Annealing

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mrdayle

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So, I gave annealing a go for the first time. I have had misc brass for the 30-06 and they have been fired 2-4 times. So I thought I would give it a whirl. my steps:

1. resize/deprime
2. heat for 10 seconds and quench in water. ( This got them just red hot)
3. I started to hand trim/ chamfer

Once I started trimming, I noticed that the throats were being warped by the pressure I was putting on them with the hand trim tool. This had never happened to me before so I thought it was odd and compared the pressure I was applying with a case I had not annealed. As I suspected, the annealed cases were much softer in the neck area then the non- annealed one.

Was this the whole point of heat treating, and I just need to be gentler now? or do I have a bunch of useless brass on my hands?
 
Too hot, if your using a propane torch I usually only turn them in the flame for 3-4 seconds, the case mouth should NOT get red hot.
 
I have never done this to any brass. For 223 I was getting 10+ uses before primer pocket was loosening necks were fine. 30-06 I get 5-8 before same thing happens. Necks are good but primer pocket is loose. For that many loading with Winchester brass I have no worries
 
That's a good question. It's definately going to be very soft

If you full length resized I'd be interested to see if the shoulders buckle when you seat a bullet.
 
I don't think the brass should be red hot. Especially with federal brass, it didn't look like it was heated, compared to the rainbow lapua(much easier to annea visuallyl). You should get some templilaq 650.

You also have to FL resize after annealing. Let's just say I had to pull and resize 50, and resize another 50. Luckily the lapua didn't need to be pulled but all FC brass needed to be fl resized.
 
The next time I do any annealing, I'm going to try the hot lead method. I can set the temperature of the lead to whatever I want, dip for 5 or 6 seconds, cool, use.
 
Red hot is too hot. I would turf that brass.

I just wait for the bluish colour to pass the shoulder and then quench.
 
What oldboot said. If it's glowing, throw it out.

Bsand's suggestion of some tempilaq is a very good one. Buy it on amazon.com - acklands, or welding shops in canada, will hose you.

-J.
 
Red is quite a bit too hot! When I am doing my 308 Norma Mag brass, I spin it with my drill at moderate speed, and concentrate the inner blue flame on
the juncture of the shoulder and body of the case. .........5 seconds, and out!! I do not quench my cases, but set them upright to cool.
Works out just right for these cases. Color line is ¾" below the shoulder, and the neck never turns red during the heating.

Depending on case thickness and other factors, you may need less time in the flame. [or, possibly a second more]

Overheating tends to burn the zinc out of the brass.

Dave.
 
Red hot is waaay too hot. Also, if you see flecks (sparks) comming off the brass while it's in the flame, that's the zinc burning off and changing the metallurgy of your case neck. I know it's a little expensive, but check out the fluxeon Annie.

Also, using a propane torch, I never let the blue flame touch my cases, and I don't quench in water.
 
We should err on the side of safety and make use of a tempilstik or tempilaq to accurately measure the temp. Tempilstik is the dry crayon version of tempilaq. Even though the brass is slick I always seem to be able to leave a little dusting of the stick residue on it which then melts off at temp.
 
rl4930 said:
Red hot is waaay too hot. Also, if you see flecks (sparks) comming off the brass while it's in the flame, that's the zinc burning off and changing the metallurgy of your case neck. I know it's a little expensive, but check out the fluxeon Annie.

Also, using a propane torch, I never let the blue flame touch my cases, and I don't quench in water.
Click to expand...

I just received my Annie in the mail and I'm in the process of getting it all setup.
 
mrspeel said:
We should err on the side of safety and make use of a tempilstik or tempilaq to accurately measure the temp. Tempilstik is the dry crayon version of tempilaq. Even though the brass is slick I always seem to be able to leave a little dusting of the stick residue on it which then melts off at temp.
Click to expand...

I wet the stick first, it leaves a wet puddle of the dust. The first ones dry by the time I finish marking the last.
 
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