets. I box my bullets by the 500 and 1,000, and put them on the shelf until I'm ready to use them.

In the past, Star made bullet punches that were designed to push the bullet through the sizing die base first, but many years ago John Paul Jones came up with the flat punch to push them nose first, which has turned out to be the better way, for the most part. I have numerous nose fitting punches, but I don't use them very often.

The only machine I have with air assist for the lube pressure is my commercial Lube Master machine. All my Star machines use the old fashioned pressure screw. I haven't converted the Star machines to air simply because I have 6 of them and it costs too much to convert them all, so I've stuck with the screw method. It works, but not as well as air pressure.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[runfiverun]

all good information above.

I'm kinda odd in that I have no problem buying stuff from the manufacturer that has engineered the parts to fit together properly.
I may modify it or go another direction as I figure the equipment out, but I want the system to work in conjunction as designed from the start.
the air assist is so super nice you forget it's there until you run out of lube.
the heater doesn't need a pid or any outside help to work properly, but you do need the heater base to bolt the boolit feeder on so it's a god idea to have.
now if your gonna get the feeder, then the air assist is a must [IMO] since the boolit tube will be in your way and stopping to turn the screw will slow you down and throw your cadence off.
you'll find yourself hitting a cadence and actually concentrating on what your doing then suddenly all 50 boolits are done and you need to insert another tube.

I bought some 3/8th's and 1/2" clear plastic tubing from a plumbing supply store and cut them into thirds so they hold 50 for the big and about 60 for the little tubes.

[dragon813gt]

I bought some 3/8th's and 1/2" clear plastic tubing from a plumbing supply store and cut them into thirds so they hold 50 for the big and about 60 for the little tubes.

Is that size ID or OD? It's the only part I haven't made up for my Star yet. Od like to start cranking them out instead of hand feeding it.

[ReloaderFred]

With the bullet tubes in place, it's easy to crank the pressure screw on the lube reservoir. You just cut off a bolt to fit in the top threaded hole of the pressure screw. It's the one used to pull the plunger out of the tube with. Then you use a ratchet drive 1/2" wrench to tighten the pressure screw. I've done this to all my Stars with the bullet feeders.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[kfin]

Thanks for the explanations. It is starting to make sense now on the dies and top punches. I'll get it ordered in a couple of weeks and have a few more questions once here and set up.

[runfiverun]

ID.. the od is the same as the little adaptor for the feeder.
the I'd diameter lets you use the 3/8ths for 357 and under, and the 1/2" allows you to do 44/45 easily.

[dragon813gt]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[kfin]

I ordered my Star today along with their heater. I have already ordered my 9mm and 45acp sizing dies, punches and set screws from Lathesmith after slugging my barrels. Also have an air kit on the way from Kyle. I should be set up for this venture soon. Magma said my order should ship by the end of next week.

I will be using Carnauba Red lube for everything I believe. I have sent them an email on what will fit in a package. I want to order a couple of solid sticks and a couple of 1 lb blocks, I like the idea of either making my own sticks or better yet, keeping some on a coffee cup warmer in a small pyre measuring cup and just topping off the luber with that. We will see how much trouble it is as you are not saving that much moolah by doing it... At least I don't think you will.

Anything missing? Orings seem to be available locally. I seriously doubt if I will want a bullet feeder as they are caliber specific and I really am in no hurry.

Thanks for the tips guys.

[Pee Wee]

Sounds like you are on your way. I have the bullet feeder. it is one feeder which you change between large and small caliper. I size and lube from 380, 9mm, 38 special, 45 acp, 44 special and 44 mag, and 45 long colt. 380 thur 38/357 small caliper set up, 45 acp thur 45 long colt large caliper set up. takes about 5 min to change over large to small or small to large. I also have the heater. I live in florida and rarely use it. I do use it to change out the dies. Now My buddy Duke In Florida just purchased a star and it will live with me so one will stay set up for small caliper and one for large caliper. I am makeing a bullet feeder for it. (copying the one I have) I do all the casting and sizeing for Duke and I and he comes over and helps Lube and size when he can. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good luck and cast and size on>>>>>>.

[wv109323]

The dies are diameter specific. All bullet configurations can be sized through the same die. A .356 die will size RN, TC or SWC to .356.
If you desire to size bullet base first then you need a top punch that closely resembles your bullet nose profile. This is needed to align the bullet through the sizing die straight. The problem is there are more bullet nose profiles than top punches. A top punch will most likely need to be modified to fit your bullet. The other option is to size the bullet nose first.
All that is needed to push the bullet straight is a flat bottom punch to press against the flat base of the bullet. I like a top punch to be a few thousandths less than bullet diameter. So a .449" punch for a .452 bullet. If you have a .449 and a .353 flat punch those will handle 9mm up.
A heater is needed for some lubes. To start out you can use a hair dryer or a light bulb shining against the sizer for heat. A temp of 100 to 110 degrees is all that is needed to let the lube flow.
The best lube is personal preference. I use carnauba red from White Label. Thirty bucks of lube will lube several thousand bullets.
You have listed everything you need to get started.
setting up the sizer is a little tricky. The sizing dies have three "layers" of three holes to allow the lube to flow into the lube groove of the bullet. Two of the layers need to be plugged off. The third layer is left open. The stroke of the ram plus the adjustment of the top punch must leave the lube groove of the bullet in alignment with the unplugged holes of the sizing dies
the holes can be plugged with lead shot from a shotgun.

[cajun shooter]

I've used the Star Machines since 1970 as that is what my mentor started me on, they are the best. The thing that new users seem to have problems with is finding the correct depth adjustment so that only the lube rings are lubed. It's really easy if one follows the instructions followed by Star. This info is in the manual or if you are without one, you may find the download on the Star forum.
Your idea of adding lube as it's used will not work as you have to wait until it transforms from a liquid to a solid state and that takes away from your lube time.
The best way to increase your lube capacity is to cover the weep hole on the lower rear section of the lube tube. This is done by placing a piece of rubber hose or leather over the hole and hold it in place with a hose clamp. This will allow you to use 6 inch lube sticks rather than the standard 4 inch size. If you use the Kyle air kit that is sold on this forum, these pieces are in his kit. I've used the factory air set up for years, then I decided to try Kyle's kit which sells for less than half of the Star setup. It works just as well and keeps funds in your pocket.
It's best to record the proper setting for each bullet that you cast so that the next set up is a lot faster.
Take Care and Enjoy, David