Hello all,
I wanted to post this thread to show and discuss the dies for the Star and Ballisti-cast machines that I make. All of my dies are made from tool steel, I won't use anything less. These are typically hardened to 50+ Rockwell, and are quite wear- and abrasion- resistant, and make a nice long-lasting die.
I am going to start offering what I call the "standard" die configuration. This is a hardened die, with 3 rows of holes for 3 lube grooves (and less), spaced approx. .125 apart. The first row is about .750 from the top of the die. This configuration will cover maybe 80 or 90 per cent of bullets out there. I can still do custom spacing, on request. Remember, you can always plug unneeded holes with 7 1/2 shot, this is easy to do, and this can always be (carefully) removed later if you need the extra row.
The price for a "standard" die is $43. Shipping runs $5 for the first die, $2.50 for each additional die. I will still make available a non-hardened version; subtract $4 from the die price if you want this. I can take Paypal or money orders, your choice.
Of course, I also offer punches for the Star; these run $15 each for the flat punch, and $17 each for the dished style that is popular with gas checks. I don't recommend using a dished punch with plain-base bullets, as you can get an unacceptable amount of base distortion.
Plain punch nuts run $4, punch nuts with setscrews are $7, and the roller "L" handle is $31.00 shipped. I can also make you a die removal tool if your sizer is missing this, they run $22 each.
I would like to take this opportunity to say a big "thank you" to all the guys on the boards here that have supported me and helped get this project going. Also, together we have made a nice financial contribution to the boards here, and I will continue doing this periodically in the future. There are many satisfied users of these dies to date.
Update: I now offer punches and punch nuts with setscrews for the Ballisti-cast MK VI sizer. The punches are the same price as listed above for the Star. The punch nuts with setscrews are $4 each, or $37/10.
Thanks again,
lathesmith