Tried my hand at annealing

S

SJB358

Ballistician
Dec 24, 2006
32,484
3,344
Well, I went and got a torch and lined about 10-15 cases up in a pie tin with about a 1/2" of water at a time. Put the torch on the shoulder junction, once I saw them get red in the neck, I knocked them over in the water. Seemed to work well.

I did my 264 cases as the necks were getting VERY hard. Screeching when coming back through the resizing die and just not getting a good feeling on bullet tension. I also had one neck split from my last range session. I gotta admit, my annealing doesn't look as nice as Lapua's, but it seems to have worked. The necks slid through the die nice and it really didn't take much effort at all.

726734AF.jpg


What are your methods of annealing? I am thinking of getting a heavy leather glove and doing it over a small pail of water. Might allow me to get a better heating technique over the entire shoulder area. Anyhow, let me know what you do?
 
I'm glad you started this thread scotty. I have been wanting to try this method for awhile now. It seems to be the only one I can afford, as annealing machines cost a lot of clams. I'll have to try it on some of my old cases first.
 
I've not done it, but I've read that you can just heat the case neck with a candle just long enough so the base gets hot to the touch. I believe this is the method John Barsness uses.
 
I dont think a candle flame is the right idea for cases, maybe for annealing bullets but not cases..imo
I just hold the case with some plyers and torch the neck/sholder till it starts to change color then drop it in the water. Those black marks you have on some of the necks is because you got the flame too close. Dont let the blue part of the flame touch the case or youll get those. Dont think it hurts anything though, just makes them look ugly.
My first time i thought I was supposed to get the necks red hot so thats what I did untill someone told me I would ruin them that way. I made about 50 of them glow red hot and am still using the brass now, so I guess it doesnt ruin them.
Oh one more thing, dont try annealing after you prime lol. I once accidentally grabbed a primed case and just as I was about to take it out of the flame it went off...scared the crap out of me
 
I also wanted to say that if you are setting your cases in the pan with water to keep the bottom cool while you anneal the top, get one of those round trays that are for serving food that sit on the table and spin. I think its called a lazy susan or something like that? That way you can spin it while annealing so you get a good even flame on the case/neck
This is how I am going to do it next time
 
Scotty , I have a ballistic edge annealing machine . I tried to do it by hand , I got mixed results . since I bought the machine I've noticed if my brass is clean , I can see a heat line work it's way down the brass neck . it's kind of like a different color or shine . this seems to be the correct temp . I paint a line of 750 degree tempa laq ( spelling ??) inside the case neck . . you must paint it inside the neck or as soon as the flame hits it , it is melted making it useless . you must do this quick or the heat came work it's way down to the case head ruining the brass . I think I read the case head should never go over 450* . some guys will paint 450* temp laq on the lower portion of the case to watch this . since I bought the machine I anneal every other reloading , it's that easy . I'm sure with practice and altering your technique you'll be able to anneal by hand just fine . here are a few links I have saved that I used as my guide to learn annealing .


http://www.accurateshooter.com/technica ... annealing/

http://www.kenlightmfg.com/cartridgecaseannealer.htm

when I was looking at machines I found a guy , ( I think on youtube ) that made a very simple one . picture a piece of metal about the size of a broom handle , maybe about a foot long . at the 6 inch mark he had a hole with a longish bolt through it . he had the bolt centered so a few inches stuck out of each side . he mounted the bolt on something like a tripod on each side . now this broom handle can spin like a ferris wheel . on each end of the broom handle he drilled it so a brass case will fit in the hole . he then sat a torch on each side by the tripods . looking from the side ,the annealing happened when the broom handle was at about the 1 or 2 o'clock position . he would turn the brass case into the flame . when it was annealed he would turn it again . the annealed one would fall out and a fresh one would get turned into the flame . all he did was keep putting a new case in the broom handle and watching a stop watch and tempi laq for proper time and temp . clear as mud right ? Jim
 
Thanks for all the tips fellers. I know the black marks are a little unsightly, but I don't think they are hurting anything. Still kinda working out my method. I am going to try it with a pair of heavy welders gloves so I can turn the case as I heat it... Should be able to get a more even heat on it. I would love to see the even heat on it as well, but if the only by product is a few little black marks, I can live with that too. I wont be annealing everything, but the 264 seems to harden the cases pretty quick being so over bore. I may try it with the 7WSM cause those are about the same hardness as the 264 was and they tend to get even more brittle than the Nosler cases.
 
Scotty, I've been using the templaq (both the 650 and the 450). As you've noticed from the different members everybody seems to have their own ideas on how this is done. I would scratch the candle idea. Sitting the cases in water is a good idea. Call Hornady, they gave me some excellent info on how to properly anneal. You are not going to know if you've destroyed the lower portion of the case from excess heat and this might turn into a very nasty surprise. Again, Hornady was the best source for annealing info.
 
I have been doing the water pan method for a few years and it seems to work well, it keeps the web of the case cool which is critical so the case won't seperate, then heat the shoulder to a "warm orange" then tip it over in the water.
once the cases dry I run them through the tumbler and most of the smudge and even case discoloration is removed and their ready to go.
I use 30-30 brass to make 30 Herrett and 7x30 Waters, so those do need to be annealed to get good case life after fire forming.
Good luck and keep the case bases cool.
 
Scotty , I just thought of this . there are a few guys on long range hunting , using a deep well socket and a slow RPM drill .somehow they are attaching the socket in the drill chuck , maybe a bolt and nut through the bottom of the socket and chucking the bolt in the drill ? . they must be spacing the brass up the correct amount too . then they put the brass in the socket and spin it in front of the torch . Jim
 
Hornady makes an annealing kit that is easy to use. You don't need to drop the case into water. Brass doesn't need to be cooled like steel and the necks do not need to be red hot.Rick.
 
Thanks for the words fellers. Need to work a little more with this. What I did seems to have worked yesterday. May have to experiment some more today to see what I can do?
 
That is the kit I mentioned. Instructions are easy to follow. The indicator mark is placed just below the shoulder.Rick.
 
Every time this comes up I make a mental note to treat a 100 cases or so, (mutiple calibers) then the urge goes away. The only cases I have ever annealed were 06 being converted to 338/06. I was still driving a Ford 79 high boy at the time. My cases seem to last for ever. !
 
I use a 1/2" deep well 3/8" drive socket. Stick a bolt down the socket so the threads are sticking out the drive hole and put a nut on it. Chuck the remaining bolt threads in a cordless drill. I use the heat paint and count how long it takes. After the first few I just count. Drop them in water after heating. The socket seems to help protect the base a bit. It does get hot though, so you'll have to dip it in the water now and then.

I'm no pro by any means, but my brass quit squeaking when resizing and bullets seated easier.
 
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