Star lube air feed, what pressure setting ?

[BigSlick]

What psi setting are you guys using with the air cylinder pressure ?

Trying to fine tune lube heat/pressure settings.

Thanks

'Slick
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[ReAX222]

Firstly are you measuring in absolute or relative? In PSIa, anything over 14.7psi will put pressure on the lube, basically that would be your relative PSI. Your required pressure will depend on your lubes surface tension and density. I'd start with 17 psia and see how it flows, step up in 2 psi increments until you get close to what you want.

I know a bit about compressed air, just not this application. However, two things might want to be aware of. Normal compressors use a petroleum lubricant oil. Petroleum products turn in to a waxy compound and release carbon monoxide when pressurized (I don't know what pressure, but it does happen to our cylinders in the 2250-3600psi range.) Normal compressors also pump alot of moisture, you will probably want to run a painting booth type air dryer/filter. Non of this counts though if your using grade E air.

[BigSlick]

Using an air tank filled by an electric compressor with a line dryer.

Would I be ignernt if I ass*u*me that regardless of the source, in this application, psi is psi ?

Book says 20-30 psi on the regulator is suggested, great, did that. Heat at that pressure needs to be up a little for the lube to flow.

If I increase the pressure, I outrun how much of the lube stick is melted and run into an air pocket.

If I decrease the pressure, heat gets up too much and lube starts to get too soft.

If I increase the heat lube just stays too hot unless I'm really hustling and running bullets thru. A minute or two break and lube thins out too much.

If I decrease the heat, lube won't flow at 20-30 psi.

I'm wondering if it is advisable/intelligent/a good thing to do to increase pressure up to say 50-60 psi where the lube just needs to be slightly warm to flow.

Seems like it would help with the lube being so sticky too
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[Sundogg1911]

what Lube are you using?

[BigSlick]

Lar's Red
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[slughammer]

I understand you are using a base heater. Have you tried adding a lamp near the reservoir to get a little heat higher up near the piston? Just 60 or 100 watts to "even" out the heat distribution some.

[katzindakettle]

Hey Slick,

I have a Star Luber with Magma's heated base, the air feed cylinder, and the auto bullet feeder with an MA Systems collator. With Magma's blue lube, I have the air pressure set at 65 PSI on the air feed cylinder and temp set at 121 degrees F on the heated base.

In the beginning, I had purchased the basic luber used. It came with a heated base. I had alot of trouble getting it to put a full ring around the 45cal 200gr SWC's. I spoke to Magma about the troubles I was having. They told me it sounded like the wax was not getting hot enough and that I should adjust the temp a little hotter. Well, as it turns out, Lyman makes a heated base that will fit the Star Luber that does not have an adjustable temperature setting, which is what I had. So I ordered a new heated base from Magma, which is adjustable, along with the air feed, bullet feeder, and collater, and now it works fine. Make sure you have a heated base that has an adjustable temperature setting. I hope this helps.

[ReAX222]

Those sound like relative PSI. You are currently twice atmospheric pressure on the wax, another 5-10 psi isn't much. Perhaps you could also try concaving the lube to increase the surface area affected by the pressure.

[KYCaster]

Slick: I've always had the best results with more pressure, less heat...relatively speaking. You'll just have to figure out the best settings on your own since (like everything else in this hobby) it depends on your individual situation.

All the conditions you describe are common. When left idle, the base will overheat, but when you start punching cold boolits through, they will draw the temp down pretty quick. Try saving some of your culled boolits to run through the sizer to check the punch settings and to stabilize the temp before you get serious and then plan to stay at it till your done with the batch at hand.

If your shop is cold you may need to preheat the boolits to body temp or so. If they're too cold they'll give you fits trying to get the lube temp right.

When you get everything working right, pull the die out of the machine and look at the orifice on the left side where the lube feeds from the pump to the die. There'll be a ribbon of lube oozing out. It should be ~1/4 in. per second or a little less...good solid ribbon, not liquid. Pump the handle and it should squirt out about a one inch ribbon. Put the die back in the machine without a boolit in it. Pump the handle and you should get lube through all the holes. Don't be afraid to crank the pressure up to get the right flow...you'll probably be surprised at how much it takes.

You may have to change the settings slightly for different boolits, but that should give you some place to start.

Enjoy.
Jerry

[Springfield]

I do mostly Big Lube bullets for BP, so my lube is relatively soft. But I go through it very quickly, a stick will only do maybe 200 45 Colt bulets, 250 44-40 bullets, just so you know what I mean by quickly. I like to keep the lube at about 85-90 degress, not that hot. But I need to have my air pressure at 150 lbs or I outrun the lube and have unfilled lube grooves. I find that generally more pressure, less heat works best. The magma air pressure tube is rated at 250 lbs, says so on the side on the sticker, so I'm not worried about ruining it.

[BigSlick]

Thanks guys.

Bumped the pressure up to 50lbs and things got better.

Only problem now is how to prevent the bullets from being so sticky.

I am using the Magma base, as far as I can see it has a pretty wide adjustment range. No indication of temp vs setting, just a pot that you turn with a flat blade. Any suggestions as to how to measure lube temp short of sticking a thermocouple down the reservoir tube ?

I like the Lar's Red, but, the sicky has to go. I'm not talking a little sticky, I'm talking bullets stuck together like peanut brittle in chunks of 15-20 or so.

I know about talc, but talc is slightly abrasive and it would make the bullets look like they are coated with powder with a sufficient amout to be effective.

EDIT :

I upped the pressure to 65 lbs and dropped the heat in half. The bullets are less sticky than they were, but still not easy to handle. Later tonight, I will take the pressure up to 75lbs and see what that gets for me. Maybe I can get away with very little heat or none. Since it appears this lube works like gangbusters (as I think it does based on my shooting with it) it looks like the slightest heat makes it flow pretty well. Too well in the lube sizer with the amount of heat I've been using.

I will perservere, because this is still the best damned lube I've ever used.

Ah, new toys.
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[dmftoy1]

Great thread . .I'm following it closely because I'm experiencing similiar problems with Lars Red and without the air pressure attachment. I'm thinking my heat must be too high because I have to handle the boolits SOOOOO carefully when they come out because if anything touches the lube ring the lube comes right out. (once it's hard it's great) Love the lube, but I have to figure out what to do.

As far as figuring out the temp I was using one of those infrared guns . . . in reading this though I'm thinking that I've got my temp (100 degrees on the outside/base of the reservior) too high.

Keep the advice coming . .I know I'm reading it anxiously!

[BigSlick]

Nirvana

Pressure set to 75 lbs with the heat on the absolute lowest setting possible.

I can feel a little more arm is required to get the pump to operate (as you would expect) but finally the bullets are coming out clean with a nicely filled lube groove.

It helps to stay at the bottom of the stroke for about ? second to let the lube flow enough to fill the groove completely.

Bullets drop with a full groove and no stickiness at all.

Looks like the heat causes the lube to melt just a tad and it gets all over my fingers and everything else it comes in contact with when hot enough to thin out even the slightest amount.

I run a lubed bullet back thru every 50 rnds or so to keep the die from getting too dry. This seems to help the whole process.

Thanks again for all the help guys. As usual, you guys are dead nuts on with your advice.

I ain't exactly a pro at this, but I'm turning out good clean bullets with no mess and now all I gotta do is run thru the other 1400 or so and I will be fixed for a while... in one caliber



'

[Drifter]

I, like KYCaster have found that more pressure and less heat works best. I use Felix lube which is a fairly soft lube and keep my temp. around 80* and my pressure about 92-94 lbs. If my temp goes much higher than 80-82* I start getting a little lube on the nose of the boolit. In the summer I don't have to use the heater at all but I'd say in the winter I'll have use it a little to keep my temp up to the 80* or so.

I installed a little thermometer in the heater base that really helps in keeping up with what temp my lube is. If anyone is interested in installing one you can get it from Wally World for a couple of bucks, drill a hole in the base a tiny bit larger than the probe and stick it in. Make sure you don't drill into the heating element.

[dmftoy1]

That's pretty cool . . . .how do you know where the heating element is?

[Drifter]

Look at the left end of the heater base and you'll see a hole about 1/4" dia. The heating element slides in from the other end (right end) and runs parallel to the front of the base.
Drifter

[dmftoy1]

Hey guys, thanks for all the advice on this thread. I FINALLY have my star working as desired with the Carnuba Red Lube . ..I lubed every single boolit I've cast this weekend while watching college football. . .it doesn't get much better than that!!

[pcmacd]

I use the same lube for now. Same temp. Same pressure or a little higher.