Starvana

[Pistolero]

"the single row of holes will lube multiple groove no problem" --- Huh?????

How is this possible on a Star where the bullet is stationary while the lube in injected? Certainly does
not work for me. Yes, single lube groove bullets are pretty easy, but I have never seen or
heard of doing multiple groove bullets in a Star with a single row of holes open. Seems impossible
to me, as my Star works and as I understand it.

How can you possibly lube a Loverin in a Star with a single row of holes open, unless you are lubing
just one groove, which, I guess is a possibility.

As far as making dies. Looking at some taper reamers, and a few proper size "roughing
reamers". Do you just drill and then use a split rod hone in the tailstock to size?

Bill

 

[Rick]

That comment had me scratching my head also unless yeah, they all had only lube groove or were only lubing one groove.

 

[Ian]

Park the driving band between the grooves in the center of the open lube holes. Lube divides and pushes air out the top and bottom of the die, a perfect situation. I can't think of a time other than for BP bullets that you'd need lube in more than two grooves anyway. I'm also assuming that the Star dies have their holes slightly staggered depthwise on each plane like Lyman does it?

 

[Ian]

I am loving this thing. I discovered that trying to feed a Dillon with a Lyman 450 is like having a machine gun with a three round clip! Makes sizing fun!

LOL! Ever try to keep an AR-15 fed with a single-cavity, hollow point mould?

 

[Brad]

My dies are almost all made with a single row of holes. I get lube in multiple grooves on most of them.
As you activate the lube pump the bullet is also being pushed further into the die. Adjusted just right the bullet gets lube squirted into 2 grooves.
I bet much has to do with pressure used, temp, and the lube properties.

I am getting to a point where I drill to .020 under or so. I then bore with a self ground HSS boring bar to .010 under or so. Then remove and drill cross holes. Then replace in chuck and bore to .002-.003 under sized. The larger the bore the more I leave for honing. I hone with a split rod, emery, and oil. The rod is held by hand so I can move it to where I want remove more material. This helps me smooth the transition from the lead in taper to final size.

I used to cut the taper with a reamer but now set my compound for 2 degrees or so and use the boring bar to cut the taper. I cut it so it goes in about 1/4" or so. I want the opening at the top about .010 larger than finished size. I do break the opening edge with a 60 degree countersink too.

 

[Brad]

This is the boring bar I ground. It does flex some so a spring cut is a good idea when close to finished size. I cut no more than .002 per pass when close and often only .001. Lots of oil and a slow feed rate. I keep it very sharp.
Tool was ground from a 3/8" square blank. It will just cut deep enough for a Star die as long as I drill the counterbore on the bottom deep enough.

 

[fiver]

all lubed in the same die with one single row of holes open.

 

[Pistolero]

Hmm. Mine will not do that. Maybe your holes are larger. I have had to accurately
adjust the grooves to line up with two rows or more to get multiple grooves lubed.
So far using all factory Star dies, except for one from lathesmith.

Thanks for the pix and info, Brad. I recut the taper on my collet chuck to get zero
runout, and it was 15 degrees IIRC, so familiar with the idea of setting compound to get
a taper.

Bill

 

[Rick]

Hadn't thought of larger holes, that may do it huh? I too must accurately line up the open holes with the lube groove(s), fortunately that's not a problem. I too have all Magma dies (About 30+) plus one from lathesmith.

 

[fiver]

what? you guy's ain't gonna pick and poke fun at my almost no tin alloy?
and lube flecks that migrated in the storage buckets..

oh from top to bottom those are.
ACE. [aluminum]
one of Walt Melander's. [aluminum]
rcbs.
Lyman.