51
Star Reloaders / Re: Progressive Stand
« Last post by jcullen on October 20, 2023, 05:09:29 pm »Wow great work Thank you
News:
Secure Connections for website and forum...Our website and forum are now using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) for encrypted links between the web server and your browser for online communication. The usage of SSL technology ensures that all data transmitted between the web server and browser remains encrypted.
Recent Posts
52
Star Reloaders / Re: Progressive Stand
« Last post by Scott L on October 20, 2023, 01:01:24 am »Dimensional Information.
53
Star Reloaders / Re: Progressive Stand
« Last post by Scott L on October 20, 2023, 12:52:25 am »Here's how I mounted my Stars on 4" tall Inline Fabrication stands. I have seen a picture of Inline making the same.
If you have a drill press and layout tools it's easy to do. I bought 10" round disc's off Ebay. A 9" disc will work, but you can't drill and tap for the Indexer support screw.
If you have a drill press and layout tools it's easy to do. I bought 10" round disc's off Ebay. A 9" disc will work, but you can't drill and tap for the Indexer support screw.
54
Stars Want to Sell/Want to Buy / Shell expander #16 Wanted to buy
« Last post by varmintpopper on October 19, 2023, 02:03:14 am »NEED STAR SHELL" EXPANDER DIE" #16 in 9mm LUGER.
PM ME IF YOU HAVE ONE FOR SALE.
OR TRADE .
Good Shooting
Lindy
PM ME IF YOU HAVE ONE FOR SALE.
OR TRADE .
Good Shooting
Lindy
55
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by jw4570 on October 16, 2023, 05:10:02 pm »Bruce,
Thank you for the reply.
I just got a few more parts (adjustable powder slide, extra slide, etc.) that included a heavily modified safety cam. It seems to bolt on and have extra clearance at the last station. It could probably use some welding up. If I go taper crimp, it seems moot.
I was the guy that called you right before vacation. I ended up buying this machine which I said I was looking at from a seller. We had discussed another one you had or would have ready soon, and yeah, probably should have gotten that as it would be all ready to roll. I will still need to order a powder bar from you with bushings. Maybe a taper crimp if you have one for 45 ACP if you have one.
The one I bought has a Star top end and toolhead, maybe it's a Phelps bottom end or at least base. So it appears to be a parts machine. Seems to index cases ok, I've just been trying to make sure I understand all the steps and pieces before moving forward. I'm going to try and load this weekend. Once I do that and see how it goes, I'll be contacting you for some parts.
Thanks,
Jason
Thank you for the reply.
I just got a few more parts (adjustable powder slide, extra slide, etc.) that included a heavily modified safety cam. It seems to bolt on and have extra clearance at the last station. It could probably use some welding up. If I go taper crimp, it seems moot.
I was the guy that called you right before vacation. I ended up buying this machine which I said I was looking at from a seller. We had discussed another one you had or would have ready soon, and yeah, probably should have gotten that as it would be all ready to roll. I will still need to order a powder bar from you with bushings. Maybe a taper crimp if you have one for 45 ACP if you have one.
The one I bought has a Star top end and toolhead, maybe it's a Phelps bottom end or at least base. So it appears to be a parts machine. Seems to index cases ok, I've just been trying to make sure I understand all the steps and pieces before moving forward. I'm going to try and load this weekend. Once I do that and see how it goes, I'll be contacting you for some parts.
Thanks,
Jason
56
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by rbwillnj on October 16, 2023, 12:04:47 pm »The aluminum base has a sort of pebble finish which makes it either a Phelps or a Berdon. The Thrust Nut is a Phelps design (notice the knurling on the Thrust Nut).
All of the rimmed cases will fall through the 67U bushing, but the 45 Colt is likely to bind up on the safety cam keeping it from dropping freely. You can probably push it down manually. Not sure about 44 Magnum. 41 Magnum is probably OK. In any case, it's no big deal to slightly modify the safety cam.
Attached are pictures of a modified safety cam on the left and unmodified on the right. The modified on came off a machine that came into the shop.
All of the rimmed cases will fall through the 67U bushing, but the 45 Colt is likely to bind up on the safety cam keeping it from dropping freely. You can probably push it down manually. Not sure about 44 Magnum. 41 Magnum is probably OK. In any case, it's no big deal to slightly modify the safety cam.
Attached are pictures of a modified safety cam on the left and unmodified on the right. The modified on came off a machine that came into the shop.
57
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by FOR_Star on October 16, 2023, 11:36:38 am »Hey Bruce, what's the clue from Jason's picture that his machine is a Phelps?
I never thought about .45 Colt being too fat to use the safety cam. In the world of rimmed cases, I've loaded a bunch of .38 Spl & .357 Mags on my Star, but no other rimmed cartridges. Will .44 Spl/Mag work without modifying the cam? Will they fall through the hole in a standard 67U bushing?
I never thought about .45 Colt being too fat to use the safety cam. In the world of rimmed cases, I've loaded a bunch of .38 Spl & .357 Mags on my Star, but no other rimmed cartridges. Will .44 Spl/Mag work without modifying the cam? Will they fall through the hole in a standard 67U bushing?
58
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by rbwillnj on October 16, 2023, 09:03:27 am »Just got back from vacation, so let me add my two cents. Yes, the safety cam is not compatible with taper crimp dies. That's a big reason why you see so many machines with the safety cam removed, even though Star supplied them on every machine. There is a relatively rare Auto Eject Safety Cam that is compatible with some taper crimp dies if there is sufficient clearance between the bottom of the taper crimp die and the shell plate.
I don't think it can be said that the safety cam is compatible with rimmed cases and not compatible with rimless cases. I think that JW4570 might have the same problem loading 45 Colt as 45 ACP as there is just not enough clearance to remove a rimless case or let a rimmed case drop out the bottom.
While personally, I recommend using a taper crimp die with rimless cases, strictly speaking it's not required. There are a ton of 45 ACP machines out there with no taper crimp die and as I recall, Star didn't offer any Taper Crimp dies until the early 80's.
JW4570, to get your safety cam to work with 45 ACP, you will need to grind the side of the safety cam that contacts the case sufficiently to allow you to remove the loaded round.
It looks like your machine is Phelps. I can't say if your safety cam is exactly the same as a Star, but they are probably pretty close.
I don't think it can be said that the safety cam is compatible with rimmed cases and not compatible with rimless cases. I think that JW4570 might have the same problem loading 45 Colt as 45 ACP as there is just not enough clearance to remove a rimless case or let a rimmed case drop out the bottom.
While personally, I recommend using a taper crimp die with rimless cases, strictly speaking it's not required. There are a ton of 45 ACP machines out there with no taper crimp die and as I recall, Star didn't offer any Taper Crimp dies until the early 80's.
JW4570, to get your safety cam to work with 45 ACP, you will need to grind the side of the safety cam that contacts the case sufficiently to allow you to remove the loaded round.
It looks like your machine is Phelps. I can't say if your safety cam is exactly the same as a Star, but they are probably pretty close.
59
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by CDRT on October 15, 2023, 11:28:58 pm »Warren, thanks for that clear and concise answer. I was scratching my head over this post, since all of my Stars have taper crimp dies installed and no safety cams.
60
Star Reloaders / Re: New Star Owner with Safety Cam Question
« Last post by FOR_Star on October 15, 2023, 07:48:35 pm »The Safety Cam is designed to work with only rimmed cartridges, like .38 Special. At station #6, no taper crimp die would be in use and part # 67U (Shell Floor Base Bushing) would be required to allow the completed cartridge to fall through the base into a catch bin. At station #5, both the bullet seating and case crimping operations would take place. If case crimping separately from bullet seating is desired, then station #6 would be configured as if rimless cases were being reloaded, as described below.
This manner of reloading rimmed cartridges goes pretty fast, even without and indexer. The #39U Safety Cam will prevent the operator from pulling the handle more than once without indexing the #13 Shell Plate, and allows the finished cartridge to fall downward through #67U and into a container.
When the machine is set up for reloading a rimless cartridge, like .45 ACP, the #39U Safety Cam will not be used, and part # 68U (Shell Floor Base Plug) would be installed in Station 6. Since a rimless case cannot clear the Shell Plate to fall down through hollow #67U, a solid #68U is installed instead to support the case. The case must be mechanically ejected or manually removed in order to properly index the Shell Plate after completing an operational cycle of the handle.
Star worked on a uniquely designed Safety Cam that would function when reloading rimless cases, but never put the design into production. Bruce Williams may have pictures or examples of this different type of Safety Cam.
This manner of reloading rimmed cartridges goes pretty fast, even without and indexer. The #39U Safety Cam will prevent the operator from pulling the handle more than once without indexing the #13 Shell Plate, and allows the finished cartridge to fall downward through #67U and into a container.
When the machine is set up for reloading a rimless cartridge, like .45 ACP, the #39U Safety Cam will not be used, and part # 68U (Shell Floor Base Plug) would be installed in Station 6. Since a rimless case cannot clear the Shell Plate to fall down through hollow #67U, a solid #68U is installed instead to support the case. The case must be mechanically ejected or manually removed in order to properly index the Shell Plate after completing an operational cycle of the handle.
Star worked on a uniquely designed Safety Cam that would function when reloading rimless cases, but never put the design into production. Bruce Williams may have pictures or examples of this different type of Safety Cam.