Annealing Gas Checks

[no34570]

Hi ya Fella's
I've been looking for info on Annealing Gas checks,I've searched this forum and others and sort of know what to do,but I want to ask a couple of questions,so here goes:roll:

1. It stipulates to use a 1"x3" pipe nipple:-D now I could not get that here in Australia,I have to buy a whole length of pipe and then they would thread it for me.
You can guess what I said to that?:-?
So I bought a T piece,that is threaded for three pipes or whatever and got three plugs to fit.
Would that do?,it is 1"1/4 in diameter and about 3 1/4 inches long and it's galvanised,does that matter?

2.On some forums they say to drill a hole in the cap/plug 1/8th in size?,also to just hand-tighten the caps/plugs.What is the best way?.
I thought to tighten the two end plugs real tight and have the top plug just hand tight and add the gas checks and a piece of toilet paper and put in my fireplace when I go to bed,is that right?
If I have the plugs to tight or even hand tight,is there a possibility of it heating up and exploding?:( Sorry never done this before.
I've heard you are supposed to boil the pipe in vinegar or water to get the scale out,is that true????
I have to use this method for I went out and bloody well paid over $10 Aus for the parts,so I have to use it:-D

3.How many should you put in(gas checks),I have 30cal 35cal 44 cal 45cal???
Can you just put the whole process up for me again please or PM me with the details please.

Thanks for your time
Dale
no34570:castmine:

[NVcurmudgeon]

Dale, it's hard to believe that one can't buy a good selection of pipe fittings in Australia, must be government protecting the plumber's union.

Your pipe tee shold work well.

There is no risk of explosion.

Don't drill a hole anywhere, we are trying to keep air out.

Pipe threads are tapered (or American ones are) so hand tight is plenty. after retrieving the pipe from the fire it may help to use a vise and pliers, or two pliers to open your annealing machine. Mine always gets tighter in the fire.

I have no knowledge of boiling in vinegar to remove scale. Maybe it was to remove preservative oil from new pipe?

I fill the pipe up if I have that many checks to anneal. Heat will easily conduct through the copper and reach all the checks. I also put only a few in if that is all that I have of the size I want annealed. I don't mix sizes, because I don't like sorting them.


To sum up, fill or put a lesser amount of gas checks into the pipe, along with a sheet or so of toilet paper. Put caps or plugs on hand tight. Bury the pipe in the coals of the fire overnight, or in the "barbie" all day. Careful about taking the pipe out of the dead coals, it may still be holding heat. If your fire was good, you will find that the checks are discolored, and that the toilet paper is blackened, but not consumed. This indicates that the toilet paper burned until the oxygen was used up. Without the toilet paper, there would be black flakes of the GC maker's preservative all over the GC. Annealing helps to make a tighter fit if the unannealed checks were too loose on the boolit by eliminating springback after sizing. If the unannealed checks were too tight to go on the boolits, annealing will make the check easier to open up with a homemade punch, and make it easy to start the check without shaving lead. Two opposite problems both fixed by annealing!

[NVcurmudgeon]

P.S. for Dale. Galvanizing is exactly what is needed, no sense adding rust into the mix. Bill

[MT Gianni]

Do not use the method of putting the tee in the lead pot. You do not want any galvanizing compound [ZINK] coming into your melt. Heat does weird things to pipe threads and can cause them to sieze if overheated. This doesn't need to be any more than finger tight so don't get western with it. gianni.

[NVcurmudgeon]

Gianni, "how to anneal GC" comes up here at least weekly. Maybe a sticky would be a good idea. As it is your method that so many of us shamelessly use, could you do the honors?

[MT Gianni]

Yea let me work it over in my mind Bill and I'll get it posted.

[no34570]

Dale, it's hard to believe that one can't buy a good selection of pipe fittings in Australia, must be government protecting the plumber's union.

Your pipe tee shold work well.

There is no risk of explosion.

Don't drill a hole anywhere, we are trying to keep air out.

Pipe threads are tapered (or American ones are) so hand tight is plenty. after retrieving the pipe from the fire it may help to use a vise and pliers, or two pliers to open your annealing machine. Mine always gets tighter in the fire.

I have no knowledge of boiling in vinegar to remove scale. Maybe it was to remove preservative oil from new pipe?

I fill the pipe up if I have that many checks to anneal. Heat will easily conduct through the copper and reach all the checks. I also put only a few in if that is all that I have of the size I want annealed. I don't mix sizes, because I don't like sorting them.


To sum up, fill or put a lesser amount of gas checks into the pipe, along with a sheet or so of toilet paper. Put caps or plugs on hand tight. Bury the pipe in the coals of the fire overnight, or in the "barbie" all day. Careful about taking the pipe out of the dead coals, it may still be holding heat. If your fire was good, you will find that the checks are discolored, and that the toilet paper is blackened, but not consumed. This indicates that the toilet paper burned until the oxygen was used up. Without the toilet paper, there would be black flakes of the GC maker's preservative all over the GC. Annealing helps to make a tighter fit if the unannealed checks were too loose on the boolit by eliminating springback after sizing. If the unannealed checks were too tight to go on the boolits, annealing will make the check easier to open up with a homemade punch, and make it easy to start the check without shaving lead. Two opposite problems both fixed by annealing!
NVcurmudgeon
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post.
It's hard to find galvanised pipe now everyone is going to poly or brass,but some farm supply stores have it,but you have to get a whole section of pipe,like I said in my post.:roll: does not matter.
I'll just do like I was going to,but now I know how to do it properly I feel better.
Thanks again mate:drinks:
Dale
no34570:castmine:

[no34570]

Do not use the method of putting the tee in the lead pot. You do not want any galvanizing compound [ZINK] coming into your melt. Heat does weird things to pipe threads and can cause them to sieze if overheated. This doesn't need to be any more than finger tight so don't get western with it. gianni.

MT Gianni
t intend to use the method you said not to,for it would not fit in my pot anyway.
I'll just tighten the plugs until they seat(they are not tapered plugs)thanks for your time too mate,appreciated:mrgreen:
:drinks: Cheers
Dale
no34570:castmine:

[no34570]

Gianni, "how to anneal GC" comes up here at least weekly. Maybe a sticky would be a good idea. As it is your method that so many of us shamelessly use, could you do the honors?

I think that's a good idea,I'll second that and I'll wait until it is posted
Cheers:drinks:
Dale
no34570:castmine: