Star advice from experience!

[Doby45]

Let’s say you read some posts on here about filling your Star sizer. People recommend different things. Solid sticks, hollow sticks sliced, melted lube and so forth and so on. My recommendation is the melted lube. Now there is a small "gotcha" to the melted lube. I have heard it said "Plug that overflow hole and fill'er on up some more"; well that is what I did. Let me say I do not advise this as the overflow hole is evidently there for a reason. I found this out the comical way with my 3yr old daughter watching.

I melted my lube (I am using a stick of BAC and a stick of C-Red to see if that will allow me to lube without heat) and poured it into the reservoir past the overflow hole, which I covered over with a large piece of aluminum tape. Not much, maybe only 1/2-3/4" over the hole. I let it sit for a while and it looked like it had cooled to the soft jelly stage, so I decided the place the plunger on it and press it down to engage the threads. Well, as I was pressing down with all my might to get the cap down to the threads I suddenly heard a "PPPFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT" and I hear my daughter "It looks like worms daddy!" Actually, it did not look like worms until the majority of the pressure was off, prior to that it looked like Old Faithful had blown its stack all the way across a 6 foot dining room table.

Slowly in my mind I am formulating excuses and rationalizing my mess to myself. I look to my daughter and contemplate blaming her, surely she had touched something, and maybe her mom would believe that. Nah, mama knows better and the geyser is more my MO than my daughters. Maybe, I can blame my one-eyed pug that was standing by watching as I placed the tape over the overflow hole. I could truly hear her cheering me on as I did it.

Finally, I come to the conclusion that I will simply face the music and accept the rightful blame for this mess. So I tell my wonderful wife and she just starts laughing, evidently she knows me pretty well. I then proceed to clean up my mess of 1/2BAC-1/2CRed by scraping it off the table and other such items with an old deck of playing cards. Then half a roll of paper towels to get the dining room table back to a nice high gloss polish (I think the lube actually helped). And that is my story from today.

PS. LOVE the Star, it is AMAZING!


:redneck:

[Springfield]

You can only plug the hole if you are using the air cylinder, otherwise the plunger won't fit, hence the over flow hole. And the first time I used my new air cylinder I made some worms also, except mine were assisted by air pressure. Shot them clean across the room!

[Triggerhappy]

I did a similar thing with home made lube last night. I had a new high angle rescue instructor going to stop by my house to go over some equipment but I had some time before he got there so me thinks I'll heat up the Saeco green I made in the pot the night before and pour it into stick molds. So I turn on the heater pot which heats from the bottom. After a bit I check it and it's liquid at the bottom and solid on top. So I figured I'd punch a hole through the top to let the liquid out and keep the pressure from getting too high. Too late. That hole I punched allowed Saeco Green to spray out at high pressure, all over my bench, my chest, my face and my hat. I looked like something from a horror movie. Wasn't hot but it was slimy and it stuck to everything. About that time Max pulls in with me scraping green goo off of my glasses, out of my hair, everywhere else. Looked like a cow blew snot all over me. Not sure of the impression I made, but it must have been humorous. I know the wife thought it was funny later as she pulled bits of green off that I'd missed.

Got those darn molds filled though.

[mtgrs737]

Been there, done that! What a mess it is! It pains me to even think about anymore.

[cajun shooter]

As Springfield posted that trick is for Star's with the air cylinder and solid lube sticks. I do this all the time with nair a problem. I used my first Star in 1970 and have owned as many as three at once. I have never cared for the pour the lube into the Star method. Most people in the USA are geared to the I want it now way of thinking. Hot lube does not harden in 6o seconds as you have found out. Take a 2x6 and drill at least 6 holes of 1 1/8 about 1/2 way through the board. You can buy a 10 ft section of 1in PVC or a scrap piece at any hardware. Cut into 6in lengths and buy a cap for one end. Spray the inside of the PVC with cheap brand cooking spray. Pour your hot lube into the PVC and wait for several hours before trying to see if it is ready. Use a 1 in piece of wood dowel to push the lube stick out the end after you remove the cap. You might be advised to sand the end with the cap so that it removes easy. You now have 6 pieces that may be put into your Star with no worms or ugly mugs. I make about 18 sticks at a time and store them in a freezer bag in the bottom of the fridge. After a few days you can just keep them in a drawer in your loading area.

[jsizemore]

I got the frig 6 ft away when it was still a little runny. The wall of the cylinder was cool and it solidified but the center was liquid. Soon as the plunger hit it, ...spewed on the frig door. My first thought was "Now there's proof I'm dumber then lube. Damn" Now I've got a shiny spot on the door. Kinda rose colored. Carnuba Red.

[cbrick]

Springfield nailed it, that vent hole is there for a reason but is not needed with the air pressure system. I covered the hole with a piece of flat rubber and hold it in place with a stainless steel hose clamp, no tape. I do melt the lube and pour it in because that method does eliminate the possibility of air pockets in the lube. The reservoir holds considerably more with the air pressure system and the hole blocked.

I did send a stream of lube across the room the first time I applied the air pressure, the second time I connected the air hose I made sure that I had the piece of rubber and the clamp centered on and completely covering the hole, works much better that way. :oops:

Rick

[BD]

You should feel lucky to have married a women who will allow a lubesizer within range of the dining room table, and then laugh at the results :)
BD

[fredj338]

I only usesolid or hollow sticks, never tried melting before hand. It's easy enough to cast the sticks if making my own.

[Doby45]

Guys, this was more or less just to tell a funny story. Loading lube in your sizer is about like brushing your teeth, everyone does it different but it gets the job done. Some like sticks, some like melted and so forth and so on. I like the melted because I MIX two different lubes to make one lube. Therefore, I go ahead and pour the lube in while it is melted, no biggy. The only point I was trying to get across is not to block the weep hole just cause you think it is a good idea (UNLESS you are using the air system). This was not intended to be a debate on filling a sizer.

[NuJudge]

Looked like a cow blew snot all over me.


:grin:

[No_1]

Looked like a cow blew snot all over me.

You got slimed. Been there done that. :redneck:

[cajun shooter]

Doby45, I think your story was funny and as you can see it has happened to more than one member. I was not posting to change any one's mind or method. I'm a firm believer of to each his own. I posted my post not for you but to show others who may be ready to buy a Star that there are several ways to do it and yours was one. I also did not pick up on the two lubes but again that could be made ahead of time. I find it easier to take off my air cylinder,drop in some lube and keep going. Just as I said and you said another way to skin the cat. Nothing more was intended. At 63 if I'm doing something and stop for too long I will go to sleep. Later David

[Doby45]

I am gonna weasel me an air system for this Star before long anyway. So it is good to know. ;)

[No_1]

It will be the best $100 you ever spent!


I am gonna weasel me an air system for this Star before long anyway. So it is good to know. ;)

[shoestring]

the funniest part is the DINING ROOM TABLE, and the FRIDGE, well I guess the fridge could be in the garage. now I'm not sure if I feel like less of a redneck, or I'm still a redneck, just in good company. I watched a youtube video with an automatic bullet casting machine, 4000 rounds an hour, livingroom in the backround no less. I use a star with magma blue sticks, so far so good, i would like to try some others, but this works for now. SS

[cajun shooter]

My mother who is 83 came to our home for a visit. She was helping my wife prepare supper. She went into the veggie drawer and pulled out this baggie of about 10 6in lube sticks. She held them up to the light and ask my wife in a very serious manner. Why are you keeping candles in the fridge?My wife had tears in her eyes from the laughing. My mother said to my wife well I would not let him keep stuff like that in the fridge! I have a good wife.