Star sizer nose punches

[JLK]

I've decided I'd like to try to size some bullets thru my
Star sizer/lubicator base first.
No reason...I'm just curious.
Is there a source for nose punches that will fit
the H&G 068 and 130?
Thanks!
JLK

[No_1]

Someone, might have been lathesmith, was making adapters to fit other punches to the Star but I could be wrong.

[rodsvet]

I just asked Lathesmith this same question a few weeks ago and he does not make base first punches. He said you could do it yourself using epoxy and a dished out punch that he could make for you. I decided to just keep doing them nose first. Rod

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Star use to make them.
I assume Magma offers them ?
I have several that came with my star sizer,
when the nose type top punch fit the boolit perfectly, I prefer to size them that way.
Jon

[ReloaderFred]

Magma only makes the flat punches. All the conformed nose punches were made by Star, since they resisted base first sizing for many, many years. It was their opinion that base first sizing was the what the machine was designed for, so base first sizing it would be.

A nose punch for the H&G 68 should be one of the easiest to find, since it was prolific during the heyday of the Star machines.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[theperfessor]

Before the end of the year I plan to offer adapters for Stars that will allow the use of Lyman/RCBS type nose punches. I will also offer my punches with the O-ring stem to suit. A member has already sent me photos and relevant details about the Star punch system. Until I settle on the design and select the materials I won't put a price on them but like my other stuff I will try to make it a good value for money spent.

[captaint]

I ran some Lee 356-120 TC boolits thru my Star base down. I did it to install some plain base gas checks. That boolit does have a flat meplat, so the regular punch worked fine. No problems. Of course, I ran them thru and lubed them all first. enjoy Mike

[ReloaderFred]

Perfessor,

That would be a great addition to the Star machines.

One of my Stars came with the top half of the die extraction tool installed, which allowed RCBS bullet seating stems to be used. The only problem was finding a lock nut that was small enough to fit inside a .358" sizing die. He had ground one down to fit within the sizing die, but there weren't any flats left on it, so pliers had to be used to tighten it. I hate using pliers on anything, so I scrapped the idea and went back to flat punches with this machine.

When you get your tool worked out, I'd like a couple of them.

Fred

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Before the end of the year I plan to offer adapters for Stars that will allow the use of Lyman/RCBS type nose punches. I will also offer my punches with the O-ring stem to suit. A member has already sent me photos and relevant details about the Star punch system. Until I settle on the design and select the materials I won't put a price on them but like my other stuff I will try to make it a good value for money spent.

perfessor,
I'll get in line to buy one or more than one if I need it.
Jon

[41 mag fan]

Before the end of the year I plan to offer adapters for Stars that will allow the use of Lyman/RCBS type nose punches. I will also offer my punches with the O-ring stem to suit. A member has already sent me photos and relevant details about the Star punch system. Until I settle on the design and select the materials I won't put a price on them but like my other stuff I will try to make it a good value for money spent.


Keith let me know when you get them ready. I've got a star coming in now, and will be setting up for it in the coming future. Now to get you to make the sizers for the Star [smilie=1:

[rodsvet]

This would allow the use of the Hornady or RCBS bullet collators for the star. Thats why I asked Lathesmith about making them. With the flat base down on the bullet feeder the boolits should slide smoother than skinny noses do. Keep us posted please!! Rod

[lathesmith]

Making an adaptor to use Lyman punches in the Star is easily done. However, not to rain on anyone's parade here, but...remember, the Star punch must reach down into the die in order to function properly. Many/most Lyman punches that I have used in the past are too large to reach down into the die, so you would not be able to push your lube/sized slugs through the Star die with this oversized punch. In fact, where the punch won't fit into the die, you won't even be able to size them fully, much less lube them properly.

Just a helpful reminder, to avoid possible disappointments.

lathesmith

[ReloaderFred]

Ah, that's correct. The shoulder of the Lyman and RCBS nose punches won't fit inside Star dies. Thanks for pointing that out, Lathesmith. That was also what I ran into with the bullet seater die spindles that were on one of the Stars I bought. The nut for tightening the spindle in place was too large to fit inside the sizing die of the Star, so the bullets couldn't be pushed through.

Fred

[rodsvet]

It would be a simple matter to machine off the shoulder which is useless anyway. You could even grind (carefully) the shoulder off. When I put a bullet feeder on my Star, I had to grind 3-4 rows of threads off the punch to get enough depth to completely push the H&G 200 SWC into the star die to reach the lube holes. The threads would hit the top of the die. It doesn't look as nice as if it had been machined, but works fine. This ain't rocket science. If theperfesser can machine up adapters, I would think if we sent him a cast boolit sample, he could just make a punch that fit the die and was the correct length. I would be willing as many of you, to pay a little extra for the time this would take him. Just my .02, and not a slight on lathesmith. He does fantastic work! Rod

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

It would be a simple matter to machine off the shoulder which is useless anyway. You could even grind (carefully) the shoulder off.

This ain't rocket science. If theperfesser can machine up adapters, I would think if we sent him a cast boolit sample, he could just make a punch that fit the die and was the correct length. I would be willing as many of you, to pay a little extra for the time this would take him. Just my .02, and not a slight on lathesmith. He does fantastic work! Rod

I doubt it's that easy...But what would be easy is if theprofessor offered one of his epoxy type top punches without the shoulder,
OR
a star top punch itself with the epoxy feature instead of an adaptor for Lyman/RCBS punches.
Jon

[theperfessor]

Guys, I appreciate all the comments and feedback here. I've never considered it as "raining on the parade" to offer realistic assessments of problems that will be faced making anything. I think I can deal with all the problems.

The only thing holding me back is time (right now I'm really busy at my real job) and the knowledge that nobody else is selling anything like this. I don't want to step into anybody's pumpkin patch.