Star Lube Sizer Air Feed for Lube Completed & Successful

[rodsvet]

I think the thread is 5/16-24 for the air cylinder rod. Your right, the piston is just 1 inch of standard aluminum round bar stock. If you make your own piston, you could thread the bottom to 5/16-18 and the upper part 5/16-24 and you could use all the manual parts and basically purchase nothing from Magma. Both systems work but the cylinder way keeps air from getting under the hycar washer so there aren't any air pockets at the plunger. I enjoyed playing around with the system. Rod

[6bg6ga]

I was trying to count the threads with the naked eye only. Sorry for the error. Not sure what thread it is. I cannot find my thread gauge. I can tell you that the thread is the same on both ends on the piece that I just purchased.

[HATCH]

its easier to just thread it all the way thru with the fine thread and just get a fine thread bolt for the seal side.
Basically you just put it in a the lathe, turn to size, drill, thread, and part it off.

If you do 2 separate sizes then you got a extra two steps because you have to unchuck it, then rechuck it and thread it the other thread.

[6bg6ga]

I understand completely. The Magma part is threaded all the way thru with 5/16


no need to have two different threads and complicate things.

[rodsvet]

Just for fun I picked up a short piece of 1" aluminum bar stock. Cut off 1.1 inch piece, squared the ends with a fine flat file, drilled it 17/64, tapped it 5/16-24, polished it with emory cloth, and slightly chamfered the holes. It's a better looking piece than Magma's and cost 39 cents and 30 minutes to make using only a drill press and decent drilling vice to hold everything square. Wish I knew how to post pictures. Incidentally, With this piston and a hycar washer on both ends facing away from each other you could probably just use air pressure and no cylinder. However, I'm done experimenting with the system. Man, this is a long thread. Rod

[6bg6ga]

I'm sure that you made a more perfessional looking piece than the one I purchased from Magma.

I'f I had known what size to drill and tap it I would have made my own on the lathe and it would of only taken a few minutes. Unfortunately the air cylinder that I ordered shortly after Christmas only just arrived the 18th of this month.

My neighbor works at a local plastics supplier in the area and I'm going to see if he can come up with something suitable for a seal to take the place of the expensive Hycar seal at $7.00 a pop.

The $28 for the cylinder,seal, and hardware upsets me considering the minimal amount of work involved in making them. I especially liked being charged $2 for a lock washer that was called a spring.

[Springfield]

If you have a stock Star it already has the seal,and everything else can be bought from McMaster-Carr. And personally I wouldn't bother to make a new seal if I could buy one for 7.00. That's about 18 minutes of my time, not worth the trouble, especially since they last almost forever. But that's just me. And I do have a lathe, just have to make the best use of my time, just not enough of it to go around.

[6bg6ga]

I guess to each his own. When you look at the shipping price of $12 it might look more attractive to make your own. It is to me. I don't like to put up with something sub standard. It wouldn't take me 18 min to make one.

[rodsvet]

You guys are fortunate to have access to lathes and mills. There are so many thing you could better engineer for this stuff. Then again, my spare time isn't worth a lot so screwing around just to see if I can make a better part is kind of fun. Next I think I'm going to look into is putting an air cylinder on an old 40 year old Lachmiller luber that I've had for 35 years. The main rub will be making a new handle that doesn't get in the way of the linkage or the cylinder. Have a great evening! Rod

[HighHook]

Thanks for putting in the time and videos. Great idea!!!

[rodsvet]

Highhook, what area of socal are you in. If you are going to make a cylinder system, I' give you the piston material and tell you where to get the parts. Enyoy!! Rod

[dicko]

As a commercial caster in South Africa, this is of interest to me. Just for the interest of Americans, Star lubers are very expensive here, and very rare. I know of only two besides mine, and I'll be surprised if there are more than a dozen in the country. They are also not easy to get. The State Department has classified Magma as an arms manufacturer, so it is the same process as exporting an artillery piece or a jet fighter. I had to go through the whole end user certificate thing just to get a Star.

Your air conversion is very clever, Troy. I wouldn't be able to buy the bits that you can buy in the US because SA is all metric. Fortunately I have a lathe and can make them. However, I am wondering what the point of the conversion is. I note that others who have done the conversion report that lube flow is more consistent, with the absence of that annoying partial lubing one gets because of the difficulty of getting the spring pressure/viscosity balance right. I do see the advantage of that, especially for commercial casting, in which buyers regard an incompletely lubed bullet as a sign of poor quality.

But my interest is more toward increasing reservoir capacity. Your conversion does not do that if the existing piston and screw are used. I haven't measured anything, but I reckon that a new short piston would double the capacity by allowing two lube sticks. As an aside, I don't buy lube sticks, they are too expensive, I melt the much bigger commercial sticks in a pan and pour it hot into the luber. As the luber is bigger in diameter than the sticks, that is an extra 20%, and it can be poured deeper than a standard 4" stick.

For what its worth, I ran some tests of how far a stick of lube would go. My bullets are almost all single lube groove, 80% are 9mm and 357, the rest being 40 and 45. A standard lube stick lubes just over 1500 bullets. That means frequent refilling of the reservoir in a day long session. Hence my interest in increasing capacity. I don't understand the point of the Star air cylinder. It strikes me as a better idea to use a tube to extend the reservoir. Your air conversion makes that possible. Of course, there are minor technical hitches to overcome, like how to attach it. I should think a female collar internal threaded to marry up the existing reservoir and the new extension tube. Then, you have to get it lined up close enough that the piston will not hang up at the joint. A capacity of three or even four sticks is not impossible, with a potential of 6000 bullets. Right now I'm between houses and my gear is all packed up, so I'm in no position to test my theory. But your conversion has made the idea possible.

[dicko]

Having thought a bit more, Troy's air conversion is so good as it is, and so simple, that attempting to increase capacity by tube extension is probably a bit over the top. A new aluminium or nylon piston about one inch long will free up reservoir capacity to possibly 3000 bullets. Pouring in hot, as I've been doing, gets in more lube than a stick, but then I have to let it cool for maybe half an hour before I can use it. Like I already said, most luber reservoirs are a good bit bigger in diameter than one inch, and will easily take a bigger lube stick. Long ago, before I discovered hard wax, I imported a drum of Alox 2138F and was mixing it with beeswax to make my own lube. I made quite a few hollow sticks for other guys, but I made them 28mm diameter, because that was the ID of the available steel tube I used for a mold, and a 28mm stick fits just nicely into a Lyman or RCBS luber. That's 20% more lube in the same length stick. Would be easy to make sticks to fit the increased capacity of the modified Star.

Guys, I have two questions, please. First, how good is Carnauba wax as a lube ? What do you mix it with, if anything ? And where do you get it ?

Second question concerns heated bases. In the photos I have noticed at least two, including Troy's, that do not look like Magma's. Temperature control seems to be a separate unit. How is that done ? I have a Magma base, but they are not cheap, and when it goes belly up, or I need another for another luber, I need to make it.

[6bg6ga]

dicko

It would be very easy to manufacture a sizer lubricator that would take care of your needs. If you or someone you know owns a mill it would be very easy to make a base that would accomodate a very large lube reservoir. A very small punch press could be adapted to serve as the ram and to time the valve to deliver the lube to the die.

I converted my Magma/ Star to Troys air cylinderless unit but after using it a while bit the bullet and purchased a non-Magma air cylinder. With respect to the base... anyone can make their own. I purchased a piece of 1/2" thick junk aluminum drilled it for the heater (1/4") and for the thermocouple (1/8"). The PID control is quite easy to make.

[Fixxah]

I tapped the cap on my lube cylinder to 3/8" NPT and used a brass bushing to install the male air nipple. Rather that run an air line from my compressor, I found a 5gal air tank at Sears for $23. I put quick connect fittings on it to mount my regulator. For the hose I used a 4' length of 3/8" clear condensate tubing with barbed male fittings with no clamps. Running less than 35lbs will not rupture the hose or blow the fittings out. into it for $50 but I could have done it for half that. You can get the air fittings at Harbor Freight for cheap. my tank has been on since this Saturday afternoon and still holding full pressure.

[Fixxah]

I have a small air leak I think is just the o-ring in the cap. Really annoying to say the least. Gonna make a gasket out of thick leather or a real fat ring.

[rodsvet]

Fixxah, are you using a piston of some sort on top of the lube? Air pressure alone will not work. Is your luber a Star, RCBS, Lyman? I'm sure you have read all the posts of how each guy arrived at his system. Good Luck, Rod

[Fixxah]

I have a Star and am using a piston. It won't run without it. Just bought a brake cylinder rebuild kit for a GM pick-up truck for the cup seals. I the toilet tamk bolt washers do not seal the air even at low pressures. Tried many combinations to find one that works. It is a small leak but if I don't address it now, I will be filling my tank on a regular basis. The tank shouldn't have to be refilled for months if there are no leaks. Plugged the vent hole as well because I could feel air coming from there. My e-mail is Fixxah@sprint.blackberry.net if you have a better idea.

Headed to the dungeon now to try fitting the cup seal to the piston.

[rodsvet]

Fixxah, I sent you an email. Rod

[GrumpyFinn]

I went out and picked up an air cylinder from Graingers for $34.00, bought the piston and screw from Magma for $12.50. I used the assortment of fittings and air connectors and regulator from my home made air system and assembled it tonight. Rod

Thanks for the tip, picked up one from grainger, forgot to pick up the nipples and had to go to HD, what a drag. Works great with toilet tank piston, I just had to tap the nuts again.