Case annealing

[wm5l]

My first try at this. I made a machine with a piepan and ammo can to turn them and use a torch. See picture below. I also purchased a salt anneal kit (few years back) with a digital thermometer that uses a Lee Lead pot. Question is do I do em dirty and unsized or do I clean em then anneal em then neck size em and load?

 

[wm5l]

My first try at this. I made a machine with a piepan and ammo can to turn them and use a torch. and I also purchased a salt anneal kit (few years back) with a digital thermometer that uses a Lee Lead pot. Question is do I do em dirty and unsized or do I clean em then anneal em then neck size em and load?

 

[MW204]

Always clean first imo before doing anything with your brass.
So how does that work exactly, how about a video?

 

[wm5l]

Always clean first imo before doing anything with your brass.
So how does that work exactly, how about a video?

I haven't used it yet I built it about a year ago and I bought that salt in the link yet about two years ago and I'm just now getting around to playing with him but basically that ammo cans thing I just copied off a commercial design I saw on the Internet. You just line your brass up on that little piece of aluminum and as that thing turns there's a slot and they fall and one at a time while you have a torch blow on the neck you very how long do you want the torch to blow on it with that little black knob speed wheel and when that slot gets down to the bottom they fall out the next one falls in and it makes a rotation

 

[MW204]

If you get it up and running post a video so we can see it work.

 

[Mikecr]

Go to dip annealing, and forget a torch (which you gotta know is the wrong temperature).

 

[wm5l]

Go to dip annealing, and forget a torch (which you gotta know is the wrong temperature).

Well I was wondering how you know how hot to get them because I've seen people burn them up I do have the hot salt dip setup. Have not tried either one.

 

[Wachsmann]

So I watched the first link after doing several different seconds in a flame annealing and testing how the bullets seated . I used a drill and socket to anneal some brass till you see the slight glow as what was shown in Eric Cortina video (second link). I shot the cases 6 times with no ill effects except about 6 now have very loose primer pockets due to some max loads I was trying to see if they would group. I don't have one of the fancy force seaters and dies but, for as resizing and bullet seating these had the most consistent full length ease in resize feeling and bullet seating. They also produce the most consistent velocities at each load level. I tested this against no anneal, and annealing every other time. I myself now am a firm believer that annealing after every shot is best on brass and just getting the tempilaq to melt well it may be good for seeing how for down the heat goes but the ones that started to glow just slightly melted the tempilaq about 1/3 down total length of the case but everyone to there own on the annealing. Just my 2$.

 

[nealm66]

I sure like my amp annealer. My attempts with a torch were a failure. I think a lot of it depends on the cartridge and how far the jump is.

 

[backwoodsshooter]

My first try at this. I made a machine with a piepan and ammo can to turn them and use a torch. See picture below. I also purchased a salt anneal kit (few years back) with a digital thermometer that uses a Lee Lead pot. Question is do I do em dirty and unsized or do I clean em then anneal em then neck size em and load?

anneal only clean brass.

if i'm converting 308 brass to 358, i anneal before and leave it be till 3-5 firings roughly.

so i'd anneal before sizing

i have a similar annealer and it requires attention, and constant attention. eventually i'm gonna DIY an induction one amd pay mine forward to someone or keep it for a rainy day.0

 

[Wachsmann]

I tried to make my on torch system and it worked but I never could get the hopper to funnel the cases right. I just bought an Annealeez and its been working fine. It has the digital controller and I can place the torch just right on the neck and shoulder. Seem to work fine. I also made and Induction annealer but it only worked good with a few cases. So that was not a good option. I did not want to break down and buy a 1000+ dollar annealing machine that required a whole lot of pilots. Maybe if I was doing full all out match shooting, but then I would put my money to having a better or custom rifle built. I pretty much have factory guns that I try and get them to 1/2 MOA for shooting/hunting through load development. I think when I retire I'll have me a nice dedicated bench gun built and another one that shoots like a bench gun but something I'll take to the field. May even do them both in the same caliber. I also wouldn't mine having a super high powered rifle like something in the chey-tac or 416 barrett to play around with. That would get the blood pumping.

 

[Mikecr]

Well I was wondering how you know how hot to get them because I've seen people burn them up I do have the hot salt dip setup. Have not tried either one.

Well, with a torch you're trying to bring brass thickness to ~750deg by waving a ~3,000deg wand over the outside of your brass.
And with that, you actually have no idea what temperatures your brass cross section ever reached.
So it seems that folks compare a shading of temper against something like new Lapua brass, assuming this is what they want.
But what does that coloring really mean? Lapua likely FULL annealed before final forming (which work hardened it), and you get a case that's a good hardness -that caries that temper shading along.
But YOU do not ever want to full anneal.
What you want is a process annealing, that is a mere stress relieving. Partial/useful recovery of grain structure.
And with this, there is no little to no tempering of brass.

Given brass taken to excess temperatures, timing becomes critical to success. The grain structure changes at a temperature based rate.
But you don't even know the temperatures, so timing becomes a trial & error affair.
With the right timing per a given exposure, you can reach a usable outcome.
Not too low as to be ineffective. Not too high as to full anneal, or worse, burn the zinc out of alloy.

Dip annealing simplifies all this, because you're exposing the brass cross section (inside and outside) to the CORRECT temperature.
There is no timing needed, and you don't cause or rely on the tempering of excess temperatures.
There is no way to get anything but a perfect process anneal.
It's idiot-proof.

 

[ButterBean]

Go to dip annealing, and forget a torch (which you gotta know is the wrong temperature).

It makes no difference what temp the torch is, it's all about how long its in the heat

 

[ButterBean]

I sure like my amp annealer. My attempts with a torch were a failure. I think a lot of it depends on the cartridge and how far the jump is.

What's that now............... How far the jump is? .................. Splain please