Cleaning up an old Star Universal

[osoosi]

I recently acquired a Star Universal build in 1967, I have the docs it went for 267.00.  I paid 300.00 cash for it yesterday.

It has two heads, .45 and .38.  Is caked with grime.  What's the best way to clean this up to like new?  I was planning on completely disassembling it, and wash it in kerosene in my parts washer, and then blow it out with compressed air.

I'm wondering what strategies others employ.

[CDRT]

It's steel, you can't hurt it.  I would remove the dies and clean them with degreaser (the kind you get at the auto parts store works really well).  The lubricant in the seating dies and taper crimp die can be cleaned out with Hoppe's #9. I took the primer tube on an old press, cleaned the outside with Brasso and then sprayed it with lacquer.  It still looks good.  The powder slide housing is aluminum.  Just take it off and wipe it clean.  The powder slide is brass..don't use Brasso on it...just clean it off with white distilled vinegar or some other mild agent and then lubricate it with powdered graphite.  The powder spout should be okay...just wipe it off.  I had one press that had some surface rust on the unpainted part of the tool head.  I used some oil and 4 0 steel wool to clean it off and then I put a light coat of oil on it.  If the column shaft has any surface rust you can clean it off with the steel wool.  I use rifle grease which is a little over kill but it works on the column shaft.  Remove the primer punch and clean out any brass shavings that might have accumulated.  That's all I can think of off the top of my head.
Daryl