How do you guys anneal your cases

Keithjohn said:
Qball-16 said:
I'm in the process of building a version similar to these:

ht tp://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/434088_DIY_Annealing_Machine.html

Nothing but my time & maybe $80-$100 worth of actual parts to buy.
Click to expand...


Looked at this link , would like to see your project when you get r done

This is a lot of good info , pretty elaborate set up
Click to expand...

Just waiting for the motors to arrive from China... Hoping to get the final assembly & testing done over the next couple weeks - Spring Break!!!



legi0n said:
I use something similar without the auto-feeder

Click to expand...

I'm going the same route without the auto-feeder. Seemed like an unnecessary complication with the timing & controllers - I think single feeding on a ramp will work out just fine.
 
[youtube]fiIrLvAUh6o[/youtube]

One of my fave vids to explain annealing... pay attention to dwell time near the middle/end and watch how little time it takes to go from ok to too much and damage the alloy.

Like the author, I also use the Bench Source Annealer... Expensive, very good time control, very repeatable.

Case colour is not a good indicator of proper annealing as others have commented on. Use proper temp indicator and then compare to sizing and seating forces. As long as things are consistent, that is the whole goal.

Jerry
 
Last edited:
I have good success with a single flame propane torch, in a socket that's chucked in a drill motor, hand hold the torch that is screwed into a 1# propane bottle. 5 seconds for 223 sized cases and 8 seconds for 08 and 06 sized cases.
The color of the brass, I don't think is a good indicator, due to the slightly different composition of the brass. Some brands will look like new factory Lapua and others like Norma barely change color.
 
I like the set up from 308BAR , this is somthing I might try . I assume the barbecue motor is a set speed and you had to play with the flame setting to get proper temp , am I missing about the torch positioning , I thought they would be set to do both sides at once
I see you have them pass one side at a time . Was this because it is easier or better ?
 
Trinimon said:
Good to know about the changing colour not being a good indicator. I might have to look into this again for future annealing.
Click to expand...

Get some welding temp indicator and apply to cases so you KNOW what is happening. The window for max temp can be breached easily with a propane torch but you also need to balance time in flame (dwell). It is a juggling act and why I use the Bench Source. See the video above and watch for the time difference to start burning off the metals in the case neck... it is only a few tenths of a second too long.

If the goal is to maintain consistent neck tension, any human error will create more problems then it solves. I have played around with the BBQ set up and it was ok but not easy to tune precisely.

Consider that ammo costs over $1 per bang these days, how soon will you amortise the cost vs using inconsistent components?

My "expensive" scale and annealer have paid for themselves many times over in the few years I have used them.... and I expect them to last many more years.

Missing is REALLY expensive.

Jerry
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom