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Messages - fc60

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76
Star Reloaders / Re: Powder Slide Housing Cover
« on: January 04, 2019, 11:37:28 am »
Greetings,

Many thanks for the eBay reference.

I had this in my Watch List.

Spaced over the extra hole in the powder slide top.

Absolutely clueless as to it's function.

Cheers,

Dave

77
Star Reloaders / Re: Powder Slide Housing Cover
« on: January 03, 2019, 12:48:35 pm »
Greetings,

Can you find the eBay link and post it so we can look at the modification?

Might have to pick Sold or Completed items to find it.

Cheers,

Dave

78
Star History / Re: Were Star's every made in 32 S&W Long or 38 S&W?
« on: December 14, 2018, 04:12:58 pm »
Greetings,

I think a custom 44-40 plate has been made, also.

Cheers,

Dave

79
Star History / Re: Were Star's every made in 32 S&W Long or 38 S&W?
« on: December 01, 2018, 07:27:23 pm »
Greetings,

32 S&W Long, yes. Bruce Williams sent me a photo of one he is refinishing.

Something I would love to add to my collection.

Cheers,

Dave

80
Star Reloaders / Re: Primer Seating Issue
« on: November 01, 2018, 01:05:37 pm »
Greetings,

Over time, the primer tube gets "crud" inside.

Try cleaning with some Q-Tips soaked in 99% Isopropyl Alchohol.

Push them all the way through with the primer follower rod.

Cheers,

Dave

81
Star Reloaders / Re: Reloading 45acp
« on: August 22, 2018, 11:10:40 am »
Greetings,

Your StarLine comment jiggled my memory.

StarLine suggested using some case lube on new brass.

Cheers,

Dave

82
Star Reloaders / Re: Reloading 45acp
« on: August 21, 2018, 01:07:05 pm »
Greetings,

Are you wet tumbling using the "LemiShine" product?

You can get the brass too clean such that it will stick to the expander plug and Taper Crimp die.

Have a look at the expander to see if there are any streaks of brass. If so, remove the plug, chuck it in a power drill / lathe and polish the brass away using a piece of fine ScotchBrite or fine Steel wool and oil.

Back to the brass. After washing, fill the tub with water again and add a capful of liquid car wash (TurtleWax) and tumble a few minutes. Then drain and dry. Do not wash off the TurtleWax. This will act as a lubricant for the expander.

Cheers,

Dave

83
Star Reloaders / Re: Convert STAR Progressive to load 9mm ?
« on: July 04, 2018, 01:15:59 pm »
Greetings,

Is the machine 38 Special; or, the less common 32 S&W Long?

32 S&W Long cases would not be a good fit in the 38 Special Progressive without adding the straps common to the Universal machines.

Cheers,

Dave

84
Star Reloaders / Shell Plate material
« on: June 30, 2018, 12:06:29 pm »
Greetings,

Regarding the shell plate material, I do not know what Star purchased; but, I have two shell plates stamped "O1" which suggests O-1 Tool Steel.

You can buy tool steel, A-2, O-1, O-2, A-10, ect. in round bars. For a reasonable fee, the vendor will cut them into slices for you.

I doubt they were cast items. It would only add expense.

Cheers,

Dave

85
Star Reloaders / Re: Star-made shell plates
« on: June 30, 2018, 11:59:13 am »
Greetings,

Neverning done any casting, other than bullets.

I have machined Nodular Cast Iron parts for hydraulic cylinders. They cut very well with flake chips, no stringers. After about 50 parts, your hands absorb some of the Iron and stay red for several days.

I have machined the taper crimp station on the Star tool heads and, again, it machines well.

With cheap castings, you take a chance of getting a ball bearing in the material. Reeks havoc on your turning insert!!!

If Mr. Cunningham was planning to outsource to Communist China, Bruce Williams saved the Company from shame just in time.

Cheers,

Dave

86
Star Reloaders / Re: Star-made shell plates
« on: June 29, 2018, 12:44:18 pm »
Greetings,

A most fascinating read!!!

Too bad the tool head moulds have disappeared.

Cheers,

Dave

87
Stars Want to Sell/Want to Buy / Re: For Sale - Pyrex powder hoppers
« on: June 13, 2018, 07:57:38 pm »
Greetings,

The greatest challenge with Star is that there are few fully dimensioned drawings remaining. When Bruce Williams bought the company from Pioneer, lots of tooling was supplied; but, few drawings.

Seems like "Tribal Knowledge" prevailed at Star...

So, this begins the task of Reverse Engineering the parts.

What were the original Star designers thinking?

Fortunately with the aid of thread gauges, hardness testers, microscopes and an abundance of existing spare parts a lot of reconstruction has taken place.

Oh yes, I forgot the Internet. Via the Internet, I was able to locate that weird powder hopper thread. It is not listed in any of the standard tables in the Machinery Handbook. I stumbled on it merely by accident.

Star's primary products were sprinkler heads for the Citrus farmers in California. Perhaps this is why the odd threads? Look at the Expander Plug and decapping rods for the Sizing dies. Both are 27 pitch!

Cheers,

Dave

88
Stars Want to Sell/Want to Buy / Re: For Sale - Pyrex powder hoppers
« on: June 13, 2018, 12:03:36 pm »
Greetings Dram Worx,

I found the thread specification.

https://law.resource.org/pub/us/cfr/ibr/005/sae.j476a.1961.pdf

Refer to Appendix D, Section D.6 and D.7.

The thread is a 9/16-27 Dryseal SPL-PTF, OD .5625

It involves a bit of math.

Easy to cut on a CNC lathe. More challenging on a conventional lathe.

27 NPT inserts are readily available.

Cheers,

Dave

89
Stars Want to Sell/Want to Buy / Re: For Sale - Pyrex powder hoppers
« on: June 10, 2018, 07:18:23 pm »
Greetings,

The original Star hopper has a threaded brass fitting with an Aluminum disk mounted just above it which asks as a powder baffle to provide a constant amount of powder pressure.

Regarding the thread, the original Star thread is a weird TAPERED thread. Many after market vendors do not cut a TAPERED thread, rather a straight thread.

As a result, the constant removing replacing of the threaded hopper ruins the TAPERED thread of the powder housing lid.

Cheers,

Dave

90
Stars Want to Sell/Want to Buy / Re: For Sale - Pyrex powder hoppers
« on: June 09, 2018, 12:16:25 pm »
Greetings,

Does the base of the hopper have the original baffle?

Also, does it have the proper 9/16-27 TAPERED thread?

Cheers,

Dave

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