MT Gianni
04-27-2007, 10:34 PM
This is an answer to requests of annealing how to's. The method is not mine but borrowed shamelessly and adapted from another poster somewhere, sometime. I don't want to get into the "why's" of annealing gas checks, if you are here you probably know what you want to have happen.
I use a pipe nipple and caps to anneal in. I get a 1"x4" nipple but you could use any larger size to get the job done. I prefer black iron pipe but if you can only get galvanized we will deal with that later. Check the pipe for burrs, thread material, or oils and remove them. Thread the pipe cap onto the nipple hand tight. There is no need to use a thread compound. Place a 1/2 sheet of toilet paper, 1/2 a business card or some shredded paper in the pipe and fill with checks. [Save a few GC's to compare the finished product to.] It is unimportant where the paper is in the pipe. It's purpose is to smoke and displace oxygen. Tighten the other cap hand tight and place it in a heat source for 1/2 hour to 2 hours. This can be a wood fire, charcoal barbeque [Do not use a smoker with food inside with a galvanized pipe nipple] or lead pot. After the pipe has heated for a convinient time, one hour is what I use, fish the nipple out and let it cool. Remove the caps and the checks should be softer and less springy than the originals were. The paper should be burnt to a crisp letting you know that the heat went through into the checks.
Do not put a galvanized nipple anywhere you do not want zinc. This means don't bbq with it in there, not in a smoker and especially not in the bottom of your melt whether smelting or casting. After a bbq while the coals are cooling is a great time to anneal.
Pipe threads fit tight after being heated and can be a real challenge to remove. This experience comes from gas pipe after a house fire. You do not need a lot of heat, just enough to uniformly raise the temperature to 340F-450F and cool slowly. Over time you may need to replace your annealing set up.
Please post results and refinements. I prefer this method to dropping a few ontop of the melt and dippering them out hoping that they are done.
Gianni.
I use a pipe nipple and caps to anneal in. I get a 1"x4" nipple but you could use any larger size to get the job done. I prefer black iron pipe but if you can only get galvanized we will deal with that later. Check the pipe for burrs, thread material, or oils and remove them. Thread the pipe cap onto the nipple hand tight. There is no need to use a thread compound. Place a 1/2 sheet of toilet paper, 1/2 a business card or some shredded paper in the pipe and fill with checks. [Save a few GC's to compare the finished product to.] It is unimportant where the paper is in the pipe. It's purpose is to smoke and displace oxygen. Tighten the other cap hand tight and place it in a heat source for 1/2 hour to 2 hours. This can be a wood fire, charcoal barbeque [Do not use a smoker with food inside with a galvanized pipe nipple] or lead pot. After the pipe has heated for a convinient time, one hour is what I use, fish the nipple out and let it cool. Remove the caps and the checks should be softer and less springy than the originals were. The paper should be burnt to a crisp letting you know that the heat went through into the checks.
Do not put a galvanized nipple anywhere you do not want zinc. This means don't bbq with it in there, not in a smoker and especially not in the bottom of your melt whether smelting or casting. After a bbq while the coals are cooling is a great time to anneal.
Pipe threads fit tight after being heated and can be a real challenge to remove. This experience comes from gas pipe after a house fire. You do not need a lot of heat, just enough to uniformly raise the temperature to 340F-450F and cool slowly. Over time you may need to replace your annealing set up.
Please post results and refinements. I prefer this method to dropping a few ontop of the melt and dippering them out hoping that they are done.
Gianni.