Favorite Star Tip goes here

[crabo]

I thought it might be interesting for people to share their favorite Star tip.

I'll go first.

[crabo]

In the cover of the box that I keep my star dies, I pasted a label. I measure from the end of the punch to the bottom of the locking nut and write down the measurement when I get the punch adjusted just right.

I write the measurement and the boolit on the label on the die box. The next time I lube that boolit, I can set my measurement and start lubing boolits without the adjustment headaches.

I also have some extra punches with locking nuts set for boolits that I use the most of.

What do you do?

[btroj]

More pressure less heat. That is what I have found works best for me.

[cheese1566]

1) Buy your dies and extra punches from lathesmith

2) I use crabo's idea and use a label maker to fix my info to the air cylinder.

[crabo]

I spent a couple hours trying to lube a LBT GC boolit that I have never had any problem lubing before. I just could not get it to fill above the gas check and the lube groove also. After jacking with it for several hours, running the punch up and down, I finally realized that I was using the wrong die.

I have a .431 die from Lathesmith and one from Star. I had specific spacing on the Lathesmith die and the lube holes didn't line up. Once I changed the die, it lubed perfectly. So now I need one more piece of information for my chart.

[deltaenterprizes]

Make sure the holes in the die are clear before you install it in the machine. Lead can shave off the boolits and small pieces of trash can get in the lube and clog the holes.

[jameslovesjammie]

I keep a log book and note which boolit, top punch depth, and which holes were plugged in the die. When I change to a different boolit, I just look up the info and have it perfectly set up in a matter of minutes.

[btroj]

I must be the strange one. I don't write down or mark anything about setting the punch. I just start with what looks right and go from there. Maybe I am just too lazy? Or I just get a kick out of playing with them sizer?

[rodsvet]

Just about every pistol bullet I size has the lube groove in the same place. I start at 1 1/4" from the bottom of the punch to the die and it's almost always right on. Sometimes a little fiddling is necessary but Hell thats what keeps it from becoming boring. Rod

[jsizemore]

Check your pressure and lube temp without a boolit in the die.

[bbs70]

I have a heater base from Magma Engineering.
I use a piece of masking tape over the heat adjustment rod.
I put marks on the tape as a reference for the different lubes I use.