Recent Posts

1

Star Reloaders / Re: Powder Measure mounting

« Last post by Scott L on Today at 02:29:59 pm »

Hi Jasper,
I bought a bunch of Berdan machines a while ago and yours doesn't match them. I also have Stars and no match there.
The die head on yours looks machined and welded - is it?. The other brands are cast.
Another way to check is the use of Star's 1/2-27tpi expander plug thread. Not a normal pitch. See if yours is 1/2-20 or 28tpi.
Hope this helps,
Scott

2

Star Reloaders / Re: Powder Measure mounting

« Last post by rbwillnj on January 20, 2020, 09:27:46 am »

I'm sure whoever made your machines spent many many hours on them, but its pretty easy to pick out the differences.   If you take a look at some of the Star and Phelps machines on eBay you can easily see the differences.   Here are a few;

The aluminum base has the wrong profile and looks to be machined rather than cast.
The manner in which the powder slide cam is attached is all wrong.
The Crank Shaft is wrong for a Star, but could be a Berdon.
The Crank Shaft Casting doesn't look like a casting, it looks to have been machined from a solid block, and the profile doesn't resemble anything from Star, Phelps or Berdon.
The Powder Slide Housing looks to be machined steel.  Star and Phelps used zinc.  Berdon used cast iron.

With more pictures I'm sure I could pick out some other differences, but you get the idea.

Bruce Williams

3

Star Reloaders / Re: Powder Measure mounting

« Last post by Jasper on January 19, 2020, 03:21:01 pm »

Well then....

What makes you think or say or know it isn't a star? Please don't hear that with doubt.... I recognize you as the authority on the topic I am just looking for the education. The shell retainers on the base seem different than the "flexible" style I see on star but the rest of the base looks identical. the shaft attached to the base, the milling on the base, the pivot bar that inserts the primer, the primer bushing, primer pin and spring, the plug for the drop through for rimmed cases, the actuator for the primer system, the primer actuator that moves the primer plate, the primer plate, the orientation of the dies, the case flare stud, the tool head bushing, the tool head design, return spring, spring mount, primer tube, shaft mount, shell plate, number of positions, detent, detent spring, ball and bolt, case feed mount, tappered tool head retaining pin, powder measure, powder measure cam. and more all look to be identical to start parts.  The actual base and handle appear different but even the handle looks like an after market or replacement part that is seen on star presses.

My Argument is not this is a Star... My question is I have put in pretty significant effort and I can not see it. How would one know one from the other

I will do some searching for homemade and home made and see what I can find. I appreciate your time and education on the topic.

4

Star Reloaders / Re: Powder Measure mounting

« Last post by rbwillnj on January 19, 2020, 02:41:02 pm »

Well, Its not a Star, not a Phelps, and I don't think its a Berdon, but it may have borrowed some parts from any one of those.   Right now I would say its a home made copy.

If you do a search on the forum for homemade or home made, you will see several other examples.   Sometime back I picked up one with a brass tool head.

5

Star Reloaders / Re: Powder Measure mounting

« Last post by Jasper on January 19, 2020, 01:05:12 pm »

All 4 look substantially like this one. If it isn't a star someone was looking over someone else's shoulder! I dont know enough about these things to fill a thimble so please don't be shy! I will take all the information I can get.

6

Star Reloaders / Re: Powder Measure mounting

« Last post by rbwillnj on January 19, 2020, 12:19:31 pm »

Could we see some more pictures of the reloaders?   From the little I can see in the pictures, i'm not sure either is a Star.

7

Star Reloaders / Powder Measure mounting

« Last post by Jasper on January 19, 2020, 11:50:52 am »

I have several (I believe to be) Star Presses. One of them is missing the powder measure. I tried to move one from one press to the other and the mounting screws are not in the same place. I used a caliper to set the distance of the three that are the same and then took a picture to illustrate the distance difference. Can anyone shed light on this? The one missing the powder measure, the mounting screws seems to be much closer than the other three I have.

Thanks
Bob

8

Loading Data & Reloading Procedures / Re: Meaning of part number on angular lever cam

« Last post by fc60 on January 18, 2020, 12:09:12 pm »

Greetings 2150,

Would you kindly scan and post an image of the cam tool?

Cheers,

Dave

9

Stars Want to Sell/Want to Buy / Re: 45 acp, 44 magnum, luber/sizer

« Last post by 2150 on January 18, 2020, 07:44:27 am »

Good Morning, BONES:

Can you provide more details on the Lubricator? Any sizing die bodies and top punches? Asking Price?
Thanks/21-50

10

Loading Data & Reloading Procedures / Re: Meaning of part number on angular lever cam

« Last post by 2150 on January 17, 2020, 05:31:39 pm »

I have a question concerning the meaning of single digit numbers stamped on a Tool Head and the Angular lever cam. I have had Universal machines on which the cam lever could not be correctly adjusted to the position where the lever cleared the brass primer mechanism without putting undue stress on the primer slide as it hit the center post. There must be some significance to the numbers used by Star on both the tool head and the adjacient lever cam. Any Answer?
Thanks,
21-50 standing by//

Thank you for the solid information.

When I was visiting Star back in 1982 Rob Wilkinson showed me the shop and we discussed the proper way to adjust the cam lever for a smooth and stress free operation of the machine. He said that many people used the hole in the handle of a large Cresent wrench to slip over the lever, to about midpoint, and then apply steady effort to bend the lower half Out. To move the lever back towards the center post a dead blow with a lead hammer was the best. Hensley and Gibbs offered an aluminum mold that cast a double ended hammer head around a steel shaft handle. I got one and it works well for that adjustment as well as for its intended purpose of striking spruce plate on molds.

A few years later I bought a couple of Universals from a retired commercial reloading operation. The owner sent many accessories to include a reference to a cam lever adjusting tool given to him by Srar. The tool was missing but he provided a rough drawing that described a slip over sleeve that wound allow for leverage both In and Out --- a refinement of the Cresent wrench hole with much more surface support.

I knew of the machine specific cam lever for a Progressive vs. Universal.

Regards/21-50