Star roller vs press

[davis050594]

Alright so I was told by mi madre to go ahead and make a Christmas list. So I'm trying to decide, should i ask for the stuff to make a star roller, or should I get a cheap press and a couple star plates and comet pumps? If the second option, can I corn bp without a machine? Also, what kind of press do you guys reccomend I get? It won't be for rockets, I'm fine with hand pumping it or whatever the term is. I'm thinking something in the $90 range + plates and pumps.

If pressing stars, does one really need a drying box in winter?

Also, I need good screens and have little wood working talent(genetic thing)

[pyrokid]

Alright so I was told by mi madre to go ahead and make a Christmas list. So I'm trying to decide, should i ask for the stuff to make a star roller, or should I get a cheap press and a couple star plates and comet pumps? If the second option, can I corn bp without a machine? Also, what kind of press do you guys reccomend I get? It won't be for rockets, I'm fine with hand pumping it or whatever the term is. I'm thinking something in the $90 range + plates and pumps.

If pressing stars, does one really need a drying box in winter?

Also, I need good screens and have little wood working talent(genetic thing)

 

 

I think both have their pros and cons, it may come down to what fits your needs the best.

 

Plates can turn out lots of stars, very uniformly, plus you can press bp. Rollers, on the other hand, allow you to make color changers of any size. I think the roller is more versatile, but would be more of a challenge. I Suck at rolling stars, but I will get better. they always clump up on me.

 

 

Good luck on your search Davis.

[KruseMissile]

press: http://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-shop-press-33497.html

roller: http://www.harborfreight.com/1-1-4-quarter-cubic-ft-compact-cement-mixer-91907.html

Both work wonderfully for me. Only problem is that the cement mixer seam has to be taped up or plugged if you can. If you want to make the press even better, get an air over hydraulic press. GL

Brian

[Updup]

press: http://www.harborfre...ress-33497.html

roller: http://www.harborfre...ixer-91907.html

Both work wonderfully for me. Only problem is that the cement mixer seam has to be taped up or plugged if you can. If you want to make the press even better, get an air over hydraulic press. GL

Brian

 

Just added that press to my list =D

 

But 160 for a star roller? It's nice and all, but with a bucket a few wheels and some wood/hardware you can have a perfectly good star roller.

[davis050594]

Yeah but those have a dumping feature and a better barell from what i have heard

[Updup]

Yeah but those have a dumping feature and a better barell from what i have heard

 

True, but a plastic flower pot makes a durable curved barrel like that, and with another 2x4 and a bit more hardware making a dumping feature wouldn't be difficult at all. Also, a DIY one could be made more compact, saving space.

 

Not saying you shouldn't buy it, just saying there are cheaper ways to do it.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Updup

[KruseMissile]

True, but a plastic flower pot makes a durable curved barrel like that, and with another 2x4 and a bit more hardware making a dumping feature wouldn't be difficult at all. Also, a DIY one could be made more compact, saving space.

 

Not saying you shouldn't buy it, just saying there are cheaper ways to do it.

 

I use to use a 5 gallon bucket on my ball mill, but stars were coming out because of batch sizes. With the one i posted, you will be able to do any size shell up to like 12". So if you plan on staying in the hobby for a while or need a large® capacity star roller, then look into one. Also if you haven't made ball mill yet, i would look into one of those first before anything else. You will be using lots of BP with larger shells and it really helps to be able to make 1lb of bp at a time. GL

[davis050594]

I've gotta ball mill from them already. I think I'll go ahead and put a chem order and new scale on the list, and then just ask for some extra cash on the side to buy the star roller. I would like a roller that would make me enough stars for 4-5 3"-6" shells. I also need a star sizing screen, recommendations?

[Algenco]

Excellent screens, I very impressed with mine

 

http://www.mumpyro.com/tools/Bucketscreens.html

[Mumbles]

A flower pot still isn't ideal. The corners tend to lead to uneven growth, and trap comp. Most I've seen have holes in the bottom too. You can make a star roller out of a lot of things, (power drill, car tires, 5 gallon buckets, etc) but that doesn't mean they're not crap compared to other approaches.

[davis050594]

So lets say I were to do a tt to purple 4" shell. What size should my purple core and completed star be? Also, where should I get a good core to begin with? Lead shot? If so, where? Edited December 8, 2010 by davis050594

[dagabu]

Davis, it really depends on the burn time and light output. I have some crappy green comp that I roll on KIX cereal (acetone and parlon based) that I have to roll to 1/2" in a 4" shell and some red stars that I only roll to 1/4" on millet.

[Mumbles]

My personal preference is to make the final color come on for a relatively short period of time once the shell is pretty much at full spread. I'd go 3/16 to 1/4" purple, and roll up to 1/2" with TT.

[dagabu]

Heavy prime to keep them dark for a while?

[davis050594]

I believe I will do parlon stars, but use dextrin as a binder. I've heard that parlon can be a pain to roll. I'll just add 5% dextrin and mist with 25/75 alchohol/water

[KruseMissile]

If you have never rolled before, try and stick to Veline color system till you get use to it. The veline system rolls really easy and even, so its more forgiving. GL Edited December 9, 2010 by KruseMissile

[pyroguy1960]

+1 for both those items that were posted, those are the exact two star making machines I own (harbor freight right down the street). The cement mixer works great for rolling stars and the press even though it is a hand pumper works great also.

 

I actually would take a press over a roller anyday though unless I really need color changers. I've found with 49 pin star plates and that press I can make 1200 stars from mixing to on the drying rack in 30 mins with no comp wasted at all. Not many other methods that can give you that quality and efficiency.

[davis050594]

I think I'm going to go with the press as that gives more options for a newbie. With a press I can make farfalle shells, bp pucks, good bp rockets (maybe whistle later), comets, very uniform stars, disks if i can find a cutting thing, and many more things. With a roller I can only make stars. I will eventually get a roller, but for now I'll go with the press.

What should I get first? I don't want to invest a ton of money into plates etc. Where's the cheapest? I plan to use the rubber star system for now. I can make stars and use them minutes later with that.

[dagabu]

I hate to say it but Skylighter looks like the best bet for starting out with a star plate. Ben Smith and Wolters are over $200.00 each.

[davis050594]

I hate to say it but Skylighter looks like the best bet for starting out with a star plate. Ben Smith and Wolters are over $200.00 each.

Usfc has em for $50 but I thought there may be cheaper

[pyroguy1960]

I think besides smith and wolter like dagabu said, those generic plates that skyligther & usfc sell are the only other commercial plates available as far as I know. I did fairly extensive research when purchasing plates...

[davis050594]

I think besides smith and wolter like dagabu said, those generic plates that skyligther & usfc sell are the only other commercial plates available as far as I know. I did fairly extensive research when purchasing plates...

 

Alright, sorry to keep asking questions but I have a few more.

Will I need any equipment aside from pumps, star plates and tooling? Gauges? I will be getting a rammer for small gerbs and farfalle insterts, star plate for stars and eventually comet pumps and rocket tooling.

I also saw that some build their own frame. Can that be done any cheaper than buying the entire thing if one doesn't have any good connections in the metals world? I don't know any welders or metal workers, I assume I would need to to build my own cheaply.

[Mumbles]

Someone may be nice enough to test for you, but I'm not 100% sure if the plastic base the cheaper star plate is made from can hold up to acetone. Just something to keep in mind. I'm also not sure if t he solvent level required for pumping would be enough to activate the parlon. With good airflow, water bound stars can be made and dry in a day or two. Probably overnight if you have a drying box.

 

I've seen some presses made from wood, but I don't know how well they hold up. Some welding shops may be willing to make the press body for you. I have no idea of the cost however. Maybe you could find someone in your club that could help you out.

 

A lot of the tools I use all the time are very simple. Square dowels for cutting stars. PVC and wooden dowels for comets.(this was before I made a lot of comets) You may want to watch the common chinese import sites for a good deal on an arbor press. For making things like farfalle inserts and lots of comets, you'd have a hard time going back to a hand pumped press. Honestly, it'd probably work for those cheaper plastic plates if you get a solid piece of metal underneath it.

[dagabu]

I you are looking for comet pumps, I made basic pumps from aluminum and I can work out a trade or what not so that your out of pocket would be very small. I hate cruciform pumps, lots of time and prep is needed to perfect them (years for some) and found that simple containment and fusing make all the difference with round crossette shot holes.

 

What size are you looking for Davis?

[pyroguy1960]

I agree with mumbles on the arbor press that can be a very economical and efficient option. Edited December 12, 2010 by jms04081974