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Messages - FOR_Star

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61
Star Reloaders / Are .38 Spl Seater and TC dies OK for 9MM??
« on: November 29, 2016, 11:59:02 am »
Will a .38 Spl crimp die [#18] work acceptably for seating (with no crimping) 9MM Luger cases?  Is a longer Bullet Seater [#20U] needed due to the shorter cases?  [this is the seater/crimp die that came from Star as part of a .38 Spl toolhead with a Lifetyme carbide sizing die]

The #18 crimp/seater dies weren't marked for caliber (at least not .38 Spl), so did Star use the same crimp die for 9MM & .38 Spl/.357 Mag?

Will a .38 Spl Taper Crimp die [#18T] work for crimping 9MM Luger cases?  As with the #18, the #18T was not marked for caliber.

Thanks.

62
Star Reloaders / Re: Adjusting Locator Straps
« on: November 01, 2016, 08:53:19 pm »
I thought they were only adjustable in and out, not up or down.

Since the vertical center line of the shell cases (i.e. the center of the primer hole) must rotate in exactly the same arc regardless of caliber, I would think that changing from .45 ACP to .32 ACP would require adjusting the #79U Shell Base Locating Strap.

That said, as I mentioned in an earlier post, when I switched toolheads from .45 to .38 and vice versa, I never touched the locating straps and never had a problem. (or at least I didn't know of one)  Maybe the bevels on the bottom of the Star dies guide the cases into the dies even if a little bit out of alignment, or if they are giggling around from the indexing movement.

I guess Star thought if you were enough of a reloader to be using a Star that you would figure out how and when to adjust the locator straps; a primary difference between the Progressive and Universal models.  I never found anything in the Star instructions related to adjusting the locating straps.  I had to ask on this site, too.  FC60 provided a very good explanation.

Quote
Re: Maintenance after Loooong Inactive period
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2015, 03:00:26 PM »

Bruce, thanks so much for the help!!

As part of the clean-up I removed the three #79U Shell Base Locating Straps.  First time I'd ever touched these, so they were set as the machine came to me brand new.  I was surprised at the amount of gunk accumulated behind each.

I don't think I've ever seen any instructions as to how, when, or why you adjust these.  Is there a SOP on how to set these (the little set screw in each that changes how it aligns the case at that station)?  I've loaded .45's and .38's and all went well without changing the original settings.

Is it just a common sense thing, or is there some actual procedure?  Anybody have to readjust theirs when they change calibers?

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Strap Adustment
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2015, 10:59:56 AM »

Greetings,

The various caliber shell plates vary in outside diameter. A little math leads one to believe that the OD is tangent to the case OD.

So, rotate the shell plate 1/12 of a turn. The detent ball should be positioned under a case cutout, not the round 3/8" indexing hole.

Insert the strap with the upper set screw backed off so it does not touch.

Next, lightly tighten the Fillister head screw so the strap just touches the rim of the shell plate.

Last, tighten the upper set screw to snug up the strap and leave a wee bit of clearance with the shell plate.

Test the adjustment with an empty case and you should be spot on.

Cheers,

Dave

63
Star Reloaders / Decapping Pin Assembly
« on: September 22, 2016, 08:33:29 pm »
When securing the decapping pin into the end of the assembly (which screws into the resizing die), should you use two set screws (one on each side) or just one?

64
Star Reloaders / Re: Lifetyme Sizing Dies
« on: September 13, 2016, 12:36:39 am »
Thanks Bruce, thorough answer as usual.
I had contacted the gentleman offering the 9MM Lifetyme sizing die on the Want to Sell/Buy forum.  He seems very knowledgeable about Stars & their dies.  He indicated that it was not a carbide die.  I had believed/assumed that Lifetyme dies were carbide.  He double-checked the die and indicated confidently that it had no carbide insert, and was a steel-only 9MM sizer.

Anomaly or maybe produced on a custom order?

65
Star Reloaders / Lifetyme Sizing Dies
« on: September 12, 2016, 02:48:12 pm »
Anybody know if there are Lifetyme sizing dies for Stars that are "plain steel" dies (NOT carbide)?

Particularly curious about 9MM Lifetyme sizing dies.  Were Lifetyme 9MM resizing dies available in both carbide and plain steel in the 11/64-24 thread configuration?

Thanks.

66
Stars Want to Sell/Want to Buy / Re: WTS: 9mm Sizing Die
« on: September 11, 2016, 05:19:03 pm »
PM sent.

67
Star Reloaders / Re: It happened again
« on: August 27, 2016, 04:38:51 pm »
Quite a puzzle.
So on two different Star machines, loading two different calibers (.38 Spl & .45 ACP), two different powder magazine materials (alum & plastic), two different powders (WST & Bullseye), made by two different manufacturers (Hodgdon & Alliant) - complete powder flow stoppage occurred during a reloading session.

Given the level of experience you indicate, nearly all questions posed will seem simplistic and insulting, but are not intended that way.

Did the stoppage/blockage occur in the magazine or the spout?  Are you using the large spout?
The Star system has the "clicks" to slightly vibrate the powder bar.  Are the rollers on the back of the charge bar rolling freely?

In your last example, a factory-fresh, sealed, 1 lb. can of BE is opened, poured into the powder magazine and then loading commences until sometime in the first 45 minutes the powder bridges/stops flowing.  It would have to be something within the physical powder delivery system of the Star.  Maybe simple stuff like spiders, cobwebs, oil, moisture, etc.  Since you've used these machines extensively with success, it's hard to understand how they would suddenly become so super-static charged as to completely halt the powder flow.  Maybe empty out the magazines and vigorously blow them out with dry compressed air, particularly the baffle areas.  Then swab out with something that evaporates and leaves no film like denatured alcohol, then blow out again.  Clean the charge bar, powder housing, and spout with the same stuff.  Everything in the world of powder on the Star ends up dry & clean.

Just "spit-balling" here.  A very frustrating issue to resolve, I'm sure.

Thoughts from others??

68
Star History / Re: Dating a Star Universal
« on: August 19, 2016, 07:19:41 pm »
Well that was quick.......

69
Star History / Re: Dating a Star Universal
« on: August 19, 2016, 07:18:43 pm »
Post pictures from several angles.  There are experts here with decades of experience who will provide great advice, but "pictures are worth a thousand words."

70
Star Reloaders / Re: Shell Expander Plug Modifications
« on: August 07, 2016, 05:27:31 pm »
Thank you for the explanation, Bruce.
I'll contact you via email.

71
Star Reloaders / Shell Expander Plug Modifications
« on: August 06, 2016, 06:07:57 pm »
Are Shell Expander Plugs (#16) too hard to modify via some lathe work?
I have an extra .38 Spl Expander and was curious if it could be modified to work as a 9MM expander.
The diameter of the expander "barrel" would need to be reduced by around .003 and the "barrel" length would need to be shortened to better approximate the seating depth of the 9MM bullets.
If this was done, would this make the OAL too short to work with the 9MM cases? (Shorter cases need longer Expander Plugs)
Anyone been successful converting a .38 Spl Expander to use with 9MM?

72
Star Reloaders / Re: "Bushing" Inserts at Sizing & Seating Stations
« on: May 25, 2016, 02:28:39 pm »
NYKenn,

Thank you for the input.  Some areas of this machine will never be pretty, but I hope to get it 100% functional.  I may need to purchase a few parts, or have a little machine work done to get there.  I think I'll try using some JB Weld as a sort of metal Bondo on a small area and see how it goes.

On arrival, the machine was quite wet with a lightly oily substance.  It appeared like someone recently had hosed it down (fully assembled) with WD-40 or something similar.  So it has been a disassemble, de-grease, de-rust, and clean up operation so far.
The de-rusting process removed all traces of bluing from the affected parts.  I'll try to find a way to re-blue or blacken those parts.  Been doing some reading/research on cold bluing & blackening products, but haven't tried any yet. 

I'll try to make postings with pics as it moves along.

73
Star Reloaders / Re: "Bushing" Inserts at Sizing & Seating Stations
« on: May 16, 2016, 09:33:11 pm »
Ha.  It's an Ebay fixer-upper.  Something obviously got on the right side of the machine causing rust & corrosion.  Mostly around stations 4 & 5.  Non-ferrous metal was discolored, but not damaged. The shell plate took the brunt, but the index holes & shell holder openings left the top of the Steel Floor Base (#12U) exposed at those points.  You can see in the pic two deep pits where an index hole was situated.  I'm trying to think up a creative solution to help smooth out the top of the #12U steel base between #3 & #5.  Ever tried using JB Weld as a filler?

Bruce, you may recall the email I sent you in mid March about a corroded #79U strap.  It's from this machine.

74
Star Reloaders / "Bushing" Inserts at Sizing & Seating Stations
« on: May 16, 2016, 05:42:58 pm »
See Picture.
What is the reason for the doughnut-like insert in the base at the sizing and seating stations?
Can it be replaced?  If so, how?

75
On most machines, you do have to remove the aluminum base in order to remove the Rocker arm tappet.  When you reinstall the Rocker arm tappet, put some grease on the large diameter edge and on the bottom where it contacts the rocker arm.

Thanks for the information, Bruce.  In order to remove the aluminum base, does the column (#'s 58 & 80) need to be removed?  (don't have access to machine until tonight, so I can't look at the moment) If so, are there tricks-of-the-trade to insure correct column alignment when reinstalling?  And, what would be approx. torque for installing #80 (if removed).

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