Older Star Luber Question

[R.M.]

I have an older Star luber that I got used. It doesn't look totally like the one on the Magma site.
I've been having trouble lately getting the grooves totally full. It feels like the piston is blowing lube back, like a poor seal. I see on the Magma parts drawing that there's an o-ring, yet it looks like mine doesn't, or is it hidden in there someplace.
Any ideas?????

[WARD O]

I am using an older Star, I bought it new in 1976, used it a little and then put it away for almost 30 years and have started using it again and it is working perfectly. I do find that a short amout of "dwell" time is required on the down stroke to completely fill the grooves. Just go all the way down with the handle and hold for one or two seconds at the bottom of the stroke. That seems to work very well and I am using some of Veral's blue lube. If I use something soft like black powder lube, I may have it squirting out between bullets.

Ward

[KYCaster]

Sounds to me like you have some air trapped in it. Take the die out and crank down on the lube reservoir and pump the handle till you get a solid ribbon of lube with no air.

Jerry

[Edubya]

I have an older Star luber that I got used. It doesn't look totally like the one on the Magma site.
I've been having trouble lately getting the grooves totally full. It feels like the piston is blowing lube back, like a poor seal. I see on the Magma parts drawing that there's an o-ring, yet it looks like mine doesn't, or is it hidden in there someplace.
Any ideas?????
I have an older one and a new one. The old one does not have the o-ring in the die hole. The o-ring on the new one lasted about three die exchanges and I'm not using an o-ring now.
Your lube may need a heat source. If you don't have a heater plate you can use a heat gun or heat lamp. Some have used an aluminum plate mount that's large enough to set a clothes iron on.
EW

[R.M.]

I have an older one and a new one. The old one does not have the o-ring in the die hole. The o-ring on the new one lasted about three die exchanges and I'm not using an o-ring now.
Your lube may need a heat source. If you don't have a heater plate you can use a heat gun or heat lamp. Some have used an aluminum plate mount that's large enough to set a clothes iron on.
EW

I guess I should have mentioned that I do use a heater.
I'm not talking about the o-ring on the die, but on the lube piston.
I've been using this set-up for years, but this has just started.
Someone mentioned air, but I don't think that's it because it does it consistently now, and I melt my lube and pour it in, not using sticks.
I just have the feeling that the lube pressure is blowing back past the piston, but can't figure out why.

[deltaenterprizes]

If the lube was blowing back past the piston lube would be seeping around the spring. Take it apart and clean the lube out and refill it, some trash may have gotten in by accident.
I found a clump of powder blocking the drop tube on my powder measure yesterday that I have been using for 25 years, it was working fine the day before and just started acting up,minor disassembly identified the problem. You know, like when I was a kid and your toy stopped working right you took it apart to see how it worked and hoped it would go back together.

[Big Boomer]

I also have an older Star and since I only recently obtained it, I'm still learning about it and want to hear about the problems others have and any solutions. So far, I've not had a difficulty whatever with it. Not having a manual, I had to go to the Magma web site for that information. Since more knowledgeable folk are weighing in here, I might learn something by describing my luber and experience.

My Star still had alox lube in it when I got it. The previous owner advised me to heat the luber up and empty it. I thought I'd take a chance on it and the alox comes through and works fine at my basement's air conditioned (summer)/heated (winter) temperature - about 70 degrees year round. The alox looks good, too - a nice amber color. I heated an LBT/hard commercial mixture and poured it into the luber reservoir but the mix hasn't arrived at the lube/sizer die as yet. The old alox seems to be lasting really well and lubing the boolits nicely. No need yet for added heat, but I have an old hair dryer and a heat gun in case the lube gets stiff. Haven't tried the alox on any rifle boolits yet (.243 and .30-06), only a .357 Mag. revolver boolit I cast with a relatively moderate load without leading. Too, I have lubed some .45 Colt boolits I cast but haven't shot any of them with the alox as yet. Will probably let the alox fizzle out and use the LBT/hard mixture or some FWFL I have.

My old Star has a pin hole on the back side (from the user) that bled off excess lube when I filled it and began to screw the piston down ... I guess that is correct. After I got some pressure on the lube, the bleed-hole quit leaking. If my take is incorrect, somebody let me know.

R. M., I've read the Magma/Star manual and if your Star is actually blowing lube by, all you should have to do is take the top off the reservoir. If you see a glob of lube or if you can't see the top of the piston, you may be correct regarding the seal. But the piston has to seal on top of the lube to push or pressure it though the luber if my understanding of the operation of the Star is correct. 'Tuck

[Echo]

Tuck, you have it right. My Star is an older model I bought used 30+ years ago, and has an O-ring near the top of the lube pressure piston. Should be able to replace it from Ace HW...

[GabbyM]

check the rocker arm to see if it's cracked open behind the hinge pin allowing it to flex.

[Big Boomer]

Thanks, ECHO. 'Tuck

[fecmech]

I had an older "Star" lubrisizer given to me and it had a leather cup seal on the piston which let lube past it to the spring. I found the Lyman piston with 2 "O" rings is the same size as the Star. I simply ordered one from Lyman for a few bucks and screwed it on the Star piston, works great!