Just bought a Star Sizer, more questions

I am learning but its slow. lol. I just bought a Star Sizer with no dies. I am gonna be casting for a 45 Colt and ordered a Lee 452-252 mold to start out with. What do I need to order from Magma to get started. I know I need to get the sizing die but what about what pushes it? I want to size nose first. I plan on getting a mold from LBT later but wanted to start out with the Lee to experiment with. (OK its cheaper.)

Will the Felix Lube work good in this sizer? I had originally planned to pan lube and use a Lee sizer to start with. The deal I made on the first Star that I found fell through, but I found this one and will probably just use it. I have had so much fun making the Felix Lube I hate to let it go to waste. I think I remember that the Star sizer can take sticks without the hole in the center so I can pour the lube in piece of copper the right size and make sticks.

This whole process is teaching an old (and I mean old) dog new tricks and you guys have been great, just want to thank you all for all the help.

Swamprat

I use a real simple system to fill my lube reservoir. I bought a one cup coffee warmer. I fill a Pyrex cup with bullet lube (the one cup size). It takes a long time to melt (won't overheat the bullet lube). I just use the pitcher spout of the Pyrex cup and pour the lube reservoir full. After starting with luber (this works with Star, Lyman, RCBS, and Saeco lube/sizers) full, you just have another cup "cooking" on the coffee warmer. When you run low in the sizer, you just pout it in. Totally eliminates the need to make moulds, mould lube sticks, etc. It is MUCH more efficient. Further, the coffee warmer, even if you left the lube on all day, will not degrade the lube (doesn't get hot enough).

I'd like to take credit for this idea. However, I got it from Spence Wolfe in the 1873 Springfield Book.

Dale53

Stars are suppossed to lube the bullet nose first so you may be out of luck on the punch unless you make your own. Why do you want to size base first? As for making lube sticks, I have found using PVC pipe works better than copper, it retains less heat. I just stand the PVC pipe in an old cake pan, and pour a little in the bottom until in hardens a bit. Then I pour in the rest. With the copper it would heat up and melt the lube and it would run out the bottom.

To answer your other question, you need to order a proper size sizing die, and a .450" punch to push the boolits through. The sizer die will be determined by slugging your cylinder throats and bore. Since you don't say what model of .45 Colt, it could be any diameter from .452" to .455" needed.

My pistol is a Ruger Blackhawk and it measures out just a shade under .452. Thanks for the info guys. Springfield, nose first is how I am gonna use it. I finally found the prices for the dies and punches on Magmas site. I'll get them ordered monday.

Thanks again for all the help.

Swamprat

My mistake, I guess I misread into the question because you were asking which die to get.

Just a word from experience using 1" PVC pipe stick molds for FWFL. Don't pour in your molten lube if it is any hotter than 150F. At this temperature, or a little lower the stick will harden and draw back from the pipe slightly and the stick slips right out. If you pour much hotter, the PVC pipe and the lube decide that they like each other - a lot - and don't want to part company. One of those little digital kitchen thermometers comes in real handy for this.