Star Lube Sizer Almost Seized Up - Please Help!

[Low Budget Shooter]

Hello, Casters. I've been using an old Star that I bought from another guy on this forum. It has been working great and my sons and I have sent thousands through it. Today while the boys were using it the handle became hard to move up and down. It is almost seized up, but will move with lots of push. It's not a stuck bullet. Can anyone tell what is wrong? Thanks, Jeff

[NoZombies]

If it's at the bottom of the stroke, check the punch adjustment, if it fouls the top of the die it can lock the press right up when you cam past BDC

[Low Budget Shooter]

Thanks for the reply. But no sir, it's not in the contact between punch and die. Those are free of each other. It's farther up the stroke.

[SWANEEDB]

I just overhauled a Star luber for a friend, he had been using hard lube with a heater then changed over to Alox, the place where the lube is injected was built up and it froze, just took it apart and a good cleaning freed it up, check it out, maybe it's your problem--easy to fix. Hope this helps a little bit.

[Low Budget Shooter]

Thanks!

[D Crockett]

unbolt it from your bench take out the plunger and the die from it take some boiling water and pore it down where you put the lube then after you do that take out the brass plug in the side and see if the old lube has been cleared out of there if so you should be fine if not start checking all moving parts to see if anything is binding up that should take care of the problem D Crockett

[ReloaderFred]

First of all, there are several places where things have to move up and down, or back and forth and go round. Each and every one of them needs to be lubed with a good quality oil. The vertical shafts need to be lubed, along with the small rod at the top that pushes the pump rod back and forth. There is a lube hole in the casting for applying oil to this rod. Then the handle itself needs to be lubed where it goes through the casting, and there's another lube hole for doing that. Also apply lube to the ends of the handle shaft where it bears on the casting.

If it stopped after working, then I would look there, especially if it's in a location where it can get cold and make the lube and built up gunk harden up.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[LAH]

Your machine may have been twisted a little causing S119 to bind on S120. It happen you me once. The parts mentioned can be seen here on page 2: http://www.magmaengineering.com/PDF/Star_Sizer.pdf

[Low Budget Shooter]

Thanks for all the good info, gentlemen.

[Frozone]

Then the handle itself needs to be lubed where it goes through the casting, and there's another lube hole for doing that. Also apply lube to the ends of the handle shaft where it bears on the casting.......

Fred

If the bolt (s118) in the end is over tight the shaft can bind or if loose the hole (for the handle) can ovalize.
Either way it'll bind up at certain part of the rotation more than others.

[Low Budget Shooter]

Fellers, thank you very much. One of my sons partially disassembled it; I soaked it in boiling water a couple times; he oiled and reassembled it, and it works. LBS

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Fellers, thank you very much. One of my sons partially disassembled it; I soaked it in boiling water a couple times; he oiled and reassembled it, and it works. LBS

Mechanically inclined sons are a blessing from God.

[Low Budget Shooter]

Yes, Dave, I am very thankful for mine! LBS