Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
Articles
Latest reviews
Author list
Classifieds
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Reloading
Annealing with lead - process?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Mikecr" data-source="post: 403607" data-attributes="member: 1521"><p>I'll try & address remarks/questions;</p><p></p><p>"I'm using a full Lee 20 lb pot and haven't noticed a temperature drop"</p><p>This is a good deal for doing multi-cases. </p><p>~20 on a wheel as mentioned, would require alot of lead, serious ventilation, and I believe you would have a time with that much oil pooling and burning off(open flaming with that much).</p><p></p><p>"I was always under the impression that you need to anneal as to relieve work hardened brass to get the same neck tension with each case. Mikecr are you saying that this is not true?"</p><p>Brass 'annealing' occurs at way higher temps than stress relieving. You can look it up on the internet.</p><p>Actual annealing is a setback as brass loses all springback with it. What folks are trying to do with a 2500deg flamepoint, and deft timing, is heat brass throughout it's thickness to between 450deg and 900deg, without the setback of actual annealing.</p><p>Good luck with it.</p><p>But dipping provides me with absolute control and consistency.</p><p></p><p>"when you said "With my pot, the lead will drop ~50deg with each dip. But I use a little more lead than you". Each dip...are you refering to 1 case or 1 dipping session consisting of many pieces of brass? </p><p>Per case. Lead on the surface and right near the case will lose energy and try to solidify.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Luckily I have access to an extensive metrology & test equipment cal lab at work, and I validated the accuracy of my molten lead measurement(with a cheap thermocouple w/handheld readout(Omega)) at work. I also used a calibrated thermography camera to watch my temps initially. I wanted to make sure I would not soften brass near the webs with dips to mid-body depth pre-fireforming.</p><p></p><p>What I found regarding temperatures reached with dipping, was that I had nothing to be concerned about really. My lead melts ~500deg(from impure fishing sinkers). I bump it up enough to prevent any solidifying with case dips, and this was always <650deg. Perfect IMO.</p><p>I went as high as 750deg for testing, and this was about the limit using Mobil1. So even use of pure lead would be ok(621deg melting point). Higher temps than this would burn off the oil and lead sticking would ruin cases.</p><p>So it would take more efforts to mess this up...</p><p></p><p>Thermography showed that lead temps on the surface & overall do drop with with EACH dipping(with my pot). So it's better that a pot heater/temp switch is adjustable with a fairly narrow band of control, or use more lead than seemingly needed(I use ~8lbs).</p><p>You might find that a pot setting allows some solidification on the lead surface with 1-3dips. Then you wait a couple minutes for the heater to get temps back up, before continuing.</p><p>But if you have a really small pot, you might end up needing a very high temp setting to keep lead molten. This would not be desirable IMO.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mikecr, post: 403607, member: 1521"] I'll try & address remarks/questions; "I'm using a full Lee 20 lb pot and haven't noticed a temperature drop" This is a good deal for doing multi-cases. ~20 on a wheel as mentioned, would require alot of lead, serious ventilation, and I believe you would have a time with that much oil pooling and burning off(open flaming with that much). "I was always under the impression that you need to anneal as to relieve work hardened brass to get the same neck tension with each case. Mikecr are you saying that this is not true?" Brass 'annealing' occurs at way higher temps than stress relieving. You can look it up on the internet. Actual annealing is a setback as brass loses all springback with it. What folks are trying to do with a 2500deg flamepoint, and deft timing, is heat brass throughout it's thickness to between 450deg and 900deg, without the setback of actual annealing. Good luck with it. But dipping provides me with absolute control and consistency. "when you said "With my pot, the lead will drop ~50deg with each dip. But I use a little more lead than you". Each dip...are you refering to 1 case or 1 dipping session consisting of many pieces of brass? Per case. Lead on the surface and right near the case will lose energy and try to solidify. Luckily I have access to an extensive metrology & test equipment cal lab at work, and I validated the accuracy of my molten lead measurement(with a cheap thermocouple w/handheld readout(Omega)) at work. I also used a calibrated thermography camera to watch my temps initially. I wanted to make sure I would not soften brass near the webs with dips to mid-body depth pre-fireforming. What I found regarding temperatures reached with dipping, was that I had nothing to be concerned about really. My lead melts ~500deg(from impure fishing sinkers). I bump it up enough to prevent any solidifying with case dips, and this was always <650deg. Perfect IMO. I went as high as 750deg for testing, and this was about the limit using Mobil1. So even use of pure lead would be ok(621deg melting point). Higher temps than this would burn off the oil and lead sticking would ruin cases. So it would take more efforts to mess this up... Thermography showed that lead temps on the surface & overall do drop with with EACH dipping(with my pot). So it's better that a pot heater/temp switch is adjustable with a fairly narrow band of control, or use more lead than seemingly needed(I use ~8lbs). You might find that a pot setting allows some solidification on the lead surface with 1-3dips. Then you wait a couple minutes for the heater to get temps back up, before continuing. But if you have a really small pot, you might end up needing a very high temp setting to keep lead molten. This would not be desirable IMO. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Reloading
Annealing with lead - process?
Top