Wow and Thank you

Dalton Masterson · April 17, 2010, 12:06:06 AM

I want to thank all of you that suggested a Star LubeSizer. I got mine today, and didnt get a chance to mess with it much until after 10pm. I got it set up, with the air feed, no heater, and didnt get a bullet into it until after 11pm.
Well, I lubed and sized a small coffee can packed full (app. 400-500) of 150gr EppUGs in just under 45 minutes, and that included warming up my lube a hair with a lamp and a small torch (

).

This machine is wonderful...Anyway, thanks all, and if you dont have one, I highly recommend them. I like the airfeed as well, as I can grab a whole handful of bullets, and just roll them into the die nose first, and not have to worry about cranking on the pressure handle. This is really nice with the Big Lube bullets, as they use soooo much lube. They also tend to shoot out of the bottom of the die, when under the influence of 60psi. I ended up at 40psi and it ran great.
I do have a few question. There is a hole in the back of the lube resourvoir. Some of my lube squirts out of it. Is it supposed to be plugged??

Thanks for the custom die tip, DD. It works great.
DM

Dalton Masterson · April 17, 2010, 12:20:03 AM

Also, what do you guys use to catch your bullets? I used a large plastic tub tonite, with a few paper towels to cushion, but surely there is better ways.
Any method of feeding them direct into a tube, that can then be used to fill up a divided styrofoam cartridge box??

Thanks,
DM

Blackpowder Burn · April 17, 2010, 07:11:44 AM

I have one on order too, and am anxiously awaiting its arrival. I have about 2500 BL's cast up that need sizing before next months match.

Dalton Masterson · April 17, 2010, 08:12:52 AM

Yep. I am with you. I cast up a bunch of bullets over the winter, mostly Big Lube, and this thing is gonna make that tedious chore with my Lyman 45 seem like nothing...
I ordered mine in the middle of March, and just got it yesterday. They said they were waiting on some parts, so it shouldnt be too long for you.
Now I need to build a bench for it to go on that is closer to my compressor.
DM

Springfield Slim · April 17, 2010, 09:14:04 AM

I just catch them with my left hand and put them directly into the trays, but then I have a bullet feeder. If you take a hoser clamp and plug up that overflow hole in the back you can use 6" sticks and increase your capacity.

Blackpowder Burn · April 17, 2010, 07:40:17 PM

Dalton,

Yep, I had the same Lyman and it got to be a huge bottleneck for me. I have 44-40's 45 LC's, 38-55's, 40-65's and 45-70's to cast and lube. Can't spend that much time on the old Lyman any more. Especially not since the company I work for actually expects me to spend time on their business!

Dalton Masterson · April 17, 2010, 10:22:28 PM

ARGGGHHH!!!
Today I went to the local gunshow, and on the first table when I walked in the door, was an original Star luber, with a 427 die, C&H heater, and an air feed. I have watched our gunshows for the last year or two, hoping to find one at it for a decent price.

This guy had a different brand of feed thru sizer at one time, and wanted 400 or better for it. But now he showed up with this one. The gall. I showed him tho. I bought the darn thing for 200.

So, now I have 2, all in less than 24 hours! Sweet day for me. Better stay in bed tomorrow..... $:-\$

Slim, is that an overflow hole? Heck, I filled it clear to the top with lube, and left just enough room to get the plunger in......

Oh well, it worked.

BTW, the air feed I got today, has a lower hose attachment to push the plunger back to the top, for refilling it. You just give it a small shot of air, thru a barbed fitting.
DM

Driftwood Johnson · April 18, 2010, 07:18:14 AM

Howdy

I don't have the air pressure gizmo on mine, mine is manual and I just crank down the pressure handle as needed. I never noticed that hole in the back before, have no idea why it is there. I usually use commercial sticks of SPG in mine, and there is nothing oozing out of the hole with them.

Like Slim, I poop them out into my left hand and place them directly in styrofoam bullet trays. With the soft lube I don't like my Big Lube bullets bouncing around in bulk containers, they tend to get very messy. I use the styrofaom trays that come in some brands of commercial ammo. I keep them all stacked up on the shelves above my loading table, all set for my next loading session. This also allows me to stay organized when I reload. I dump fifty bullets at a time onto a small piece of hardwood. I load my primers into my tubes 100 at a time. I keep my cases in loading trays of 50. This way, if there is something left over at the end of 100 primers, I know there is a problem someplace that should be looked after.

Dalton Masterson · April 18, 2010, 11:05:16 AM

Driftwood,
I do the same thing for containers, and store them separated as you do. That was using my Lyman 45. I am using homemade 50/50 beeswax/crisco lube, and its pretty soft.

I am thinking about trying a piece of caliber sized pvc pipe, and let them shoot into that from the luber. Then when the tube is full, I could easily put them into containers via the tube..
We will see how it works.... Right now, with the air set at 40psi, they literally shoot out of the luber when they hit the end, sometimes 2 at a time.
I will post my results of the tube test when I try it.
DM

Pitmaster · April 18, 2010, 11:28:58 AM

There were 2 Stars at our local gun show today. I think he wanted $250 each. He had some dies but none I needed.

I use a small step ladder (3ft'r)or a stool and place it under the drop zone of the Star. I use an Akro bin to catch the bullets.

I can hardly wait to save the money to get an air feed. I hate turning that screw.

Blackpowder Burn · April 19, 2010, 11:18:40 AM

I talked to Magma this morning. My Star was just finished and is shipping out today with 6 dies. Maybe I'll be in business by this weekend. I need to get out to the casting bench this week and cast up some bullets from my new BL 45-70 and 45 LC molds so I'll be ready for it.

Dalton Masterson · April 19, 2010, 11:34:07 AM

Setup was pretty simple, and was just a matter of adjusting the depth of the bullet before the pump compressed.

I am having good luck with the custom die I got for the BL bullets, but I have not used any others to compare it to. Looking at the .427 die I have, it appears the custom die has more holes, and they are offset a bit from each other.

I got it from a guy in Missouri for less than the factory Magma dies.
DM

Fairshake · April 23, 2010, 09:35:26 AM

Dalton Masterson, That die you got from Chris Smith is from he and I working on a design that would work with the BL design. We came up with that one about 2 years ago. The dies that Chris makes are better than the ones from magma. You don't havce to run your Star off a compressor for the air feed. You are not using any air only the pressure. I have run mine for the past few years off of a 7 gal air tank that was purchased from Wally World. It has the same 130 lbs of air that I put in it over 4 months ago. Later David

Dalton Masterson · April 23, 2010, 10:05:51 AM

Yeah, but my compressor is right next to my setup. Its just a big airtank until the motor kicks on. It didnt suck down any air at all in the 500 bullets I did.
I do have a small air bubble I could set up for it. My lube bench is on wheels, so that I can take it in the house and work in the winter. Its an old audio video cart, with a huge top, and middle shelf, and a lockable cabinet below. I think the bubble would probably fit on the second shelf with no problems, so I may end up that route in the winter when the shop is too cold.

Very nice die, btw. Works great! And cheaper than Magma to boot.
DM

will52100 · April 30, 2010, 02:22:21 PM

Not to hijack the thread, but a lot of good info. I've got a buddy that uses the magma dies and just plugs the holes for big lube bullets. Which works better? I am going to get one this time in as I finaly got moved into my new house and have room to set it up. I'll be lubing for black powder only, or at least the vast majority, as most of my smokless rounds get lee liquid alox. The majority of my bullets are big lubes as well.

Any info on correct dies apreciated,
thanks

Dalton Masterson · April 30, 2010, 02:49:17 PM

I got the custom dies because I did not have any yet, and didnt see that the Magma was worth the extra money for me to have to plug them and do the trial and error thing. I think it was 37.00 shipped to my door.
DM

Flint · April 30, 2010, 03:35:56 PM

Mount the Star on a bench with a drop hole drilled under the exit hole, and install a small drawer under the thing to catch the bullets. I made a box to mount it on mounted atop the bench with a tray in it to catch bullets. You can change dies easily enough through the hole under it large enough to pass the die removing device.

will52100 · April 30, 2010, 05:42:29 PM

Thanks, good info, now just to get state side and order the thing.

Blackpowder Burn · April 30, 2010, 10:35:51 PM

I got my Star Lubrisizer a few days ago and got it working today. What a difference! Wish I'd done it a long time ago.

I spoke to the folks at Magma and they asked me to send them a sample of each bullet that I was going to size, which was a total of 6. They drilled the dies to match the bullets lube groove spacing and made me punches sized to each bullet diameter since I am casting 20:1 alloy. That prevents any deformation of the base, as they are only a few thousandths smaller in diameter than the bullet.

It's really slick. I sized about 600 bullets the first hour. My next acquisition will be the air cylinder.