Star lubesizer - handle is stiff

[AndyC]

I bought a used Star lubesizer from a nice gentleman who's had to stop reloading due to health reasons - it's pretty darned sad to see a competitive Bullseye shooter taken out of circulation like that *grumble*

Anyway, I've wanted a Star for years (because my RCBS is rather slow, and I shoot a lot of .45acp handgun - IDPA/IPSC type stuff) and got this one at a very good price. I have it mounted on my bench with an aluminum plate/clothes-iron combo for heat and melted the old lube out so I can use my favorite Carnauba Red:
http://i58.tinypic.com/ruxyz6.jpg

Got the depth set up nicely for both 230gr RN and 200gr SWC - same depth works for both (woohoo!):

http://i57.tinypic.com/10f4ylt.jpg
(A few teeny spots of lube on the nose, but I'll get to fixing that - I've read enough to know what the causes are)

On to my question - I've noticed that although the handle works very smoothly, it seems to take a lot of pressure to work it up and down. I've watched VTForester's video on Youtube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8NdY15RstE ) using the bulletfeeder and he works that handle like a champ very easily. I pretty much have to lean my body weight on the handle to get it to move

I've tried with no sizer die and no lube, and it doesn't make any difference - so what else should I be looking at?

[dragonrider]

Sounds like the crank shaft may be sticky with rust or whatever. there is a hole on top of the casting that the crank passes through, it is for oil. Put some kroil in it first and move the handle. Hopefully it will get easier if it does put some oil in the hole. I use hopes gun oil in mine.

[AndyC]

Aha - that helped some, thank you, dragonrider.

I found the hole, scraped the dust-bunnies out and dripped in some Wilson gun-lube and worked it to and fro. I also noticed the 2 ram-guide columns seemed dry, so I spritzed them with Hornady One-Shot - it doesn't yet work as easy as the Star in VTForester's video, but definitely more workable now :)

[mold maker]

Old age and cobwebs do that to us also.

[cbrick]

Aha - that helped some, thank you, dragonrider. I found the hole, scraped the dust-bunnies out and dripped in some Wilson gun-lube and worked it to and fro.

Were it mine I would disassemble it and clean it well, age probably has it gummed up inside. Oil it up and reassemble and then use the hole to keep it oiled. I also oil any metal on metal moving parts, keeps it moving really slick.

How did you get the handle bent like that? You said it was tough but geez. :(

Rick

[AndyC]

That's the way it came; I guess the original owner bent it like that deliberately and it still works fine.


I also oil any metal on metal moving parts, keeps it moving really slick.
Edit: Oiled the snot out of all the linkages, pivot-points and anything that moves or slides - now it feels a heck of a lot better. Amazing what some lubrication does ;)

[ReloaderFred]

Don't forget to oil the plunger at the top of the casting that pushes the lever that actuates the pump. It's the horizontal rod that moves back and forth as the handle is moved up and down. That can sometimes freeze up or get stiff if it doesn't have enough oil on it. It's on the left side of the machine as you're sitting in front of it, near the top.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[AndyC]

Got it, Fred, thank you :)

[LenH]

That may have been the guy's solution to the handle staying up. No spring needed.
I might have to take my handle to work and see about a slight bent in the press break.

[trixter]

I have formed a habit, whenever I want the handle to stay up (after several painful experiences), I just turn the lube pressure handle up against it and Voila, it stays like magic. I know, I know that is just too easy. LOL

[LenH]

I bent the handle on my Star sizer about 5 degrees about an inch and a half above the tip. The wooden handle is now positioned even with the pressure handle
and it changed the center of gravity and the handle stays up now. I didn't bend it as much as the picture above but just enough to get the handle off center.
I like Trxter's solution too, but mine is already bent.

[45cal]

I lube mine up with just plain old vasoline ,added air and built a shovel handle and heated base and a auto bullet feeder.
Don't know why in the hell I did not get one forty years ago.

[LGSO]

Get pics! Thanks for putting them up. tt

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Clean and lube - works with just about any kind of stiff reloading/sizing/lubing equipment. Greatly improves the user experience with the used equipment.

[HeavyMetal]

A guy on this site sells roller handles for the Star, bought one and it works great!

He is, last time I looked, in the vendor section with pic's check it out.

[David2011]

How did you get the handle bent like that? You said it was tough but geez. :(

Rick

They didn't come that way? I got mine from an older friend and I think it was bent when he got it. The San Diego decal is still intact.

David

[ReloaderFred]

The original handles were straight. They usually get bent from forcing too big a bullet through the die, or running one through a squeaky clean die without any lube on the first bullet.

I prefer the shovel handle on my Stars.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[454 shooter]

There is a wealth of information here. I just got my old star up and running. Bought it second hand so no telling how long it has sat. After lubing about 1500 previously sized bullets, then about 300 freshly cast ones my handle became stiff. I like the OP had to put my body weight into it to go up and down, even after removing the linkage pin to the ram. I searched a little, then pm'ed another member with a question, then lo and behold I find this post on page four. I have now tried oil, WD 40 and then PB blaster and all is much better. I'll check it out in the morning. My wife had an old sewing machine that she started to use after it had sit idle for some time, after a while it gummed up from use and had to be cleaned and lubricated. I would still like to know how to remove the crank shaft assembly to completely clean it.

[gtgeorge]

I had a crankshaft problem with an old SD Star that I had to change. I used a gear puller to pull the side off after removing the bolt that holds the handle. It may be possible to use a longer bolt and tap the end lightly to drive the shaft out the other side but I didn't want to take a chance of damaging the aluminum hosing. Of course you need to remove the pin retaining the linkage on the other side first. You can then clean things up and polish them as well as lube before reassembly. Mine had a defective crankshaft that I had to replace and the early SD Stars indeed had a different size shaft than the newer Magma.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?178079-Crank-Shaft-Assembly

[454 shooter]

Thanks, I knew I couldn't be the only one with this problem.