Star sizer

[ebg3]

I'm using an old Lyman sizer and would like to increase my production. Right now, I can size and stack around 600 boolits/hour. Time is wasted having to stack boolits on a tray. I'm using Felix lube and I don't think it is firm enough to just throw boolits in a box after lubing. How does the Star work? Does it work with the softer lubes? If it is push through, do the boolits fall in to a container after sizing? I can imagine push through sizing could double my production...I just wonder if I'd have to switch to a hard lube.
Thanks,
Eddie

[LAH]

The Star will work with softer lube. How soft I can't say. Carnauba Red and LBT Blue are as soft as I've used. I normally stack these. Both these lubes require a touch of heat in my Star.

The Star sizes and lubes one bullet per down stroke of the handle. The bullets come out the bottom of the die to fall into a box or to be caught by your hand.

You are doing a bullet every 6 seconds now. With the Star and you stacking each bullet you can double that.

[sagamore-one]

I have a Saeco, an RCBS, a Lachmiller, and 6 Stars.
I keep two of the Stars set up for 50/50, beeswax/ alox, and the others set up with Zambini Red. The only time I need heat with the 50/50 is in the winter.
The Stars get used on a regular basis. The next most used is the RCBS . Then the Lachmiller. The Saeco hasn't been used in at least 10 years.
Hope this info helps.

[ebg3]

Thanks, thais is very helpful. Now I need to decide if I have to have one!
EG

[bobthenailer]

ive used only hard lubes for 20 + years which require a heater, you can easyly lube 1000+ bullets with the star in a hour ! my personal best was 1000 in 37 min , a rn bullet with a narrow lube grove and barly sizing them as the bullet cast at the sizer die dia , i put a plastic parts box below the sizer to catch the bullets and store my bullets bulk in 2 1/2 gallon buckets with no problem with lube comeing off

[lathesmith]

I also use 50/50 Alox in my Star, and SPG, which is about as soft as it gets. I rarely use a heater with these, although in the coldest part of winter one can come in handy.I can probably do more like 2x-4x faster with my Star compared to my Lyman, and it's alot easier for me.
I don't like to lube up bullets with soft lube and store them. That's another reason I like the Star, as I use soft lube and lube them up just before I load them. I can size enough for a box or two of ammo in a few minutes. An acro-bin mounted to the bench edge underneath the sizer catches them as they come out of the sizer, so I only have to handle them once.

lathesmith

[cbrick]

Now I need to decide if I have to have one! EG

:mrgreen: If you tried the Star you wouldn't ask that question. Get the air pressure system with it for that many boolits, you'll never look back.

Rick

[ebg3]

:mrgreen: If you tried the Star you wouldn't ask that question. Get the air pressure system with it for that many boolits, you'll never look back.

Rick

I kinda figured that!:) The air pressure system is to regulate lube flow?
EG

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Yes!

Sam :D

[Willbird]

If you calculate the price of a STAR sizer, the dies for it, and a heater for it there really is no "extra" cost over an rcbs or a lyman...because the day you no longer want it the resale value will be nearly what you paid, and so in the end you come out CHEAPER than an rcbs or a lyman I think.

Bill

[opentop]

Never having used any of them (RCBS, Lyman, Star) I was using the LEE push through. I wanted to try some Lars CR and asked another member here (Dale53) if I could lube some boolits with his star. Dale invited me over, had his star set up with a .452 die and CR loaded in it. I was there several hours shooting the bull and playing around with the star. After leaving his house, I had my mind made up. I wasn't going to fool around with the other sizers and ordered a brand new Star. Got my dies from lathsmith and haven't looked back. I am real happy with the star!

[blackhorse11arc@yahoo.com]

Once you use the Star you won't want to go back to the others. I presently have 3 machines.There well made and never had any problems with them. You size your boolits NOSE first into the machine and once you get the hang of it, you can lube lots of boolits in no time. Be careful your fingers don't get in the way, or you will get the equivalent of M1 thumb,only it's the finger. LOL. The Star and the dies are a little pricey. 50/50 ALOX works fine for me without using heat. Save your old Lyman 450 for the GC boolits because the Star didn't seat gas checks very well for me. In my experience.
Good Luck,
Steve
Ps. I did need to edit my last statement about the Star not being able to seat Gas checks, It can...I just think the 450 does a better job.
Sorry there Rick

[cbrick]

Save your old Lyman 450 for the GC boolits because the Star doesn't seat gas checks. Good Luck...Steve

Good lord . . . What could ever give you an idea like that?

Yes the Star seats checks and very effectively. Why wouldn't it?

Rick

[dragonrider]

Gas check seating on a Star is very effective when using the right size punch. I use punches that are .010" smaller than boolit diameter, checks are seated squarely and are very flat, assuming the base of the boolit is flat of course. Another thing that helps is to push out the finished boolit with short piece of brass before sizing another boolit, stopping handle movement before reaching the lube injection stage. This prevents dents in the center of the check caused by the nose of the next boolit. Yes I know this slows thing down some but when seating checks speed is not what I am looking for.

[LAH]

Gas check seating on a Star is very effective when using the right size punch. I use punches that are .010" smaller than boolit diameter, checks are seated squarely and are very flat, assuming the base of the boolit is flat of course. Another thing that helps is to push out the finished boolit with short piece of brass before sizing another boolit, stopping handle movement before reaching the lube injection stage. This prevents dents in the center of the check caused by the nose of the next boolit. Yes I know this slows thing down some but when seating checks speed is not what I am looking for.

As large a punch as you can get by with is great. I seated while sizing the bullet nose first and base first. I've never tried pushing them on through the die with something other than the next bullet. I may give that a try. Great tip dragonrider................Creeker


Dry Creek Bullet Works
Dry Creek Firewood

[cbrick]

When I'm seating checks on pointy bullets I use a scrap bullet seated base first so it's base to base against the good bullet. Yes it slows the process down but it's still faster than the SAECO, RCBS or Lyman.

Rick

[LAH]

When I'm seating checks on pointy bullets I use a scrap bullet seated base first so it's base to base against the good bullet. Yes it slows the process down but it's still faster than the SAECO, RCBS or Lyman.

Rick


Thanks for the tip Rick..................Creeker

[doghawg]

I was going to make a new post on exactly this subject. I haven't seated gas checks yet with my Star but now have gas checked molds in both .44 and .45. The only punch I have now is .325" and I'm wondering if one punch (.420" maybe) would work with both .431" and .452" dies or should there be a .442" also??

Another question...Should the star die be set up to just lube the lube groove or the groove space next to the gc also? In a Lyman 429244 for example?? Will be using White Label BAC.

Rick, Creeker, any one else?? Sorry for the hijack.

[cbrick]

now have gas checked molds in both .44 and .45. The only punch I have now is .325" and I'm wondering if one punch (.420" maybe) would work with both .431" and .452" dies or should there be a .442" also??

Sure It'll work. I have several punches that cover most of the calibers that I cast for that are .005"- .010" under marked die diameter. It's mostly a personal preference thing, I like it that way so I do it that way but a .420" punch would certainly be fine with .452" boolits.


Another question...Should the star die be set up to just lube the lube groove or the groove space next to the gc also? In a Lyman 429244 for example?? Will be using White Label BAC.

Another personal preference thing. If you feel the need for a tad more lube you could do that. I don't set my punch/die up to do that but on the other hand if a bit of lube gets in around the check I don't worry about it.

Rick

[LAH]

Another question...Should the star die be set up to just lube the lube groove or the groove space next to the gc also? In a Lyman 429244 for example?? Will be using White Label BAC.

Rick, Creeker, any one else?? Sorry for the hijack.

I lube the groove space next to the gc on the Lyman 429244. Isn't needed but sure looks cool...................Creeker

[KYCaster]

Another question...Should the star die be set up to just lube the lube groove or the groove space next to the gc also? In a Lyman 429244 for example?? Will be using White Label BAC.


Some think that one function of the GC is to scrape fouling from the bore. I don't have an opinion about that one way or the other, but I think if that's your reasoning then filling that groove with lube would interfere.

Back to the original questions...when sizing with a Star, the only time I bother to catch and stack boolits is when using VERY soft BP lube. If I tried that for everything I size I'd go crazy...I just don't have that much patience.

Every thing else drops directly into an Acro bin or the box its going to be stored in. The softest lube I use in the Star is Carnauba Red. I sometimes have to deal with the stickyness but I prefer that to stacking them from the sizer.

I don't have any experience with FWFL so I can't comment on that.

There's a sticky around here somewhere titled "Lets talk sizer thruput". It will give you a pretty good idea of what's possible.

Lubing 600 per hour with a Lyman....I'd say that's bookin'! If you want to increase your production there's only one way to go....UP....to a Star.

Good luck
Jerry