Annealing
- Thread starter mrdayle
- Start date
Go with what Eagleye told you to do, that's the correct way to do it. You can anneal every 3 to 5 shootings, not necessary to do it each time. I used tempilaq when I first started, but 4-5 seconds is probably right. It's probably better not to anneal rather than do it incorrectly.
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I do mine in low light conditions, with a dewalt drill and socket along with a torch. Just get the neck to start to "glow" or watch the "blue" appear. The blue will creep down to the neck and thats it. I do not quench the casings that can lead to a "too" soft of an annealing. I drop them into an old ammo can and then the next day dtart reloading.
I agree with Eagleye, a glowing red neck in good light conditions is way too hot.
I agree with Eagleye, a glowing red neck in good light conditions is way too hot.
Try "Source Welding Supply" online in Canada. They sell it for around $25 a bottle which will last you forever.
from you have said It seems you have over annealed the brass. I would not use any of it because if the neck got that hot the base might have gotten above the recommended 350 and if you have softened the base above that temp the brass becomes very dangerous and could easily explode once fired. The maximum I leave the brass in a torch is about 4.5 seconds and only apply heat above the shoulder. I use 2 different tempilaq one on the neck for 750 and a swipe on the base of 350 and if you melt the base the brass is ruined.
- Location
- Jameson, SK
Ya, live and learn - toss it.
All it does is stop the heat from migrating to the bottom of the case, that's why some people use the water tray method.
Trick of the annealing machines is to use a lot of heat for a very short time so that the rest of the case has no time to get too hot.
- Location
- Jameson, SK
On that note - you guys use 650, or 750 tempilaq??
The last time I saw red hot necks in dark room annealing? ...... had to toss a fortune's worth of WW .375H&H brass. The necks would no longer grip bullets with any tension at all.
For me, what works is a close eye on the flame colour as it closes behind the shoulder. When blue changes to yellow .... it's done.
For me, what works is a close eye on the flame colour as it closes behind the shoulder. When blue changes to yellow .... it's done.
Abman, Just curious, but what does the potassium nitrate do in your lead pot and where do you get it?
I have Tempilaq and have used it as a guide when annealing, and learned the colour in a dark room that indicates the correct temperature, and the time it takes to reach it. I rotate the brass in a drill using a fixture I made from plumbing parts.
Generally speaking, in a dark room, the moment the brass starts to glow it's time to stop. You're nowhere near red, you can't even call it pink.
Try it and you'll see. Before long you'll know the time (one thousand, two thousand,...) and the colour.
I haven't ruined brass in a very long time.
Generally speaking, in a dark room, the moment the brass starts to glow it's time to stop. You're nowhere near red, you can't even call it pink.
Try it and you'll see. Before long you'll know the time (one thousand, two thousand,...) and the colour.
I haven't ruined brass in a very long time.
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
heat the neck up till it turns a blow color then drop it in water if you do not drop it in water the heat will move down to the case head its best to spin the casing i use a socket that my brass fits into on a drill. my method works and with cast loads i have reloaded .303 british casings over 20 times just by neck sizing and annealing every few firings i also use them method on expensive($8 each) .577-450 cases
Chinbullco
Regular
- Location
- NW Alberta
Love the Benchsource annealing machine. Set timer, check temp, test annealing results by necking up or down. Record timer setting on my load data sheet. Found a temp of 450F on case neck first rotation out of flame is perfect and works for all size cartridges, 500F is too hot and cases are trash. Use Markall temp pens temp verification.
- Location
- Jameson, SK
From what I've read the surface temp needs to hit about 700-750 for a very short time in order to anneal the full thickness of the neck brass.
If you can do something that heats slower than a flame, then I think you're gunning for about 4-450.
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but that's how I imagine it.
-J.
If you can do something that heats slower than a flame, then I think you're gunning for about 4-450.
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but that's how I imagine it.
-J.
I use 650 for the top (neck upwards) and 450 below that. If you buy Templaq just buy the 650 version. I bought both just to make sure I didn't overheat the lower part, but maybe that's overkill. For most of my calibers it takes about 4-5 seconds to reach that temperature, then that's it take it out of the flame.
