How much is a Used Star worth?

[Love Life]

So are you saying the JB Weld didn't work?

[beanflip]

Thats a stress pivot point so it has to be pretty solid.

[koehn,jim]

Tig welding will fix alum. and its permanet. I would take it apart though and clean the heck out of it otherwise the torch will burn up the lube and any o rings that are close to it.

[MikeS]

Well, a couple of aluminum welders I spoke to today said they won't weld CAST aluminum, so welding is out. I spoke with Magma, and they won't work on Phelps machines at all, and said that the fulcrum part (S111) might work, and it might not. Basically they were saying that if you have a Phelps, you're on your own. So now I'm looking into returning it to the eBay seller, as I feel that even tho he mentioned the crack, I can't believe that he used it with that crack for 5000 boolits. If the seller doesn't want to take it back, I will go directly to eBay, and invoke their buyer protections that they are always saying are so great. I think I'll give the seller till Monday to get back to me before I open an official case with eBay. Once this machine is resolved, I think I will buy a brand new machine. Buying a used one on eBay for $200 or more is silly when a brand new machine, which everyone here has said is every bit as good as an older Star, sells for $275.00! I've already got over $100 invested in sizing dies, and a die removal tool, so at this point I'm kind of committed to staying with a Star (not that I wouldn't want one!).

[MikeS]

So are you saying the JB Weld didn't work?

Yup. I guess I didn't get the break clean enough, as when pressure was applied it just came apart right at the break. I think the best thing for me to do at this point is to return it to the seller, and get my money back. And as I said, unless some really great eBay deal comes along between now, and the 3rd of next month, I'm going to just buy a brand new one, so I'm not inheriting anyone else's headache, like I obviously did with this Phelps.

[gandydancer]

keep us posted on how you make out on repairs? GD

[Love Life]

Yup. I guess I didn't get the break clean enough, as when pressure was applied it just came apart right at the break. I think the best thing for me to do at this point is to return it to the seller, and get my money back. And as I said, unless some really great eBay deal comes along between now, and the 3rd of next month, I'm going to just buy a brand new one, so I'm not inheriting anyone else's headache, like I obviously did with this Phelps.

I would definately buy a new one if E-Bay refunds your money. Heck I would have bought a new one in the first place. I have a new star and it works awesome. I also have a die from lathesmith and it is top notch!

[BossHoss]

MikeS when I saw that one on Ebay, I knew it was going to be a project. That can definitely be fixed, would have been easier to re-inforce it before it broke.

It is always a crapshoot buying used stuff...even knowing about it's faults before so.

I think you may have a hard time getting a refund , if you do, pm me. I may take the project off your hands.

Hope you have good luck on the refund, though.

I will be buying up dies for mine, and a air feed setup .

[gandydancer]

there is one on ebay right now a magma its up to $370.00

[MikeS]

Well, I told the seller that I would like a refund, and got no response. I waited for a couple of days, and when I didn't get a response I filed a claim with eBay, and in a couple of hours I got a response! The seller said he was away hunting, and has no internet access while away, the reply is being forwarded thru his wife (who's at home). He told me he was really sorry, that it always held for him, and he thought it wouldn't be a problem, but now that it is, I should return it to him, and he will refund the purchase price, as well as the initial shipping charges as well! He also gave me his cellphone number, so I called him, and he had mentioned in the listing that he has several Star loaders, as well as sizers, so we left it at the point that he will email me pictures of the Star sizers that he has, and that perhaps we can work out an exchange, and if not, he will do the refund.

So, depending on what the pix look like, and if he wants more $$$ for one of them or not, we will see how it goes. Either way, the guy sounded sincere, so I think it's going to end on a positive note! I've already mailed the Phelps back to him, he should have it either Friday, or Saturday depending on the USPS. I wouldn't care if the Star had no dies with it, I already bought the sizers I need from Lathesmith, so I'll tell him that if he wants to send a Star without the dies, that might make him more willing to do an exchange.

[BossHoss]

Good for you Mike!!

It is THAT time of season: MEAT SEASON

I am away on the 9 day gun hunt in WI , lol. My internet access is a verizon hott spot that I charge up and lift up on a pulley on my tower for two hours of access at a time!!! LOL.

sitting here watching out the tower window waiting for doe meat to walk by....

I bought my sizer from member Napthali , in exchange for musket caps, and wont get to see it until after the hunt....I paid 350 for it, three dies, and the magma heater.

Hope you get a good one from that guy in dodgeville, we were going to go by his house and see what he has, but have been too busy.

I have cans and cans and cans of boolits to do....i was going to do them all on my 450 leak o matic...I bought a lot of BAC and Carnuba Red, and a little of 2500 from WL. I like the Carnuba red...less sticky.

[MikeS]

When I spoke to the seller, I told him that I understood being unavailable due to things like hunting. When I contact him on Monday (when he said he'd be back from hunting, and by then he should have the sizer back) I'll see how things go from there. I'm not sure if I would want to pay him anything extra for one of his Stars, or if he'll do an even exchange of the Phelps for one of his Stars. I'm really thinking that maybe I should just get my money back, and just go and buy a new one.

[shotstring]

If you can get a CLEAN star for what you paid for the Phelps, you are definitely good to go. You can usually tell by the paint and visual wear on the metal surfaces how much use it has had and how it was treated.
I purchased 3 used Star machines on Ebay and all were clean and in great shape and far less than the cost of a new one. Of course, they are going for a bit more now. I paid an average of $165 for my machines with a set of dies with each of them, and I only paid that much because they were the 3 cleanest machines I have ever seen on Ebay.

[MikeS]

Well, I guess the seller didn't want to deal with me further, as he's already refunded my purchase price (including shipping one way). So now I guess I'll buy a new Star, and not have to worry about getting somebody else's problems. It's amazing how the Star sizers on eBay sell for almost the same money as a new one!

[dnotarianni]

I didn't want problems with a used machine and after watching ebay bidders get stupid on used worn out machines I just called Star and ordered a new machine with a 452 die. From phone call to delivery it was 4 weeks and $341 with machine, die and shipping. Took it downstairs and in 2 hrs had it set it up and lubed and sized 1000 45s. Well worth the money!
Dave

[MikeS]

Well, I didn't really want to wait the 2 weeks Magma said it would be to get a sizer, and there was a brand new Magma for sale on eBay, so I bought it. With shipping I wound up paying $350 for it with 2 dies, 3 bottom punches, and a die removal tool. I already have .452 dies I got from Lathesmith, along with one of his die removal tools, so I'll probably sell the Star (real Star from CA, NOS) 452 die, and the die removal tool here once I get the sizer. Possibly also a bottom punch, or I might just keep the extra punches and get locking nuts for them, and setup different punches for different boolits. In any case, I sure hope it wasn't a mistake buying from eBay again, but I don't really think it is, I mean how do you fake NEW, never had lube in it?

[BossHoss]

My star came from Napthali, with 3 dies , and a magma heater, it is like new with little use . I paid 352 for it.

I used the 452 die to lube & size double groove Lyman 45acp 180's 452389 , so easy it was scary. The heater works great.

I converted to air, according to the thread , 1,2,3,....only hitch was getting the right size rubber washer to seal the piston. 30psi, heat set at 50% ,......magic.


My Lyman is going to collect dust, only to be used for Black Powder lubing 454 45 Colts...lubing only....the sizing will be done by the Star.

I have a vintage perfect condition Ideal Orange sizer in the original box. time for it to go on the swap forum.

[MikeS]

BossHoss: I'm really curious, if you're going to take the time to run boolits thru a Lyman anyway, why not just size it at the same time? I mean the whole nice thing about the Star is it's speed. I can't see where lubing without sizing is going to be any quicker than doing both in one operation, so if you size on the star, then lube on the Lyman, you'll actually be taking more time to get them done that if you just used the Lyman.

Now if I did a lot of BP, I would get a second Star if/when possible, and keep BP lube in it, and use it for both the sizing, and lubing. I've actually already got a .540 Star die for if/when I get a Star dedicated to BP!

Now that I again have a Star (well, in a few days at least), while I do plan on doing some 30 cal rifle boolits in the star, my 314129SP NOE mould's boolits will still be done on my Lyman 45. That boolit has a very sharp point, and NOE makes really nice top punches for their boolit moulds, and I think if I did them on the Star that the points would get smashed, so that boolit will stay with the Lyman. Now my other 30 cal moulds (A 311041 & an AM31-200C) both being flat points, they will see the Star.

[BossHoss]

The Sizing is easier and in the correct direction on the Star. Sizing on a Lyman , base first AND lubing leaves rings/shards of PB. SOoooo, after sizing/squeezing, on the Star my 454 colts will be correct and undamaged, and they will glide through the Lyman with BP lube, and stay undamaged.

the 454 colts i use have a very large lube groove for BP, and will cock sideways and shave in the Lyman. More often than not.

All BPCR loading is more labor intensive...IMO.

yup, i plan on having multiple Stars...and a Ballisti-cast, the Lyman will have one-off duty until then.

[cbrick]

Now that I again have a Star (well, in a few days at least), while I do plan on doing some 30 cal rifle boolits in the star, my 314129SP NOE mould's boolits will still be done on my Lyman 45. That boolit has a very sharp point, and NOE makes really nice top punches for their boolit moulds, and I think if I did them on the Star that the points would get smashed, so that boolit will stay with the Lyman. Now my other 30 cal moulds (A 311041 & an AM31-200C) both being flat points, they will see the Star.

Mike, you can size the pointy bullets with the Star, I size the NOE 311364 in my Star and never touch the point.

Simply put the bullet in the die using a flat punch and lube it, raise the handle and put a scrap bullet in base first against the base of the good bullet and push it through but this time without activating the lube pump. Yep, it does slow things up a bit but you never touch the nose of a pointy bullet.

Another benefit is that the push through sizer will size your bullets more concentrically than the in/out sizers.

Here is the 311365 sized on a Star.

Rick