Thread: Do you need a fancy machine to anneal?

Originally Posted by greghud

for anyone looking for a cheap shell holder to put into a drill, just use a suitable sized socket.
you can tip the heated brass into a bucket of water to quench with out having to touch.
greg

Quite a few people say to quench. Doesn't this snap the brass back into a stressed state (ie undoing the good work you just did in annealing it)?

I see there are a few threads on this. Wondering I'f it's worth doing up some cad plans for a laugh once I get mine working. I lucked onto the best ramp height when I tacked it together initially. Now the bloody thing is jamming 'cause the brass is entering the tin can too high. Gotta say it's a fun project for somebody who does zero DIY most of the time.

The only reason to quench is if your heat source is that pathetic it takes so long to get the neck and shoulder up to temp it is heating the case way back into the body or web, you definitely DO NOT want to be annealing the web or base.

So if I want to forgo the torch method and just dunk the case in molten lead just past the shoulder I should be ok? Three seconds dunk and drop it in the pile and onto the next case sort of thing? Or hoooold until I can hold anymore? I suppose it depends in what temp the liquid lead is sitting at..

Originally Posted by Tommy

So if I want to forgo the torch method and just dunk the case in molten lead just past the shoulder I should be ok? Three seconds dunk and drop it in the pile and onto the next case sort of thing? Or hoooold until I can hold anymore? I suppose it depends in what temp the liquid lead is sitting at..

While I have not tried that method personally it has its merits and draw backs.

Primer in, the air heating inside the case will push the moulton lead out as pressure rises keeping hopefully the inside of the case free of lead.
Primer out consistent conduction of heat from both the in and out but may have leading issues inside the case.

I think it was this thread where a graph was posted in a link? that shows what I have been saying, if ad hock annealing your are better to over do than under do for consistency, this degree of softness may be to soft for your chambering's case or may be fine, if over annealing (or probably more correctly fully annealing as opposed to partly annealing) is to soft for your chambering to size etc, then you really need a machine to controll the amount consistently or you are doing more harm than good unless your only goal is case life with no regard for accuracy.

Could get a bunch of older cases and try different dip times ( one elephant two elephant method) then do a hardness check. Oh and a before check too. Brass being similar enough, just use some of the cheapie federal stuff. What would be the appropriate hardness test? Knock up a hillbilly Rockwell setup or something perhaps?

Bite the neck, you will soon tell the difference between annealed and fully work hardened, its to soft when it collapses in your die and its too hot when it looses all shine.

Nice, thanks very much. If my missus catches me biting a case I'm going to drool and groan with pleasure for a laugh

The important thing to remember is that the important thing is they are all the same, if your method is at all variable annealing at a high temperature will remove most variation in hardness and therefore neck tension.
If annealing at a high temperature makes the brass too soft for your application then really to have any sort of consistency you have to use a machine of some sort as a small temp differential is a large hardness differential.

http:// First Draft: http://youtu.be/wMAfTUu0nX4

Ugly as sin but I had to slap things on to stop brass flying off. It works ok but there are a few mods I want to try.