Annealing question

[MagnumManiac]

There is not a single ammo factory to my knowledge that uses induction to anneal cases, they all use a flame of the CORRECT size and temperature at the inner point of the blue flame at the CORRECT distance from the brass.
What I have seen at the ADI factory is a set-up with 2 torches and the case is rotated in the flame for the desired time.
Every flame annealer set-up correctly that I have seen gets an ORANGE hue in the flame when the correct temp is reached. It normally lasts for a second before the case drops out.
As I used to anneal differing metals for a job, copper and brass both give off this orange hue. Aluminium gives of a pinkish flame as it goes past the anneal temp.
Steels, give off no colour, but does change colour in the metal itself, as we know it gets the rainbow too.
If you honestly think that a timed flame that is controlled for heat and time is not as good as a different heating method that is timed, then I think you are falling for hype.
Being an engine builder, I see more and more aspects of engine part manufacturing going to induction heat treating over other methods, when asked why, every single time the answer is COST. Nothing to do with which method is better or not.
I prefer nitriding, because it is a thorough heat soak in a salt bath where the grain structure has plenty of time to normalise. Blasting heat into steel and then switching it off doesn't allow a normalise. Have seen plenty of cranks break and crack right on the line that denotes where the heat treat stopped.
I know brass is a totally different animal, but either method of induction or flame is getting the same result regardless of what someone says is THE better method.

Cheers.

 

[Muddyboots]

I think sometimes we swing and miss on comparing different processes to achieve the same goal. One might be better but if one is adequate and functional, there is nothing wrong with that selection.

 

[6pakzak]

Right now I don't see a need for me to get an induction annealer, what I'm doing seems to work fine, adjusting the torch is not a problem and my results seem pretty consistent and as far as I'm concerned it is very easy to do and doesn't take long. Down the road things may change, I kinda enjoy doing the annealing.

 

[6pakzak]

Just to keep things in perspective, Eric Corrina made a name for himself long before he got an amp

 

[Mikecr]

I think sometimes we swing and miss on comparing different processes to achieve the same goal. One might be better but if one is adequate and functional, there is nothing wrong with that selection.

It's not the same goal.
Manufacturers Full anneal at case forming stages. They have to do this and cheap flame annealing get's it done.

We're reloading.
Full annealing is not 'good' for us, and burning zinc out of our alloy is worse still. Zinc adds blue to flame which can mangle a color setting..
For reloading we need restoration to a good hardness, which partial work hardening of a strong alloy provides. There is no reason to full anneal, with a flame hot enough to degrade the alloy, and then try to restore a usable product with a bunch of extra sizing cycles.
We don't have to do that.

Dip your brass into an ~850degF liquid medium for ~10sec, and be done with it.
It's never full annealed with this, doesn't change the alloy, just removing built up work hardening.
No rocket science to do this the same every time. You can't get it wrong.
Nothing is cheaper than a propane torch I guess, but dip annealing is still pretty cheap.