case anealing

[Beekeeper]

I have read several post about case anealing machines doing vast numbers of cases per hour.
I wonder how many people here actually do that many cases and or need a machine to do their anealing?
What does the average joe use when anealing maybe 100 cases a year?
What procedure do you use?
I do not have the space or use for an anealing machine but would like to hear how others do it.
I simply hold the case in my fingers and dip it in my lead pot ,when it burns my fingers I drop it in cold water.



Jim

[jmorris]

For low volumes of common brass I didn’t take the time to anneal before I had a machine as it was always easier to just pick up a box of new ammo from time to time and save the brass.

Your method doesn’t sound like it would ruin the brass but I am pretty strict about not having any water around molten lead.

I use a machine to anneal; however, most of the cases I anneal are for other shooters but it helps pay for my hobby.

[cajun shooter]

Jim, my fingers don't take to being burned over 100 times when I am annealing my 45-70 cases. K Wassenburger sent me to Jim Terry in Wyoming to solve my problems. He makes a simple tool out of aluminum that holds the case while it is turned in a drill slowly. It sells for about $25 but makes it easy to anneal. His web site is Gentleman Jim Products.

[ph4570]

I use a 1/2" drive socket of the appropriate size for the case as a holder. Put the socket on a 6" extension to hold on to. Stick a case in the socket rotate in the torch flame and then drop the case onto a clean towel. I can do 100 45-70s lickity-toot.

[Willbird]

The ppc benchrest crowd is a good source of annealing info, some of them use an alcohol lamp. and they heat the necks until the case gets too hot to hold.

Tempilaq is probably the best way IMHO...it is a compound applied to the neck that melts at a given temperature, I would even use it to set up an annealing machine I think, and run one thru with some on it now and then to ensure we were still "calibrated". You can buy tempilaq in different temp values, Brownells may have it ?

The "heat until you see red" method that has been out there for years is far too much annealing for SOME uses...such as J word bullets..........it may be perfect for some cast bullet purposes.

[obssd1958]

... He makes a simple tool out of aluminum that holds the case while it is turned in a drill slowly...

I'm with you on "my fingers don't take to being burned over 100 times" and the above portion of your post got me thinkin' (dangerous, I know :smile:).
I just trimmed a little over 200 '06 cases, using the Lee case length trimmer and my cordless drill. I think I'll try using the shell holder portion, along with the cordless drill, the next time I need to anneal a bunch of cases. That probably won't be anytime soon, but if someone else decides to try it this way, please report back!

Take care!

Don

[Shiloh]

This is how I do it. Still looking for a lower RPM motor

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=524183&postcount=11

Shiloh

[Willbird]

Also some of the ppc boys hold the cases with a lee case trimmer holder, and spin them with a power screwdriver.

[Faret]

This is how I do mine. Rcbs trim mate with cleaning rod and primer pocket uniformers. Cleaning rod keeps the heat away from the trim mate. I heat in a dark room with a propane torch til I can see the outside silver color change (light orange in the inside of the case). Then into a bucket of water. 30-06 used for image.

[Calamity Jake]

This is how I do it. Still looking for a lower RPM motor

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=524183&postcount=11

Shiloh

My annealing setup works like yours only I use an old turn table
record player, I use a #3 coffee can shortened to 1/2 its hight and
have gluded a 1/2 ID flat washer in the center, place case in washer, heat until I see the neck start to turn red(not Cheery red)
then tip case over into the water.
I anneal 25 06 cases at a time before I replace the water.

[1Shirt]

I have been annealing like Shiloh for many years, usually after 4-6 firings. I size and deprime befor sitting in water. Do maybe 100-150 a year and never had a problem with either jacketed or cast loadings.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[lead-1]

I tried to do twenty .223 brass that I rotated with a cordless screw driver and heated with a propane torch. I dropped them into a pan of water just as the neck and shoulder area started to turn orange and after they had dried they looked good, just like factory treated brass. Wrong, at least 14 of them wouldn't feed from the mag into my AR after I full length sized and loaded them.

[sdelam]

If you let the shoulder get red, or if you did it in a bright room, you went to long. I do it in a very dim room and just let the mouth turn orange before quenching. At least thats my exp..

[jmorris]

This is a good read http://www.6mmbr.com/annealing.html

The Templaqi is the way to make sure you are at the right temp. If they are glowing they are hotter than you need to anneal. You can get a pretty good idea from the flame color you don't want it to turn orange or you've gone too far.

[rbuck351]

Beekeeper
Your method works to good to mess with. It only takes one case to figure out how long to hold it in the lead until it's too hot to hold. After that wear gloves and count 1thousand,2thousand,3thousand etc. and drop it in the water.
You can control the lead temp and how long and deep you hold it in the lead to make very even annealing. But be warned ,it is very easy and doesn't require fancy turning things and tourches and such. If your cases are very clean you may have to dip the neck in graphite to prevent lead sticking to the neck.

[Bullshop Junior]

I set them in a metal cake pan filled with water so that it comes about 1/2 way up the case. I then put all my brass in, and then use a small propane tortc and put the flame on each one till it glows, then I tip it over in the water.

[Oldtimer]

I have been using the lee case trim holder and cordless drill for a long time. I have done a lot of trial and error,and what works for me is a dark room, and a torch that has a really hot, small pencil flame. I also put my finger on the base of the case as its spinning. This wont let you get the base too hot. Trick is to get the neck up to temp fast enough to do the work before the base gets too hot. You dont want to get the neck red hot, you are just looking for a color change. Easy to see when the room is darker. I then stick the end of the case in some water to stop the advance of the heat.
I have some 72 Lake City .308 Match cases that have close to 40 cycles on them with no signs of neck problems. Bob

[DLCTEX]

I use an adaptor for 3/8 drive sockets in my cordless drill and choose a deep socket that just holds the case loosely. I spin the case slowly and dump it into water. With a propane torch turned to a high setting it only takes about 5 seconds (guessing) to heat the neck enough. Then just drop in the next case, hold at a slightly upward angle, and move the spinning case into the flame. Dark room and just heat to the slightest hint of red.

[truckmsl]

Any suggestions on a good torch/tip combination for annealing?

[montana_charlie]

Shiny clean cases show colors best, and 'blue' is the color to look for.

CM

[Oldtimer]

truckmsl, I use a Bernzomatic UL 2317. Has a nice small pencil flame, and is made from solid brass. Best one I've found yet. Bob

[truckmsl]

Thanks, Oldtimer. Last night I picked up a basic bernz-o-matic with pencil flame and proceeded to try it out. I used the Lee case holder in the cordless drill at slow speed method. By holding the case mouth in the flame tip for 8-10 seconds I was able to watch the color ring move down the neck. At about 1/4 inch below the neck I water quenched. The annealed cases looked nearly identical to my new IMI brass, which comes with a distinctive annealing discoloration. Loaded some up and neck tension felt real good. This is 7.62x39 brasss with 6 reloads on it.

[Oldtimer]

Hey truck, thats exactly how I do it. I have 50 rounds of Lake City Match I've used for years. I usually anneal when my groups start to open up a little. Usually 5-6 cycles. Bob