Couple of Star Sizer Questions

[Idahoan]

Getting back into the Star presses and have picked up a couple with some top punches but none are flat, all concave shaped for bullet noses of some sort, is there some sort of hard wax, or liquid metal, or......? that works well for filling the recesses to make flat bottom punches?

Also, there was a guy here that made a conversion assy to use air pressure for the lube reservoir, I had a post about him on this site bookmarked but now the site is telling me "invalid link", anyone know who made these? My air tank has a pressure gauge so do not really need the somewhat pricy Magma conversion,

TIA

[Beagle333]

The guy that made the air conversion unit was Kyle623

[HATCH]

He hasn't been online since feb 2017
I do have a phone number that I can call him tomorrow and see what's up


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[StuBach]

For the top punches I recommend just ordering new from LatheSmith. See the post below. Filling the ones you have may allow for uneven surface I would think (though I am not a machinist by any means). LatheSmiths work is great and his prices are reasonable.

Alternative fill if your determined to go that way might be epoxy? Have punch on level surface and fill with slow set epoxy so it would self level? I've done this with some stainless steal counter tops I got surplus to fill holes and it worked well.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...th-s-Star-dies

[LenH]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ar-washer-size

I found the info I need to put an air cylinder on my Star. If you leave off the regulator you can probably do it for about $35. I even made an aluminum piston
for the Hycar washer. Works like a champ.

+1 on LatheSmith, he makes quality parts. I got a several of his locking punch nuts. They are set and forget.

[Pee Wee]

The concave punches are for gas checks. They still work on non gas check bullets.

[ReloaderFred]

The Star sizer was originally designed to size and lube bullets base first, and each style of bullet required a top punch that fit the nose of the bullet. I have about 3 dozen of the old style top punches.

The owners of Star were resistant to any suggestion to size nose first, and never sanctioned a flat base punch until John Paul Jones, one of their distributors started making them himself and selling them. Even after that, they still sold only the nose fitted top punches for base first sizing. It didn't have anything to do with gas checks. It's just the way they designed the machine to work and they didn't want to change it.

After Magma purchased the rights to the Star sizers, they only produce flat punches, the same as for their Lube Master machines, which use Star sizing dies.

You can fill any concave fitted top punch with epoxy, but it's easiest if you have a drill press with a chuck that will accept the threaded shank, and a flat surface for it to press against in the down position. Fill the cavity with enough epoxy so there will be a slight overflow, and run the chuck down against the flat surface, covered in waxed paper, or wax the surface itself. Lock the chuck down tight against the flat surface until the epoxy cures and then trim off any excess. The waxed paper, or wax on the surface, will act as a release agent.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Idahoan]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ar-washer-size

I found the info I need to put an air cylinder on my Star. If you leave off the regulator you can probably do it for about $35. I even made an aluminum piston
for the Hycar washer. Works like a champ.

Looks like a good way to go, *IF* you have access to a machine shop to make the piston/plunger, unless someone makes them?

[LenH]

I didn't have access to a machine shop. The plunger I made was drilled off center. I clamped it with a pair of channel locks and sanded down the
larger side of the off set with an angle grinder and a sanding pad. It ain't rocket science and had a guy convince me I was over thinking things.
It looks like I made it but 99% of the time it is in the sizer and nobody can see i

[wv109323]

Don't forget JB Weld.