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Thread: what do you use for case annealing?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master 444ttd's Avatar
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    what do you use for case annealing?

    i use my old bernzomatic propane torch and a tupperware bowl of H2O. i use my fingers to rotate case on the torch and i haven't burned them yet!!!! when i'm done with annealing(3 - 6 seconds), the case goes into the tupperware bowl and there is hiss, then the next case. i've been doing annealing for about ten years now. i've seen that many people have constructed some form or another, of case annealer. i know(a little bit) of a salt bath, i was going to purchase it but something was more needed.

    what do you use?
    Ad Reipublicae his Civitatum Foederatarum Americae, ego sum fortis et libero. Ego autem non exieris ad impios communistarum socialismi. Ora imagines in vestri demented mentem, quod vos mos have misericordia, quia non.

    To the Republic of these United States of America, I am strong and free. I will never surrender to godless communist socialism. Pray to images in your demented mind, that you will have mercy, because i will not.

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  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    high standard 40's Avatar
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    I found some plans online and built my own. It uses a propane torch and is adjustable for duration of applied heat. It rotates the case while heating and automatically ejects the case and feeds the next case.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

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    Annealeez II

    Hi,
    I used to do the salt bath annealing, now I use the Annealeez II for everything from .45 Colt to .45-70.
    Ed

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  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    I have a Mike-s Reloading Bench Annealer. Load the cases, start up, come back when empty. Saves time, so easy I anneal every loading, adding consistency, accuracy to the process. Only use for rifle brass, really helps crimp consistency for 32 Special, 35 Rem, 45-70, neck splits from crimping eliminated.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    I've been doing the same thing you've been doing....for a heck of a lot more years. Propane torch and my fingers. I stopped water quenching them over 20 years ago. It's completely unnecessary. If I was doing hundreds of cases I'd be looking for something automatic also.
    "In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'

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  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Giraud for big batches, AMP for little batches.

    Overkill for sure, but I got this big bonus and...

  7. #7
    Boolit Master 444ttd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sharps4590 View Post
    I've been doing the same thing you've been doing....for a heck of a lot more years. Propane torch and my fingers. I stopped water quenching them over 20 years ago. It's completely unnecessary. If I was doing hundreds of cases I'd be looking for something automatic also.
    i've read the quenching is not necessary, but i do it the way i was taught.

    the most i have ever done was around 300, but its more like 50 - 100 cases. i am reforming '06 brass to 7x57, 8x57 and 7.65x53. i did the '06 to 270 case and the 221 rem fireball to 20 vartarg without annealing. the 270('06) will be annealed when its done firing the 5th shot(its around 2 firings), while the 20vt needs to annealed(6 or 7 shots).
    Ad Reipublicae his Civitatum Foederatarum Americae, ego sum fortis et libero. Ego autem non exieris ad impios communistarum socialismi. Ora imagines in vestri demented mentem, quod vos mos have misericordia, quia non.

    To the Republic of these United States of America, I am strong and free. I will never surrender to godless communist socialism. Pray to images in your demented mind, that you will have mercy, because i will not.

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  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    I cobbled this together after I got tired of the drill and socket. Quenching not required, but it saves picking up hot brass!

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy paul edward's Avatar
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    Since 1963, I have used a propane torch to anneal cases standing in a pie tin full of water. Tip them over when the right temp is reached. For really small batches, I just hold them in the flame with my fingers and drop in water to quench. Have annealed cases this way converting range pickup 30/06 into 7.65x53, 7x57, 7.7x58, 8x57 and a few 308 Winchester. When my 44 Magnum cases started splitting at the mouth from crimping and belling, annealing stopped that.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by RedlegEd View Post
    Hi,
    I used to do the salt bath annealing, now I use the Annealeez II for everything from .45 Colt to .45-70.
    Ed

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    My home built annealer is very similar in function to this. It has digital adjustment features.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    I also do as 444ttd does, 2 gallon bucket between my knees and just drop shells in when I feel the heat getting a bit much. The bucket between my legs also has some citric acid powder in the water which cleans up the cases and removes all the darkness from the flame. Could someone explain the salt annealing to me. Regards Stephen

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
    GARD72977's Avatar
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    I use an AGS brass annealer. Inexpensive and works great.Click image for larger version. 

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  13. #13
    Boolit Master

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    I built an annealer like one I saw on youtube.
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  14. #14
    Boolit Master 444ttd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Cohen View Post
    . Could someone explain the salt annealing to me. Regards Stephen

    https://www.ampannealing.com/article...does-it-work-/
    http://www.targetshooter.co.uk/?p=2882
    Ad Reipublicae his Civitatum Foederatarum Americae, ego sum fortis et libero. Ego autem non exieris ad impios communistarum socialismi. Ora imagines in vestri demented mentem, quod vos mos have misericordia, quia non.

    To the Republic of these United States of America, I am strong and free. I will never surrender to godless communist socialism. Pray to images in your demented mind, that you will have mercy, because i will not.

    MOLON LABE

  15. #15
    Boolit Master dbosman's Avatar
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    I use a candle. I don't shoot much bottle neck anything so I don't need to anneal much. This works for me.
    ************************************************** *************************
    By John Barsness <--- not me. Argue with him or Fred Barker

    I use a method perfected by my friend Fred Barker, who writes for some gun magazines, including Precion Shooting. Fred found that the normal annealing methods used for years made the necks too soft, as they normally involved heating the brass to red-hot then quenching in water.

    Fred is a retired metallurgist and developed the following:

    1) Light a standard wax candle.

    2) Hold the case halfway up the body with the tips of your fingers.

    3) Heat the neck in the tip of the candle flame until the case is too hot to hold.

    4) Wipe the front end of the ecase with a wet towel (paper towel will do) which finishes the annealing process AND cleans off the candle-flame soot.

    I do it with any lot of brass as soon as the necks start feeling stiffer when resizing, or if one cracks. It also helps after making wildcat rounds after necking up or down.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oqt4FTk3Ac

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by dbosman View Post
    I use a candle. I don't shoot much bottle neck anything so I don't need to anneal much. This works for me.
    ************************************************** *************************
    By John Barsness <--- not me. Argue with him or Fred Barker

    I use a method perfected by my friend Fred Barker, who writes for some gun magazines, including Precion Shooting. Fred found that the normal annealing methods used for years made the necks too soft, as they normally involved heating the brass to red-hot then quenching in water.

    Fred is a retired metallurgist and developed the following:

    1) Light a standard wax candle.

    2) Hold the case halfway up the body with the tips of your fingers.

    3) Heat the neck in the tip of the candle flame until the case is too hot to hold.

    4) Wipe the front end of the ecase with a wet towel (paper towel will do) which finishes the annealing process AND cleans off the candle-flame soot.

    I do it with any lot of brass as soon as the necks start feeling stiffer when resizing, or if one cracks. It also helps after making wildcat rounds after necking up or down.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oqt4FTk3Ac
    Having inexpensive Natural gas... I do the same as above... but, use the kitchen stove burner...Dip in bowl of cold water to cool brass and fingers, and go again... no soot thanks
    Been working for many years...

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    I stand about 25 cases at a time in 1/2"-1" water in large pan (like a cookie sheet). I do not rotate the brass. Instead, a use a propane torch with the flame pointing down into the open neck-- that heats the whole neck evenly. As soon as each one is hot enough I tip it over into the water.
    Hick: Iron sights!

  18. #18
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    I do mine with two propane torches set down to about as low as they will go, pointing at each other with the flame joining into one flame.

    I only do it in an almost dark room, the brass will start to glow red then dunk the neck in a can of water. In a darkened room(dark enough it is difficult to see the brass to pick up with a pliers), the brass will show color. If you turn on the lights the color is so faint you won't see it.

    I use the pliers because my eye hand coordination is not what it once was and getting my fingers that close to that flame makes me nervous. I don't use the pliers because the brass is getting that hot.

    Just did ~140 pieces of 50-70 brass that was starting to split necks. Still have adequate neck tension.

    By just dunking the neck, I cool them without filling them with water. When I'm done I toss them back into the tumbler for an hour to clean off the tarnish from the heating. I always polish them to a very bright polish before annealing, it seems to leave less ugly brown staining on the neck.
    With some brass you just can't avoid the brown stain, I think it is in the alloy itself. Norma seems to stain the worst.

    Annealed a fair number of different cartridges from 221 Fireball up to 470 N.E. Hasn't failed me yet.

    YMMV
    Last edited by 15meter; 05-11-2021 at 11:12 PM.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    I leave the brown stain. I have come to like it.

  20. #20
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    TNsailorman's Avatar
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    I tried emailing Annealeez on 3 occasions about 2 weeks between each and got no answer to a simple question. They either don't want or need my business as I told them I wanted to buy their machine but need info first. I am moving on.

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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
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check