Star Lube sizer
- Thread starter Turk
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Johnny Guest
Moderator In Memoriam
Turk, you are in luck - - -
One of the co-Moderators of this very forum is John Paul "Fitz" Jones, who runs a board for users/owners of Star progressive loaders, lubricators, etc. He usually has a line on where such gear is available, and can provide factory parts for the gear. He used to be a factory service person, but I don't know if he still does that.
Check this link:
http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=57208#post57208
and learn something about Fitz. He also provides a link to his Star board at the bottom of his posts.
Best,
Johnny
One of the co-Moderators of this very forum is John Paul "Fitz" Jones, who runs a board for users/owners of Star progressive loaders, lubricators, etc. He usually has a line on where such gear is available, and can provide factory parts for the gear. He used to be a factory service person, but I don't know if he still does that.
Check this link:
http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=57208#post57208
and learn something about Fitz. He also provides a link to his Star board at the bottom of his posts.
Best,
Johnny
Paul "Fitz" Jones
Moderator - Emeritus
Star Lubricator Sizers
Thanks Johnny, I can recondition a few Reloaders only of they are local and can be brought to me as so many have their bases broken in shipment nowadays and as long as my original parts last. I am not in business and only do a few for pleasant shooters.
I do have a few original San Diego Lubers new in the box with dies and top punches plus the assembly - disassembly tool and I throw in copies of all Star company printed literature in the deal. My business was police oriented in calibers and other brand dies and different lube die sizes can be provided by Stillwell Tool Co of Texas. [email protected] I also have a selection of California Saeco luber dies and top punches.
Anyone with a Star luber that is so old that the internal hycar gasket leaks I can provide the identification of a hardware store plumbing part that works fine.
The Magma company has simplified the Star design and uses aluminum instead of the original Star Cast Iron in their version of the Star luber and modified it for high volume production with air pressure and heated for using hard lubes for bullet casting businesses.
The net shooters have the consensus that the old soft wax/ alox/ STP lubes make their bullets more accurate than the new hard lubes and that the home caster and luber with good equipment and quality control can make a more accurate bullet than most commercial swaged bullets.
However there are small businesses that still hand cast and use soft lubes some of whom I set up in business years ago or supplied tools to.
There is quality Caster of Keith Design bullets on this list called Creeker or Lynn44mag. Who also still hand casts and uses Star Reloaders.
I still have a few 1977 original Patent California Saeco Tool Steel Lead Hardness Testers that fits well in a hand casters shop. The current version is made of aluminum.
Thanks Paul Jones
[email protected]
Thanks Johnny, I can recondition a few Reloaders only of they are local and can be brought to me as so many have their bases broken in shipment nowadays and as long as my original parts last. I am not in business and only do a few for pleasant shooters.
I do have a few original San Diego Lubers new in the box with dies and top punches plus the assembly - disassembly tool and I throw in copies of all Star company printed literature in the deal. My business was police oriented in calibers and other brand dies and different lube die sizes can be provided by Stillwell Tool Co of Texas. [email protected] I also have a selection of California Saeco luber dies and top punches.
Anyone with a Star luber that is so old that the internal hycar gasket leaks I can provide the identification of a hardware store plumbing part that works fine.
The Magma company has simplified the Star design and uses aluminum instead of the original Star Cast Iron in their version of the Star luber and modified it for high volume production with air pressure and heated for using hard lubes for bullet casting businesses.
The net shooters have the consensus that the old soft wax/ alox/ STP lubes make their bullets more accurate than the new hard lubes and that the home caster and luber with good equipment and quality control can make a more accurate bullet than most commercial swaged bullets.
However there are small businesses that still hand cast and use soft lubes some of whom I set up in business years ago or supplied tools to.
There is quality Caster of Keith Design bullets on this list called Creeker or Lynn44mag. Who also still hand casts and uses Star Reloaders.
I still have a few 1977 original Patent California Saeco Tool Steel Lead Hardness Testers that fits well in a hand casters shop. The current version is made of aluminum.
Thanks Paul Jones
[email protected]
Last edited:
LAH
Member
Get you one Turk. They are the best thing since sliced bread. The old style or new, you'll love it. Mr. Jones sold these for years. Magma sells them now. They've been changed some from the original but are still light years ahead of Lyman, Redding, and RCBS when it comes to speed.
I have 2 old ones and 2 new ones. All have done thousands of pounds of bullets. I would consider nothing else, especially for high volume handgun bullets.
And Mr. Jones, thanks for the complement...............Creeker
I have 2 old ones and 2 new ones. All have done thousands of pounds of bullets. I would consider nothing else, especially for high volume handgun bullets.
And Mr. Jones, thanks for the complement...............Creeker
ReloaderFred
Member
I also have four of the old Star machines, along with a Lyman, an RCBS and two Saeco's. They all have different uses in my shop, but the one's that get the most use are the Star machines. There is nothing faster. Now if I could only get that automatic bullet feeder to work on short 105 grain .38 bullets, it would be perfect...............
Fred
Fred
Paul "Fitz" Jones
Moderator - Emeritus
Star Blue Lubers
The Star design Lubers were invented to use soft lubes using candle wax, bees wax, automotive and railroad greases plus a lot of other materials were tried and discarded. I collected a saved a dozen of the best lube formulas used by the champions I sold Star tools and original California Saeco Co. Molds.
Whenever I sold one of my original Saeco molds I throw in a lot of helpful bulletcasting information including the formulas and how to make hobby and commercial sized lube sticks. I have 41 4 cavity molds with handles left and they are the only size I sold thousands of.
The luber gasket from a hardware store has disappeared and my grand kids found a package my luber gaskets in the barn of which only a couple are left. They are called a hycar washer and are really tough. I will search for more. The Luber rights that Star sold Magma to keep it away from Dillon warps in its operation so needs gaskets to keep it from leaking lube. The gaskets are damaged and need replacement every time a sizing die is changed. I learned of this information from my customer Creeker. The original Star has never needed die gaskets.
My original quality luber parts remaining as of Feb 2007 are dies .356, .357, .410, .429 and .430. I have more lost somewhere and a couple each of part #114 Fulcrum push rod assembly and #124 Pump Plunger and #107 Hycar washer. Many Of the old Blue lubers are bring up to $200 on ebay and all Star tools are snapped up. I have 4 of my own lubers to recondition when it warms up outside.
I and my list of old Star customers are glad to assist new Star tool owners as their original owners that I sold the tools retire from competition. We are not a chatty list but a helpful list. I answer many of the questions and refer interesting ones to my list as opinions can vary. My list members are serious competitors and professional civilian and military people and I do not bother them with a lot of repetitive questions. Men who join my list are welcome to read the list archives from back to 2003 when I came to the internet and I always answer them.
Star went out of business because the City of San Diego wanted their property as part of the land needed for a new stadium. Star machinery was driven by leather belts to a system of ceiling pulleys driven by one gigantic electric motor out back a system from the early 1900's.
The owners who personally assembled the tools were quite elderly and the museum quality tools were far from being economical to be moved. The ancient equipment with the leather belts absorbed vibrations that modern ac/dc motors create and the leather belts created the ultra smooth Star tool parts. Steam driven cars needed precise work so do not belittle old tools.
I wish I had known the future when I picked up my 10 Reloaders and 10 lubers a month for years as I would have taken many pictures and done a lot of interviewing to write a book about Star. I regularly sell a Star Information Package on ebay with Star catalogs, operation instructions and copies of every piece of instructional piece of paper I collected from Star as their top dealer surpassing Gil Hebard and wrote a Booklet for My Star customers printed by the C-H Co who gave me hundreds of them with their thanks for keeping their progressive reloader owners out of trouble in the selection of their components. "How To Live With And Love Your Progressive Reloader". Known as the progressive reloaders Bible by some.
I am selling out all of my remaining collections of Star parts and accessories being 72 and wish to RV with my wife this summer but I will have my laptop to still be helpful to THR and my Star, Saeco and Fitz grip Customers.
The Star design Lubers were invented to use soft lubes using candle wax, bees wax, automotive and railroad greases plus a lot of other materials were tried and discarded. I collected a saved a dozen of the best lube formulas used by the champions I sold Star tools and original California Saeco Co. Molds.
Whenever I sold one of my original Saeco molds I throw in a lot of helpful bulletcasting information including the formulas and how to make hobby and commercial sized lube sticks. I have 41 4 cavity molds with handles left and they are the only size I sold thousands of.
The luber gasket from a hardware store has disappeared and my grand kids found a package my luber gaskets in the barn of which only a couple are left. They are called a hycar washer and are really tough. I will search for more. The Luber rights that Star sold Magma to keep it away from Dillon warps in its operation so needs gaskets to keep it from leaking lube. The gaskets are damaged and need replacement every time a sizing die is changed. I learned of this information from my customer Creeker. The original Star has never needed die gaskets.
My original quality luber parts remaining as of Feb 2007 are dies .356, .357, .410, .429 and .430. I have more lost somewhere and a couple each of part #114 Fulcrum push rod assembly and #124 Pump Plunger and #107 Hycar washer. Many Of the old Blue lubers are bring up to $200 on ebay and all Star tools are snapped up. I have 4 of my own lubers to recondition when it warms up outside.
I and my list of old Star customers are glad to assist new Star tool owners as their original owners that I sold the tools retire from competition. We are not a chatty list but a helpful list. I answer many of the questions and refer interesting ones to my list as opinions can vary. My list members are serious competitors and professional civilian and military people and I do not bother them with a lot of repetitive questions. Men who join my list are welcome to read the list archives from back to 2003 when I came to the internet and I always answer them.
Star went out of business because the City of San Diego wanted their property as part of the land needed for a new stadium. Star machinery was driven by leather belts to a system of ceiling pulleys driven by one gigantic electric motor out back a system from the early 1900's.
The owners who personally assembled the tools were quite elderly and the museum quality tools were far from being economical to be moved. The ancient equipment with the leather belts absorbed vibrations that modern ac/dc motors create and the leather belts created the ultra smooth Star tool parts. Steam driven cars needed precise work so do not belittle old tools.
I wish I had known the future when I picked up my 10 Reloaders and 10 lubers a month for years as I would have taken many pictures and done a lot of interviewing to write a book about Star. I regularly sell a Star Information Package on ebay with Star catalogs, operation instructions and copies of every piece of instructional piece of paper I collected from Star as their top dealer surpassing Gil Hebard and wrote a Booklet for My Star customers printed by the C-H Co who gave me hundreds of them with their thanks for keeping their progressive reloader owners out of trouble in the selection of their components. "How To Live With And Love Your Progressive Reloader". Known as the progressive reloaders Bible by some.
I am selling out all of my remaining collections of Star parts and accessories being 72 and wish to RV with my wife this summer but I will have my laptop to still be helpful to THR and my Star, Saeco and Fitz grip Customers.
LAH
Member
By furnace do you mean "lube heater"?
A heater isn't needed for soft lube. If your luber is located in a place where the winter cold will get at it a heater is nice. But even then a light bulb or hair dryer will warm things plenty to lube bullets. If you're planning to use hard lube though I would suggest a heater, if not Magma's heater then certainly another............Creeker
A heater isn't needed for soft lube. If your luber is located in a place where the winter cold will get at it a heater is nice. But even then a light bulb or hair dryer will warm things plenty to lube bullets. If you're planning to use hard lube though I would suggest a heater, if not Magma's heater then certainly another............Creeker
billw_willy
Member
Paul, How does one join your group?
Bill McGraw
Bill McGraw
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