Vegpolt: what kind of boolits are you casting? And what alloys are you using? If you use very hard alloys like linotype you may want to mix some more lead into it.
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Vegpolt: what kind of boolits are you casting? And what alloys are you using? If you use very hard alloys like linotype you may want to mix some more lead into it.
Who is the dealer for the Star / Magma lubesizer, after reading this thread I think I am going to have to have one...
"These are not hi-capacity magazines, these are standard capacity magazines. High capacity is belt fed from the can."
"The people never give up their freedom . . . Except under some delusion." Edmund Burke
"Let us remember that if we suffer tamely a lawless attack on our liberty, we encourage it." Samuel Adams
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You don't mention what lube you are using.. If a hard lube, with no heat source - there will be problems.Originally Posted by vegplot
Echo
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One of the most endearing sights in the world is the vision of a naked good-looking woman leaving the bedroom to make breakfast. Bolivar Shagnasty (I believe that Lazarus Long also said it, but I can't find any record of it.)
I would love to have a Star someday...maybe sell my three lubers to get one!
What is the turn around involved for changing bullet styles? I know changing the sizer is involved, but how much time and adjustment is there to change over?
(that is why I have 3 lubers; 2 dedicated to the calibers I shoot the most, the other for the minimal shooters)
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If you are just changing bullet styles and not changing the diameter you probably won't have to change anything. If you are changing out the sizer die it takes about 3 minutes.
Thanks cbrick, So, one more question, what do you guys think are the "gotta have it" accessories for these sizers, i am moving around 1000-2000 boolits a week through my lyman, I am in a semi cold climate so I know I need a heater.
"These are not hi-capacity magazines, these are standard capacity magazines. High capacity is belt fed from the can."
cheese--change die, (maybe) change punch--like Springfield said, about 3 minutes.
Bull--
OMG, if you are doing 2k a week thru a Lyman, a Star will be your dream machine! For that many slugs, I think one of the air pressure units would be very useful, and possibly a bullet feeder, if for no other reason than to keep your fingers more out of harm's way. And of course, one of those lathesmith roller handles will help keep the blisters way, ha!(Sorry, I couldn't resist). Seriously, 2k of production is some heavy-duty work in my book, and just getting a basic Star with nothing on it bolted to your bench will be a BIG improvement production-wise. You can always start basic and add gear as you go along, don't let the confusion of what stuff to add stop you from at least getting the basic machine up and going. You will be very glad you did!
lathesmith
Agree with lathesmith 110%, 2K a week and no Star? That's a depressing thought.
Heater for sure and for 2K I highly recommend the air system. I didn't use the air system for a long time, I told myself I wasn't a commercial caster so I don't need that. After I finally got one all I could think was . . . WHAT was I thinking.
There is a learning curve with the Star but it doesn't take long to master it. If you don't have an air compressor a small portable air tank will do, it doesn't take air volume, only air pressure. I change out dies and punch in just a few minutes. The heater helps here also, getting a cold die out with really cold lube in the machine isn't much fun.
Rick
"The people never give up their freedom . . . Except under some delusion." Edmund Burke
"Let us remember that if we suffer tamely a lawless attack on our liberty, we encourage it." Samuel Adams
NRA Benefactor Life Member
CRPA Life Member
I own a Star and Lathesmith made a bunch of dies for me. This is my #1 investment that paid it self back many times over.
Jerry
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You guys are great! thanks for the quick input. Lyman wants me to send thier sizer back for inspection and I think that will be a fiasco. at least 3 weeks without a sizer at all. I am doing 452, 429 and 358, Lathesmith, how much am I looking at in dies for the star? Does it lube and size in one shot? Does it have a hand crank or how does it feed the lube? I guess i don't need top punches any more with the star. I see that Magma wants $250 for their machine (I seem to remember my uncle works for Magma in AZ) I need a number to tell my "accountant" (read wife) to get set up. Sorry for all the questions,
kevin
"These are not hi-capacity magazines, these are standard capacity magazines. High capacity is belt fed from the can."
KEVEN
the star sizes lubes all in one pass as it spits the boolit out the bottom .
hint: drop some hints around the wife and kids aboutwhat you want for christmas and or birthday and other holidays.
A GUN IN THE HAND IS BETTER THAN A COP ON THE PHONE
crime dont pay as will as politics
'preciate it testhop, I spoke with a Lyman tech this morning and he said the slop in the ram would be considered acceptable by the factory. He suggested I get a different brand of sizer for the quantity I am doing. He suggested the same sizer he has on his test bench there at the Lyman R&D. Take a wild guess what brand he suggested...
"These are not hi-capacity magazines, these are standard capacity magazines. High capacity is belt fed from the can."
Watch this video, it shows it all.Does it lube and size in one shot? Does it have a hand crank or how does it feed the lube?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCtLi8i7tMg
Appalachian American
When told the reason for daylight savings time the Old Indian said, “Only the Government would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it to the bottom, and have a longer blanket.”
Seems like the star would ding the boolits up pretty good.
Machinists do it with precision.
No, they really don'tSeems like the star would ding the boolits up pretty good.
Appalachian American
When told the reason for daylight savings time the Old Indian said, “Only the Government would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it to the bottom, and have a longer blanket.”
Bull, check the "vendor sponsors" forum here, I have a thread going there that tells quite a bit of info about Star dies. Basic dies run $35 each shipped, and a new machine comes with one punch that should work OK for all three calibers. Some guys like to go with multiple punches and nuts with setscrews to speed up caliber switches, and/or fitted punches for each caliber for gas checks. But, once again, don't worry about that until you have a basic machine on the bench and have worked with it for a bit so you can decide what you want.
Yes, for lube pressure control the basic machine has a pressure screw kinda like a Lyman that regulates pressure, one crank should be good for 15-40 bullets, depending.
Dinging up bullets isn't something that would be a problem with a Star, just rig your catch tray properly and don't worry about it.
Ugh, like cbrick says, 2k/week bullet production without a Star sounds like a drag. My wrist starts hurting just thinking about it!
lathesmith
Lyman too huh? When John Adams sold SAECO to Redding and closed the California shop he sold me the lubrisizer that SAECO used in their shop . . . The very same Star that's bolted to my bench today. I have Star dies that are stamped SAECO but that I know of they never sold such dies. Hhmmm . . . I wonder what brand lubrisizer Redding has in their shop?
Rick
"The people never give up their freedom . . . Except under some delusion." Edmund Burke
"Let us remember that if we suffer tamely a lawless attack on our liberty, we encourage it." Samuel Adams
NRA Benefactor Life Member
CRPA Life Member
I don't use the lock nuts on my punches, I let it more or less free float to find it's own flat against the boolit base. I also order from Magma larger diameter than normal flat punches that barely slip fit into the die without marking it so more of the boolit base is covered by the die and doesn't punch in the center of the check, fits the outer edge of the check.
When placing the boolit into the die I also start by holding the boolit base up against the flat punch, then lower the handle while holding the boolit flat against the punch until it starts into the die. You'll get a straighter start and more concentric boolits.
Rick
"The people never give up their freedom . . . Except under some delusion." Edmund Burke
"Let us remember that if we suffer tamely a lawless attack on our liberty, we encourage it." Samuel Adams
NRA Benefactor Life Member
CRPA Life Member
How do you keep it from doing that? I've cast some fairly hard bullets, but even they would have gotten dinged by the drop into a container.
Machinists do it with precision.
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