Quoted from StratDoc:I think I have it resolved - but I am going to buy some new stars. I took a good led light and magnifying glass to inspect the star inserts. There were rough edges of what appeared to be clear coat that had dripped into the stars. In some cases almost completely clogging the parts of the opening. I took some fine sandpaper and gently sanded out the openings in the inserts. The stars now fit properly.
Thanks
CPR addresses this issue/procedure in Section 3 (along with other tips):
http://www.classicplayfields.com/guides.html