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Thread: Annealing Setup?

  1. #21
    Boolit Master Norbrat's Avatar
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    That's a great setup!

    I googled salt bath melt temperature and figured that potassium nitrate was what you were using. Table salt melts at about 800°C so would be way too high for this.

    You may be able to get potassium nitrate from a butcher supply store as it is used to preserve meat (corned beef, for example). That's where I got some when I was a kid to make black powder!

  2. #22
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    Ed in North Texas's Avatar
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    BattleRife - Thanks, looks like a really good setup, though I'd need at least a couple of holders to cover a spread from .223 to .50-70.

    Ed

  3. #23
    In Remembrance
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    BattleRife--

    Agree with the rest, you have one very nice and very well thought out setup and technique.

    It's definitely got me thinking now. . .


  4. #24
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Another advantage is that you are now set up for niter blueing. It's that beautiful transparent true blue you see on old Colt screw heads and hammers. It's a heat blue done in molten salt so you can see the color process. Just have to be quick quenching it in water or oil depending on the exact steel alloy you have and the color you want.
    Wayne the Shrink

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  5. #25
    Boolit Buddy daboone's Avatar
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    Amazon has a 3lbs bag of 99% pure potassium nitrate for $16.00.

    I took a 1/4in round iron disk and tapped for a 1/4-20 threaded rod and another 1/4-20 nut to adjust the depth the case can be immersed into the solution for a quick and easy case holder. This will be inserted into a small SS pot on the hot plate. I'll find out if it works when the potassium nitrate arrives.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
    Ed in North Texas's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by daboone View Post
    Amazon has a 3lbs bag of 99% pure potassium nitrate for $16.00.

    I took a 1/4in round iron disk and tapped for a 1/4-20 threaded rod and another 1/4-20 nut to adjust the depth the case can be immersed into the solution for a quick and easy case holder. This will be inserted into a small SS pot on the hot plate. I'll find out if it works when the potassium nitrate arrives.
    Or 5 lbs for $18, I think from the same Amazon supplier. IIRC BattleRife said he had 2 kilos (4.4 lbs), so I went with the 5 lb quantity. Heading out up North for the summer, so won't get to try it out until fall.

    Good idea on the depth adjustment. If tapping isn't possible, welding a nut to the plate would work.

    Ed

  7. #27
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by daboone View Post
    Amazon has a 3lbs bag of 99% pure potassium nitrate for $16.00.

    I took a 1/4in round iron disk and tapped for a 1/4-20 threaded rod and another 1/4-20 nut to adjust the depth the case can be immersed into the solution for a quick and easy case holder. This will be inserted into a small SS pot on the hot plate. I'll find out if it works when the potassium nitrate arrives.
    Good deal on the KNO3. In 2009 eight chemicals were added to a list of restricted "explosives and explosive precursors" in Canada, and KNO3 was one of them. The law still allows one to buy it easily enough, but placed a number of restrictions on the sellers. I haven't checked, but I suspect that most of the casual sellers (like the supermarket pharmacy where I got mine) will no longer offer KNO3 for that reason.

    If I understand your plate and rod arrangement, the plate will be at the bottom of the bath, with the rod and stop sticking up through the bath? If that is the case you should be aware that the single most important function of the holder I built is as a heat shield. This was absolutely necessary because radiant heat off the bath was quite painful if my knuckles were held within a case length of the bath surface for any more than a second or so.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    --BattleRife

  8. #28
    Boolit Buddy daboone's Avatar
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    BattleRifle Thanks for the heads up about the need for a shield, indeed thanks all the information. For the shield I use a piece of flashing ( future gas checks) and drilled some holes where the threaded rod protrudes. It may not be real pretty but let the experimenting begin!

    I wonder if corrosion will an issue if the parts are rinsed after used?

  9. #29
    Boolit Master


    Walter Laich's Avatar
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    any follow-up yet?
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  10. #30
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance Four Fingers of Death's Avatar
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    I can't remember how I found this, but I saw it the other day and it is the best set up I have seen yet.

    You paint inside the necks with 750degree stuff and then pop the case in a case holder and you swing it between two opposing flames. When the chemical stuff changes colour, you spin the case out of the way and it drops out while you pop another case in.

    They also have some 400 degree chemical, you paint down the side of a case and periodically check that the temperature is not moving down the case too far.

    Looked like a terrific set up.

    http://shop.cartridgeanneal.com/

    I might just try and get the heat indicator chemical
    "I'll help you down the trail and proud to!" Rooster Cogburn.

    "Slap some bacon on a biscuit and let's go! We're burnin' daylight! " - Will Anderson (John Wayne) "The Cowboys."

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    http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k228/4fingermick/

    Psycholigist to Sniper; 'What did you feel when you shot the felon Sargeant?'
    Sniper to Psycholigist; 'Recoil Ma'am.'

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  11. #31
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    Not really a hand tool but here is a machine I built and posted in the reloading equipment forum.

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=48611

    Takes all of the work out of it and is 100% consistant.

  12. #32
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    It boils @ 400C, so you boil it? Vapors are not toxic but an irritant. You dip the case past the neck or just into the neck? I've used lead but never got the color change (30-30 cases).

  13. #33
    Boolit Bub Harv33's Avatar
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    Annealing with the lead pot

    I use the small LEE electric lead pot and a temp. gauge. Get the temp up to 660 deg., I use a pair of pliers to hold the case. dip it in the correct depth, hold it for about ten seconds then drop it in water. It works good for me. Maybe I'm as coordinated as an anvil, but I could never get consistancy with the torch method..
    N.R.A. Life Member

  14. #34
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance Four Fingers of Death's Avatar
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    The link I posted above to cartridge anneal or whatever their name is higher up this page, would have to be one of the easiest and most accurate ways of annealing using the 750 deg paste. Hold it under the flame,when the colour changes, drop it out and insert another case. Every now and then paint down the side of a case with lower temperature paste in addition to the 750 deg pasteinside the neck. When the 750 deg paste changes indicating that the neck is annealed, you look at the side of the case to see how far down the temperature has reached 440 deg (I think that was the temperature). This shows you that you are not affecting the base.

    They have a video, really worth watching. Looks like a great product, I will be buying some of their gear as soon as I free up some funds.
    "I'll help you down the trail and proud to!" Rooster Cogburn.

    "Slap some bacon on a biscuit and let's go! We're burnin' daylight! " - Will Anderson (John Wayne) "The Cowboys."

    SASS Life Member No 82047

    http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k228/4fingermick/

    Psycholigist to Sniper; 'What did you feel when you shot the felon Sargeant?'
    Sniper to Psycholigist; 'Recoil Ma'am.'

    From my Irish Ancestors: "You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was."

  15. #35
    Boolit Master
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    that salth bath setup is a stroke of genius! I got access to loads of potassium nitrate as well and I have been planning to nitre blue stuff anyway.

  16. #36
    Boolit Master Randy C's Avatar
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    I did not have time to read what everyone posted but, I think i even seen a product that you put on the brass and it will turn colors when you have it hot enough it lets you see how even you heated your brass.

  17. #37
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance Four Fingers of Death's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Randy C View Post
    I did not have time to read what everyone posted but, I think i even seen a product that you put on the brass and it will turn colors when you have it hot enough it lets you see how even you heated your brass.
    That's Tempilaq. They have it in different temperatures. 750deg F for the necks and 450deg For running down the side of an occasional case to ensure you are not destroying the temper of the base of the case.
    "I'll help you down the trail and proud to!" Rooster Cogburn.

    "Slap some bacon on a biscuit and let's go! We're burnin' daylight! " - Will Anderson (John Wayne) "The Cowboys."

    SASS Life Member No 82047

    http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k228/4fingermick/

    Psycholigist to Sniper; 'What did you feel when you shot the felon Sargeant?'
    Sniper to Psycholigist; 'Recoil Ma'am.'

    From my Irish Ancestors: "You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was."

  18. #38
    Boolit Bub
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    Have always wanted to try the lead pot methid to make some 256 win mags from 357 mags, when mine give up the ghost.
    Thanks all

  19. #39
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance Four Fingers of Death's Avatar
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    I have been meaning to try the lead pot method using charger clips to hold the rounds.
    "I'll help you down the trail and proud to!" Rooster Cogburn.

    "Slap some bacon on a biscuit and let's go! We're burnin' daylight! " - Will Anderson (John Wayne) "The Cowboys."

    SASS Life Member No 82047

    http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k228/4fingermick/

    Psycholigist to Sniper; 'What did you feel when you shot the felon Sargeant?'
    Sniper to Psycholigist; 'Recoil Ma'am.'

    From my Irish Ancestors: "You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was."

  20. #40
    Boolit Mold Westerner's Avatar
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    BattleRife, kudos to you! Brilliant and far less expense that the $500.00 unit I was looking at. Thank you. Westerner

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
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LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check