What's This Star Luber Worth?

[Fugowii]

I've been offered this Star Luber (and the moulds) but I have no idea what the
used Star is worth and neither does the seller. I want to make a fair offer (to both
of us) as he is a friend. I would appreciate your input. The moulds are .38 cal
moulds. I don't have the numbers.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i227/BP_2006/002.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i227/BP_2006/003.jpg

[deltaenterprizes]

A new one is about $200 and dies at least $25 each. Check Magma Engineering's web site to confirm the current prices.

[RayinNH]

The H&G mould with handles probably $150-175, the 4 cavity Lyman $60-80 depending on number...Ray

[hammerhead357]

The H & G mould value would be based on the cal. and the mould number, just like the lyman. Certain moulds are worth more than others from the same manufacture. There seems to be some rust so make sure the cavities are not rusted.
I wouldn't go much over 150 to 175 for the star and the extra die. The H & G mould could go from 75 to 200 just depends on the style. Ray is probably correct about the lyman,....Wes

[phil218b]

I have to agree these prices are spot on, but they forgot that cleaned up and working properly they are worth years of quality service and satisfaction!

[mikenbarb]

Check the cavities on the molds good because they look a little rusted on the outside. Its an excellent sizer and 150 is fair.

[runfiverun]

that is the older [original] star mold
a new one is 250.00 and the new parts will still fit it. the sizers are 40.00 from magma.
i would offer 75 for the mold if it is in good shape, and go 150-175 for the star.
you can get a heater base and a boolit feeder to fit the luber if you want.

[Fugowii]

Well I purchased it, and the Star is in very good shape. A little rust but nothing
big. Hardly any wear and tear on it. The two molds are four cavity 148gr WC
moulds and they are pretty well rusted. The cavities don't look bad though, but
I guess I won't really know until I make some boolits. I paid $200 for everything
and got a bunch of miscellaneous stuff that doesn't amount to much as well. I
do have a question and that is does the Star provide a different punch for each
die? I have two dies, a .358 and a .432, but only one punch. Is this correct?

If the moulds aren't any good, is there a market for the handles? If so, what
do you think they might be worth? They are in excellent shape.

[oldtoolsniper]

Are those molds steel? I have one that was rusted but not pitted and found that they clean up fast and like new with acid. The acid is for swimming pools it sells in home depot for $8 or $9 for two gallons. I dipped it into the acid for twenty minutes (outside) then used baking soda to render it neutral. I restore old wood working tools like this all the time. Try it on something of no value first.

[Fugowii]

Are those molds steel? I have one that was rusted but not pitted and found that they clean up fast and like new with acid. The acid is for swimming pools it sells in home depot for $8 or $9 for two gallons. I dipped it into the acid for twenty minutes (outside) then used baking soda to render it neutral. I restore old wood working tools like this all the time. Try it on something of no value first.

Yes, they are steel. You might be on to something as they do not appear to be
pitted (at least the cavities) so there might be help for them. In the meantime
they have a healthy dose of oil and I cleaned them the best I could with scotch
abrasive pads, mystery oil, and elbow grease to try to stop the bleeding until I
was able to figure out what to do with them. Thanks for the suggestion. Do you
think a heated white vinegar bath might do it as well? I've used this to clean
carbs in the past.

[Springfield]

It's called Muriatic Acid, most hardware stores carry it. I would try 10 minutes in the acid and see how it is working 'cause it will eat up everything if left too long. I have cleaned up some maching tools for an old lathe I bought. Make sure you neutralize and then oil teh crap out of it after. Star's are meant to be used with the bullets nose first, so flat punches are all that is needed. You probably have some old base first punches.

[mtgrs737]

Muriatic Acid = Hydrocloric acid same stuff we have in our stomachs only stronger. To deluite it Add the acid to water, but never add water to acid as it could react vilolently, kinda like when the tensile fairy visits your lead pot. Always wear safety glasses, a face sheild, and protective clothing when working with acid.

[oldtoolsniper]

I have never tried vinegar, so I don’t know how it would work. Just grab something you are not afraid to try it on and experiment away. I started on some old axe heads and they came out real nice. Don’t get you face over the top of the container as the fumes are BAD.

[Texasflyboy]

I think a heated white vinegar bath might do it as well? I've used this to clean carbs in the past.

There is a range of cleaning methods used to clean any steel bullet mould, they range from the left hand side of a scale (low impact) to the right hand side of a scale (high impact).

Here is a quick graph:

http://hgmould.gunloads.com/a/cleaning.jpg

I recommend always starting with the lowest impact cleaning methods first, and trading time for effect. What does this mean? It means that a low impact cleaning method like a GI toothbrush and dawn detergent takes time. You are investing time over a longer period to get a greater effect. This is represented by the left hand side of the scale as low impact, long duration. The other end of the scale is High Impact, low time. It doesn't take long, sometimes much faster than anyone realizes, to ruin a bullet mould forever with a high impact low time cleaning method.

I would never, ever, use a chemical cleaning agent. These include acids of any type. It is extremely difficult, almost impossible, to quantitatively judge the impact of a chemical reaction by visual observation unless you take painstaking steps to set up measurements beforehand.


Another high impact cleaning method?

Bronze cleaning brushes that match the caliber of the bullet mould.

Many an enterprising caster has looked through their cleaning toolbox and thought "This bronze cleaning brush is the same size as the mould cavities. I have an idea. Let's chuck it in a drill, clamp the mould blocks around it, spray some lube in there and let 'er rip!". And before you realize it, that cavity is ruined.

I speak from many years of experience having seen the results of this cleaning method more times than I care to remember.

My parting advice is this. Patience is your best friend when cleaning mould blocks. Just because they are steel does not mean they cannot be ruined. Start cleaning with the lowest impact method you can devise. And use it multiple times, not just once, and proceed slowly, as your time investment grows, you will be rewarded with a functional tool. Speed things up, and you run the risk of passing your goal, a clean and functional mould. Clean and repeat. Clean and repeat. Try using it. Still not working? Clean and repeat. Clean and repeat.

My standard go to tools for cleaning any mould, no matter how bad a condition it may appear to be is to start with a GI toothbrush and dawn detergent. I repeat the cleaning at least 10 times. I have only had to progress to toothpaste three or four times in 20 years of collecting moulds.

Once ruined, you cannot undo the damage. The only way to prevent damage is to take the least impact cleaning method possible and be able to recognize that point of diminishing returns and say to yourself "This is clean enough to get good bullets, any further and I will ruin the cavities".

One of these days I will run a educational auction in the Buy/Sell section of Cast Bullets and offer for sale my collection of ruined Hensley & Gibbs bullets moulds that I have been given over my years of collecting. They outnumber my collection of usable moulds in case anyone is curious. They won't be for sale, but I would like for folks to tell me what they think a brand new #503 8 cavity mould is worth that someone left a light bit of patina rust gather over the mould and decide to clean that puppy with a drill and a .44 caliber bronze brush. I want to cry every time I take it out of the ammo can I keep it in. Ruined forever.

A lot of folks assume I have magical powers to resurrect ruined moulds just because of my affiliation with the Hensley & Gibbs reference website. I do not have magical powers. Ruined is ruined. They send them to me to "Fix them up as new" with a note to send an estimate for the cost of repair. They rarely want them back when I tell them I can't help them.

Wayne told me he had a storage locker FULL of ruined moulds sent back for repair. Many times the repair cost was simply the cost of new blocks. The customers usually paid it.

[fredj338]

Well I purchased it, and the Star is in very good shape. A little rust but nothing
big. Hardly any wear and tear on it. The two molds are four cavity 148gr WC
moulds and they are pretty well rusted. The cavities don't look bad though, but
I guess I won't really know until I make some boolits. I paid $200 for everything
and got a bunch of miscellaneous stuff that doesn't amount to much as well. I
do have a question and that is does the Star provide a different punch for each
die? I have two dies, a .358 and a .432, but only one punch. Is this correct?

If the moulds aren't any good, is there a market for the handles? If so, what
do you think they might be worth? They are in excellent shape.
That is a good deal, really. That sizer looks in great shape but for some surface rust. As long as the molds are not pitted w/ rust inside, they should clean up fine. I use a toohbrush & WD40 ro get as much off as possible, then evaluate harsher methods.
The original Star presses came w/ nose punches to size base first, I have several. Then Magam took them over & went nose first & you can now use 1 or 2 punches for all bullet sizes. I like two; a .250" for 9mm-41 & .420" for 44-458. When you are sizing softer bullets, the top punch can leave a noticeable dent in the base. Not an issue w/ plain base but seating GC, I wanted a slightly bigger dia. for my 44s & 45s.

[Fugowii]

There is a range of cleaning methods used to clean any steel bullet mould, they range from the left hand side of a scale (low impact) to the right hand side of a scale (high impact).

Here is a quick graph:

http://hgmould.gunloads.com/a/cleaning.jpg

I recommend always starting with the lowest impact cleaning methods first, and trading time for effect. What does this mean? It means that a low impact cleaning method like a GI toothbrush and dawn detergent takes time. You are investing time over a longer period to get a greater effect. This is represented by the left hand side of the scale as low impact, long duration. The other end of the scale is High Impact, low time. It doesn't take long, sometimes much faster than anyone realizes, to ruin a bullet mould forever with a high impact low time cleaning method.

I would never, ever, use a chemical cleaning agent. These include acids of any type. It is extremely difficult, almost impossible, to quantitatively judge the impact of a chemical reaction by visual observation unless you take painstaking steps to set up measurements beforehand.


Another high impact cleaning method?

Bronze cleaning brushes that match the caliber of the bullet mould.

Many an enterprising caster has looked through their cleaning toolbox and thought "This bronze cleaning brush is the same size as the mould cavities. I have an idea. Let's chuck it in a drill, clamp the mould blocks around it, spray some lube in there and let 'er rip!". And before you realize it, that cavity is ruined.

I speak from many years of experience having seen the results of this cleaning method more times than I care to remember.

My parting advice is this. Patience is your best friend when cleaning mould blocks. Just because they are steel does not mean they cannot be ruined. Start cleaning with the lowest impact method you can devise. And use it multiple times, not just once, and proceed slowly, as your time investment grows, you will be rewarded with a functional tool. Speed things up, and you run the risk of passing your goal, a clean and functional mould. Clean and repeat. Clean and repeat. Try using it. Still not working? Clean and repeat. Clean and repeat.

My standard go to tools for cleaning any mould, no matter how bad a condition is may appear to be is to start with a GI toothbrush and dawn detergent. I repeat the cleaning at least 10 times. I have only had to progress to toothpaste three or four times in 20 years of collecting moulds.

Once ruined, you cannot undo the damage. The only way to prevent damage is to take the least impact cleaning method possible and be able to recognize that point of diminishing returns and say to yourself "This is clean enough to get good bullets, any further and I will ruin the cavities".

One of these days I will run a educational auction in the Buy/Sell section of Cast Bullets and offer for sale my collection of ruined Hensley & Gibbs bullets moulds that I have been given over my years of collecting. They outnumber my collection of usable moulds in case anyone is curious. They won't be for sale, but I would like for folks to tell me what they think a brand new #503 8 cavity mould is worth that someone left a light bit of patina rust gather over the mould and decide to clean that puppy with a drill and a .44 caliber bronze brush. I want to cry every time I take it out of the ammo can I keep it in. Ruined forever.

A lot of folks assume I have magical powers to resurrect ruined moulds just because of my affiliation with the Hensley & Gibbs reference website. I do not have magical powers. Ruined is ruined. They send them to me to "Fix them up as new" with a note to send an estimate for the cost of repair. They rarely want them back when I tell them I can't help them.

Wayne told me he had a storage locker FULL of ruined moulds sent back for repair. Many times the repair cost was simply the cost of new blocks. The customers usually paid it.

Thank you very much. Outside of oil and some scotch-brite on the outside of the
moulds I have left them alone. Your post was very timely as I was thinking about
the bronze brush idea but I didn't want to do anything until I ran if by the guys
on the forum. The only thing I have taken to the cavities are cotton patches and
Q-tips along with some oil to prevent anything else happening to them. The
cavities look pretty good with no pitting. The biggest concern I have is with the
face of the moulds as they have some crud on them. It doesn't look like pitting
so I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and wait until I tried the mould and see what
I get. For all I know the guy I bought them from could have already screwed
them up but here's hoping. Thanks again. Now to break out the Dawn and the
old toothbrushes!

[Fugowii]

That is a good deal, really. That sizer looks in great shape but for some surface rust. As long as the molds are not pitted w/ rust inside, they should clean up fine. I use a toohbrush & WD40 ro get as much off as possible, then evaluate harsher methods.
The original Star presses came w/ nose punches to size base first, I have several. Then Magam took them over & went nose first & you can now use 1 or 2 punches for all bullet sizes. I like two; a .250" for 9mm-41 & .420" for 44-458. When you are sizing softer bullets, the top punch can leave a noticeable dent in the base. Not an issue w/ plain base but seating GC, I wanted a slightly bigger dia. for my 44s & 45s.

Thanks for the info. I have two dies and only one punch, the one for the .38 cal
die. Its got the hollowed out portion to lube base first. Can you still get the
nose punch for the .431 die? I suppose I would like it just to have the correct
set more than anything. I'm going to get the flat punches for nose first lubing.
I saw another post that the fellow had three. A .30, 38, and 44/45 which is
what I want to get. The die sizes I am not quite sure what I want yet.

Oh yeah, the H&G mould is the No 36, 158gr WC. The Lyman is the 148gr WC.
Here's hoping they work as they were just what I was looking for as well.

[Texasflyboy]

Thank you very much.

You are welcome. To quote an old Hot Rod saying "Looks don't make it run". The exterior of the mould does not impact the cavities. I have many pitted moulds with perfect cavities.

What matters on your mould is the condition of the cavities. Period.

You can use a more aggressive cleaning method on the mould exterior. I use 0000 steel wool, WD-40, and elbow grease.

My warning was aimed at the mould cavities. We have to be very, very, careful in this area.

Tom

[testhop]

a verrrrylong time ago i was in the us navy .
and we used limon juice to clean the walkways (steel) so this may work also .
i have used naval jelly but very quickly ,brush it on wait 5 min then wash it off with boiling water and baking soda.

[RayinNH]

testhop, what a surprise, you would think the Navy would use Naval Jelly [smilie=1:...Ray

[testhop]

RAY
we are talking 58 years ago i dont know if naval jelly was around then.
wow i am old.

[Dale53]

Fugowii;
Listen to TexasFlyboy!! Listen to TexasFlyboy!! Listen to TexasFlyboy!!

I CANNOT over emphasize this!!

Dale53