Annealeez Aluminum Wheels

[BallisticExpansion]

Hi All. I'm considering manufacturing and selling machined aluminum wheels for the annealeez annealer. I'm making this post to gauge interest/demand to determine if the job will be worth running. How many of you would be interested or know someone who would be interested in purchasing a set. I'm planning for a price point of $40-50 shipped per set, at the most. I'm planning for the wheels to be knurled on the outside to lightly to spin the case in the flame. No more melting the grip tape on the factory wheels or the wheels themselves!

I'd like to get feedback on how many would be interested in buying. What sizes would you want? I was thinking a large set and small set would cover all caliber needs. The large set will do as small as 6.5CM. With the wheels being aluminum you could run the flame close to the wheel.

Curious to get everyone's input and thoughts.

Thanks!

 

[Brettmparker1]

good idea I would be interested. Do you have any pics? I too have melted shit on the wheels that came on it.

 

[Aftermath]

I'd be in for a set of the 2 sizes.

 

[TxWelder35]

My main concern is that that aluminum will not spin the case without slipping. Also, if you are melting the wheels you are putting a lot of heat into them, that much heat could easily transfer back to the motor that spins the wheels now that you are using a very good heat conductor.

 

[frer]

I was about to order a small set for 6.5 Grendel, so I would definitely be interested in one set, maybe two.

I have experienced cases not turning with the original wheels, so that is something to watch out for with the new wheels.

 

[BallisticExpansion]

My main concern is that that aluminum will not spin the case without slipping. Also, if you are melting the wheels you are putting a lot of heat into them, that much heat could easily transfer back to the motor that spins the wheels now that you are using a very good heat conductor.

Agree. Those are the 2 key things I will determine in prototype. For heat/stress test planning to do 1000rd of 223 at once. Digital thermometer on the motor/gears/wheels will tell us more.


The main benefit is that now say you are annealing 300prc but want to use the same wheels to do a quick run of 6.5CM. You can throw the brass on and go without the hassle of switching wheels. This is the exact example of why I'm making these wheels. I made it thru 55 6.5CM cases and my top wheel was melted.

The annealeez will never be a run all day commercial machine. That's not the purpose of these wheels. Common sense will still have to be used with the aluminum wheels hehe.

 

[BallisticExpansion]

good idea I would be interested. Do you have any pics? I too have melted shit on the wheels that came on it.

I hope to this week of prototype set.

 

[amcardon]

Definitely interested...

 

[BallisticExpansion]

Just an update for everyone. Firstly I've decided the shop this job out to my buddy (Jared) 5min down the road who does machining and welding in his spare time on the side. I'm simply too busy between my day job and the small ammo/brass business that I am self starting. Anyway, I will be working directly with Jared to do the prototype and then he/I will start churning them out provided prototype and testing goes well.

I was bedridden for the middle 2wks of October with COVID so that killed prototype plans to meet with Jared. Then he was gone all last week hunting. And now I leave end of this week for 2wks to elk hunt. The plan is to link up with him one evening this week before I leave and machine the prototype wheels. I'm hoping to do a large set and a standard set but with a large case diameter cut for the short mags. I'm thinking a standard set will still be short enough to cover any calibers you would use the plastic small wheels for (6mms and 300blk). This means my aluminum "standard" wheel would cover what the SSM, standard, and small case kit does from annealeez. I'll know more as I test and get temp readings, but 2 wheel kits to cover all uses would be ideal. Fingers crossed.

I get back home the weekend before Thanksgiving. I'll do final stress/temperature testing that following week and provided everything goes well and all jigs are made and ready for production runs... I will start accepting orders/funds and shipping them out the week following Thanksgiving.

I will continue to keep everyone updated here. Thanks again for all the feedback and interest!

-Caleb

 

[amcardon]

Very excited to see how these work out!

 

[the_assman]

also waiting to see how these turn out

 

[BallisticExpansion]

Ok guys I am back from my trip. I have some good news and not great news. Let's start with the good. The prototype wheels are done! I just picked them up and am in progress on testing them. The knurling didn't work for gripping the case so ditching that. I'm still brainstorming the solution, but I believe the Ultra copper RTV from permatex will be perfect for this application. It's affordable and good for intermittent temps up to 700deg. It also can be easily repaired by the customer as needed. I am planning to do my first heat test tonight to check how the wheels/machine heat up and how the RTV does. This first test I will be doing is 6.5CM on the large wheels which is how I previously melted my plastic wheels.

I'm still tinkering with the thickness of the small wheels. If I can get them small enough to do 300blk without too much heat transfer and also still support 30-06 I would be ecstatic. I think a 3/4" thick wheel is the ticket.

I'm scratching the big case cut on the standard wheel. When running small cases such as 223/300BLK it lets the machine double feed and jams. For those doing WSSMs/PRC or any case over a ~.49 body you will need to use the large wheels. Large will be good up to 338 Lapua and down to anything smaller that will not double feed and will clear the wheel.

Now the not great news. My machinist is not willing to run the job for mass production due to the time cost. He is running all manual machines and used a lathe and mill for these. They look very clean/nice and he does great work. However, to be frank these wheels don't need that level of precision. The only critical part is making the cuts centered. Once a machine is zeroed and jig set I believe these can be made pretty quickly by doing each operation in batches using only a vertical milling machine. Sandblasting would clean up any sharp edges and improve aesthetics. No turning as I will order the stock in the correct OD.

The other hurdle I'm facing is I don't currently own any machining equipment. I'm now shopping for a benchtop or knee size milling machine. There is going to be a time lag with all of that. Technically this job could be done with a mini mill. However, I'm trying to get something that I can use for a myriad of projects in the future for my 06/07 business as it grows. There is also a cost balance/limit as this is currently the only job I have lined up to run and sell. Using this job to pay off the machine I purchase at a minimum is my goal. I only have a partial idea of the demand for these wheels so I'm trying to err on the side of caution.

All that said... below are some pictures of the prototypes with and without RTV applied. Thanks guys.

 

[M4orturnate]

Did this become a thing? Id take a set in regular size and a set of small for br/blackout

 

[BallisticExpansion]

Did this become a thing? Id take a set in regular size and a set of small for br/blackout

After further testing I found the annealez to be built with subpar quality parts, especially when adding metal wheels. There also several other hopper fed annealers now on the market that are superior. The Ugly annealer looks to be the best one that I've seen and I plan to purchase it. I already sold my annealaez sometime last year.

 

[M4orturnate]

After further testing I found the annealez to be built with subpar quality parts, especially when adding metal wheels. There also several other hopper fed annealers now on the market that are superior. The Ugly annealer looks to be the best one that I've seen and I plan to purchase it. I already sold my annealaez sometime last year.

Its definitely cheaply made. Ive been eyei g the bench source or amp

 

[Haney]

After further testing I found the annealez to be built with subpar quality parts, especially when adding metal wheels. There also several other hopper fed annealers now on the market that are superior. The Ugly annealer looks to be the best one that I've seen and I plan to purchase it. I already sold my annealaez sometime last year.

Can you explain what is wrong with the annealer ? How much time did you spend before you quit your project and deemed the annealer "sub-par" ?

 

[Haney]

Its definitely cheaply made. Ive been eyei g the bench source or amp

What don't you like about yours ?

 

[M4orturnate]

What don't you like about yours ?

It works fine once you regulate the flame. Just the plastic gears make me feel like im going to break it every time i have to adjust anything. For the price its pretty good and ive definitely got a shitload of use out of it. Just at the point im slowly upgrading everything to top tier pro level equipment.

 

[Haney]

It works fine once you regulate the flame. Just the plastic gears make me feel like im going to break it every time i have to adjust anything. For the price its pretty good and ive definitely got a shitload of use out of it. Just at the point im slowly upgrading everything to top tier pro level equipment.

Thanks for the info . I was wondering if it was worth the investment as basic entry level rig . Sounds like most things , you get what you pay for .

 

[M4orturnate]

Thanks for the info . I was wondering if it was worth the investment as basic entry level rig . Sounds like most things , you get what you pay for .

For the price its pretty good. Ive done over 10k pieces of brass and its still going.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

What don't you like about yours ?

Its a piece of shit. Anyone with any experience with it and an IQ above 60 knows this.

 

[straightshooter1]

My "piece of shit" has been working well for over 5 years now and annealed over 13k pieces of brass. It's still working fine.

 

[Haney]

Its a piece of shit. Anyone with any experience with it and an IQ above 60 knows this.

What issues did you have that make you call it a piece of shit ?

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

What issues did you have that make you call it a piece of shit ?

Why are you arguing about something you have no experience with?

Its a fragile plastic laden hunk of shit, the wheels melt, the flame is almost impossible to control, Its made of thin sheet metal that bends and gets warped when its heated, The torch is very hard to aim just right with the adjustments provided, The included tray sucks and does not mate to the machine causing cases to sometimes fall outside of tray, melting carpet or whatever else shit ruining the case.

I still use one as its all I have, but its a massive pile of shit. Will be upgrading to an AMP next season and be rid of this shit.

 

[Haney]

Why are you arguing about something you have no experience with?

Its a fragile plastic laden hunk of shit, the wheels melt, the flame is almost impossible to control, Its made of thin sheet metal that bends and gets warped when its heated, The torch is very hard to aim just right with the adjustments provided, The included tray sucks and does not mate to the machine causing cases to sometimes fall outside of tray, melting carpet or whatever else shit ruining the case.

I still use one as its all I have, but its a massive pile of shit. Will be upgrading to an AMP next season and be rid of this shit.

I am asking questions because I have no experience . Seems pretty simple . Why are you acting like a troll ?

PS Thanks for your opinions . I have to ask though, how the hell are you getting it hot enough to warp sheet metal without ruining the whole rig ?

 

[padom]

Why are you arguing about something you have no experience with?

Its a fragile plastic laden hunk of shit, the wheels melt, the flame is almost impossible to control, Its made of thin sheet metal that bends and gets warped when its heated, The torch is very hard to aim just right with the adjustments provided, The included tray sucks and does not mate to the machine causing cases to sometimes fall outside of tray, melting carpet or whatever else shit ruining the case.

I still use one as its all I have, but its a massive pile of shit. Will be upgrading to an AMP next season and be rid of this shit.

My fragile plastic POS has annealed over 100K pieces of brass without a single issue. Mine is made of thick heavy gauge steel, not thin sheet metal, and its never missed a beat or had a single issue. I have 1 of the first units ever made. Same wheels since day 1... There is a whole thread I did years ago on fixing the torch and torch holding arm with an articulating quick adjust arm. Mine runs great. Not a single piece of warped metal on mine. Learn with that high IQ how to adjust and aim your torch properly so you arent melting wheels Pan does not mate with the machine? lolol.. Your fucking troll dude.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

The issues are not unknown. There is no way to position the torch without melting the wheels, especially on short rounds like dasher or GT. Even with 6.5CM cases, you are getting a ton of heat on the wheels with the torch directly at the neck. With the torch properly adjusted as far away from the machine as possible, the residual heat on a 100+ piece of brass run WILL melt the wheels. There is a reason there are aftermarket Aluminum heat sink covers that are a must have to run the machine without melting the wheels, causing the plastic to get transferred on the cases, jamming the whole system up.

There is a reason the guy who started this thread was exploring making aftermarket alluminum wheels to solve the melting wheel issue.

In order to install those covers, you have to take apart the whole machine and get to see how its nothing but cheap plastic gears and bushings. You need to trim down one of the bushings so you can fit a wingnut over the cover to hold it down. The wing nuts also come lose time to time and you can only tighten them so much without shattering the plastic gears they are attached to. When they come lose the wheel slipps and it cant carry the next case so it jams the machine with a piece of brass in the flame getting destroyed while you try to tightening it without catching yourself on fire.

The tray it comes with does not even hold half the number of cases you can fit in the hopper, so as it fills up, you have this 300-400*+ tray full of brass you need to find a way to move and replace or dump before the next case falls through. The Machine is angled back and the tray is square to the surface so you have 700* cases that fall between the tray and the machine and get stuck, that you have to swipe into the tray to keep the next one from jamming behind it. I ended up taping a carboard box to the machine so it creates a chute it can go down into a cool.

Its a cheap, shitty design that may or may not even anneal the cases, or may over anneal them depending on how long you let them soak in the flame.

I have around 10-15K cases annealed on it so far and would say I understand the strengths and weakness of the machines pretty well.

There are ALOT of other people out there with the same issues. But I am the Troll? ROFL.

 

[padom]

The issues are not unknown. There is no way to position the torch without melting the wheels, especially on short rounds like dasher or GT. Even with 6.5CM cases, you are getting a ton of heat on the wheels with the torch directly at the neck. With the torch properly adjusted as far away from the machine as possible, the residual heat on a 100+ piece of brass run WILL melt the wheels. There is a reason there are aftermarket Aluminum heat sink covers that are a must have to run the machine without melting the wheels, causing the plastic to get transferred on the cases, jamming the whole system up.

There is a reason the guy who started this thread was exploring making aftermarket alluminum wheels to solve the melting wheel issue.

In order to install those covers, you have to take apart the whole machine and get to see how its nothing but cheap plastic gears and bushings. You need to trim down one of the bushings so you can fit a wingnut over the cover to hold it down. The wing nuts also come lose time to time and you can only tighten them so much without shattering the plastic gears they are attached to.

The tray it comes with does not even hold half the number of cases you can fit in the hopper, so as it fills up, you have this 300-400*+ tray full of brass you need to find a way to move and replace or dump before the next case falls through. The Machine is angled back and the tray is square to the surface so you have 700* cases that fall between the tray and the machine and get stuck, that you have to swipe into the tray to keep the next one from jamming behind it. I ended up taping a carboard box to the machine so it creates a chute it can go down into a cool.

Its a cheap, shitty design that may or may not even anneal the cases, or may over anneal them depending on how long you let them soak in the flame.

I have around 10-15K cases annealed on it so far and would say I understand the strengths and weakness of the machines pretty well.

There are ALOT of other people out there with the same issues. But I am the Troll? ROFL.

Youre a troll. Lets see a picture of your setup? Did you ever do the torch replacement? Did you install a regulator? Did you install an articulating arm? 100 cases of 6.5cm?? lmfao. lets talk smaller cases and more qty. Ive done 500 at a time with 5.56, I do 6BR all the time and 300blk.

None of the issue you describe. IVE NEVER HAD A WHEEL melt onto a case and jam the machine. Never, not once. I guess if you have a very low IQ anything is a piece of shit and can break. Is it an AMP or Giruad. No. Does it do its job. yes. How many videos would you like me to make running hundreds of pieces of brass. Would you like to watch how my wheels never melt. How there is no jams?

You do realize the bottom half of the case is not supposed to get super hot. You will weaken the base doing that... Do you use Tempilaq? Doesnt sound like it... Just because other people have issues doesnt mean shit. I have as many or more cases on mine without issue than anyone you can find.

You can yell, kick your feet and scream all you want but facts are facts. Properly tuned and setup, it runs without issue and Ive never had any of the problems you mention. I even have one of the very first batches. Doesnt even have an adjustable ramp/flapper.....

 

[padom]

Here are some very old pictures of mine right after doing the upgrades... Speed control, articulating arm and Goss regulator to 20lb tank... No melted wheels or issues.

 

[6.5SH]

Here are some very old pictures of mine right after doing the upgrades... Speed control, articulating arm and Goss regulator to 20lb tank... No melted wheels or issues.

What torch is that?

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

Youre a troll. Lets see a picture of your setup? Did you ever do the torch replacement? Did you install a regulator? Did you install an articulating arm? 100 cases of 6.5cm?? lmfao. lets talk smaller cases and more qty. Ive done 500 at a time with 5.56, I do 6BR all the time and 300blk.

None of the issue you describe. IVE NEVER HAD A WHEEL melt onto a case and jam the machine. Never, not once. I guess if you have a very low IQ anything is a piece of shit and can break. Is it an AMP or Giruad. No. Does it do its job. yes. How many videos would you like me to make running hundreds of pieces of brass. Would you like to watch how my wheels never melt. How there is no jams?

You do realize the bottom half of the case is not supposed to get super hot. You will weaken the base doing that... Do you use Tempilaq? Doesnt sound like it... Just because other people have issues doesnt mean shit. I have as many or more cases on mine without issue than anyone you can find.

You can yell, kick your feet and scream all you want but facts are facts. Properly tuned and setup, it runs without issue and Ive never had any of the problems you mention. I even have one of the very first batches. Doesnt even have an adjustable ramp/flapper.....

Oh so now I also have to install a new torch, a new regulator, a new arm/holder?

So i need to replace half the machine to make it functional but its a great machine with no issues?

By the time you spend the time and money upgrading it, you could buy a bench source or half way to an AMP.

I anneal 6GT in batches of 500-600 at a time. Before I got the wheel covers, this would have been impossible.

No shit the casehead can't be annealed. You aren't teaching anyone here anything they don't already know.

I don't know what to tell you, plenty of people have the same issues I do. Just because you don't doesn't mean they dont exist.

This is just like the people jumping the shit of those in the autotrickler thread who are having issues with their V4.

"wEll mIne doEsnT haVe IsSues sO y0u is Liar"

 

[padom]

What torch is that?

God Id have to go back and look. I did a whole Annealeez upgrade thread with model numbers, ordering links, part#, etc for the torch conversion (million times better than the one that came with it), Goss regulator, and 20lb tank upgrade. Articulating arm is the best though. You can position the torch on an outward angle, away from wheels while still covering the whole neck down to the neck/shoulder junction.

Ill have to see if I still have some videos... Its been many years since that thread. But my Annealeez still runs great without issue.

 

[padom]

Oh so now I also have to install a new torch, a new regulator, a new arm/holder?

So i need to replace half the machine to make it functional but its a great machine with no issues?

By the time you spend the time and money upgrading it, you could buy a bench source or half way to an AMP.

I anneal 6GT in batches of 500-600 at a time. Before I got the wheel covers, this would have been impossible.

No shit the casehead can't be annealed. You aren't teaching anyone here anything they don't already know.

I don't know what to tell you, plenty of people have the same issues I do. Just because you don't doesn't mean they dont exist.

This is just like the people jumping the shit of those in the autotrickler thread who are having issues with their V4.

"wEll mIne doEsnT haVe IsSues sO y0u is Liar"

Still hearing lots of hot air and no pictures or video so we can tell you what youre doing wrong... And, you arent ANYWHERE close to an AMP cost. Not even half way there, just so we are keeping the facts straight. Also, you dont NEED the regulator and 20lb tank upgrades. The torch and articulating arm were $30 and $25. So again, all I hear is hot air and misinformation. You sound like a little bitch. Just saying. 🖐

 

[straightshooter1]

Here are some very old pictures of mine right after doing the upgrades... Speed control, articulating arm and Goss regulator to 20lb tank... No melted wheels or issues.

I've got the same model and also installed a speed control digital readout and will sometimes set it up with a regulator to a 20lb tank. It was never hard to adjust the flame far enough away from the wheels.

When I fist got it, I did have a minor issue with the wheel not turning the cases very well as the support flange above the drive wheel produced too much friction and needed adjustment. Once that was adjusted, no problems since. Apparently, the newer one's don't have that type of flange any longer.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

Still hearing lots of hot air and no pictures or video so we can tell you what youre doing wrong... And, you arent ANYWHERE close to an AMP cost. Not even half way there, just so we are keeping the facts straight. Also, you dont NEED the regulator and 20lb tank upgrades. The torch and articulating arm were $30 and $25. So again, all I hear is hot air and misinformation. You sound like a little bitch. Just saying. 🖐

Why are you being such an asshole? Like seriously who pissed in your cheerios this morning.

You want me to jump in my time machine and take a video of issues from a year ago before I modified the machine to not melt the wheels?

Time is money. Having to spend hours = hundreds of dollars of my time lost doing shit I don't want to do.

Tell me what you want a picture of? I need to anneal some cases later this week after practice tonight, and can take some snaps of it.

 

[padom]

Why are you being such an asshole? Like seriously who pissed in your cheerios this morning.

You want me to jump in my time machine and take a video of issues from a year ago before I modified the machine to not melt the wheels?

Time is money. Having to spend hours = hundreds of dollars of my time lost doing shit I don't want to do.

Tell me what you want a picture of? I need to anneal some cases later this week after practice tonight, and can take some snaps of it.

OHHHHH, so you DID modify your machine and it DOESNT melt wheels anymore?? LMFAO. Hours and hundreds of dollars... Took me all of 10min to install my new torch and articulating arm........

 

[padom]

I've got the same model and also installed a speed control digital readout and will sometimes set it up with a regulator to a 20lb tank. It was never hard to adjust the flame far enough away from the wheels.

Look at that, someone who also found it easy to adjust and aim there torch that doesnt melt wheels.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

You are right we are all fucking idiots and don't know what we are doing.

Thankfully we have you to show us the way.

 

[padom]

You are right we are all fucking idiots and don't know what we are doing.

Thankfully we have you to show us the way.

I mean lets start by stating the entire story from the beginning instead of posting bullshit misinformation. Thats all. A simple $20 torch and $25 articulating arm mod allows you to properly position the torch without melting wheels fast and easy every time.

 

[Lightning8]

I picked up a used one from a buddy - early model - just so I could leave it setup with small wheels for 6BR. Ran 3000 cases through it last few weeks no big deal.

 

[Ravenworks]

The issues are not unknown. There is no way to position the torch without melting the wheels, especially on short rounds like dasher or GT. Even with 6.5CM cases, you are getting a ton of heat on the wheels with the torch directly at the neck. With the torch properly adjusted as far away from the machine as possible, the residual heat on a 100+ piece of brass run WILL melt the wheels. There is a reason there are aftermarket Aluminum heat sink covers that are a must have to run the machine without melting the wheels, causing the plastic to get transferred on the cases, jamming the whole system up.

There is a reason the guy who started this thread was exploring making aftermarket alluminum wheels to solve the melting wheel issue.

In order to install those covers, you have to take apart the whole machine and get to see how its nothing but cheap plastic gears and bushings. You need to trim down one of the bushings so you can fit a wingnut over the cover to hold it down. The wing nuts also come lose time to time and you can only tighten them so much without shattering the plastic gears they are attached to. When they come lose the wheel slipps and it cant carry the next case so it jams the machine with a piece of brass in the flame getting destroyed while you try to tightening it without catching yourself on fire.

The tray it comes with does not even hold half the number of cases you can fit in the hopper, so as it fills up, you have this 300-400*+ tray full of brass you need to find a way to move and replace or dump before the next case falls through. The Machine is angled back and the tray is square to the surface so you have 700* cases that fall between the tray and the machine and get stuck, that you have to swipe into the tray to keep the next one from jamming behind it. I ended up taping a carboard box to the machine so it creates a chute it can go down into a cool.

Its a cheap, shitty design that may or may not even anneal the cases, or may over anneal them depending on how long you let them soak in the flame.

I have around 10-15K cases annealed on it so far and would say I understand the strengths and weakness of the machines pretty well.

There are ALOT of other people out there with the same issues. But I am the Troll? ROFL.

Hey troll,I have no problem doing what needs to be done.
The difference between me and you, I understand how to work with what I got.
Simple upgrade.

 

[6.5SH]

Hey troll,I have no problem doing what needs to be done.
The difference between me and you, I understand how to work with what I got.
Simple upgrade.
View attachment 7911581

I used a turnbuckle, J-hook and a few washers.

 

[KnowNothing256]

Sorry to pile on, but another "I didn't melt my wheels and jam the machine and ruin brass" user over here. Had to go a slightly janky route to rig up a pressure gauge, but I have notes on my target pressure at the torch and the speed setting on my newer-version unit.

As for the complaint about the tray, sure, it's basically useless as a part of this machine. It's not exactly hard to park a cardboard box under the unit and set it right at the edge of the surface it's on; I actually like about 1/8" of the bench edge showing so the case skips off the bench and out into the cardboard box. Takes like three cases to set it right and then I start watching a movie while the thing runs hundreds of cases at a time.

I'll confess that I haven't annealed my 22BR brass, so maybe my life will get much worse soon, but I bought the small wheels for it. The 6.5CM brass has been no big deal; frankly, annealing is my favorite reloading step because it's one of the only "set and forget" steps, and doesn't require a bunch of post-operation shenanigans like tumbling does.

ETA: I verify that the settings (gas pressure and speed) are right each time using Tempilaq, but it's never been wrong once.

 

[Haney]

Why are you being such an asshole? Like seriously who pissed in your cheerios this morning.

You want me to jump in my time machine and take a video of issues from a year ago before I modified the machine to not melt the wheels?

Time is money. Having to spend hours = hundreds of dollars of my time lost doing shit I don't want to do.

Tell me what you want a picture of? I need to anneal some cases later this week after practice tonight, and can take some snaps of it.

I think you are a liar, with very thin skin .

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

I think you are a liar, with very thin skin .

The opinion of someone not qualified to enter into this conversation is worthless.

Thanks for you're contribution.

 

[BFGDC]

Anyone know the diameter of the hole they use to screw/bolt the turn buckle into the machine?

 

[BallisticExpansion]

I'm not going to read all of the above comments. But will share some detail on why I found the annealez to be sub par to other options now available on the market.

First off the wheel and hopper design is currently the best consumer flame annealing method IMO. So the annealez design in that regard is not the issue.

The biggest issue with the annealez is the the design of the motor "shafts". The "shafts" are simply a threaded bolt. The wheels only keep their original position because of the nut that screws down to hold them on. When tightened down the wheels only are locked in place with a press/friction fit against a small plastic/delrin collar which the threaded motor "shaft" is pressed into.


Furthermore the shafts are right hand threads... the bottom wheel, which also determines how long the brass is in the flame...turns left unscrewing itself.

When using aluminum wheels I expected them to absorb and hold some heat (30min got them to 120-150 deg, depending on case setup). Especially using fat wheels with short casings. What I did not expect was the wheels to get hot enough to melt away the plastic collar on the motor "shaft". This made it almost impossible to keep the aluminum wheels tight on the unit.

I also found the motors to be a little underpowered for my preference. I was also concerned about heat transfer to them for long periods of usage of the unit.

I can't entirely blame the annealez for not performing. It's a consumer product at best and I was modifying it to make it at least semi commerical grade. However, even as a consumer product I realized there are now much better options on the market for similar pricing. One prime example is the ugly annealer.

I also found my need for bulk annealing to be unnecessary. I currently do not even own an annealer but I plan to purchase the ugly annealer.

If AMP or someone else could design a faster casefeed system for the AMP I would use it. The DIY induction annealer are also clever but I have no time or desire to tinker with that project currently.

Thanks all.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

BE,

AMP + Casemate + Dilion Case feeder + Creedmoor Sports Stand.. Its expensive but its an automated system that will churn about 300-350cases an hour . Push a button and go do something else while it works.

Once you see how well and even the annealing is, you will never want to use anything else.

 

[supercorndogs]

Why are you arguing about something you have no experience with?

Its a fragile plastic laden hunk of shit, the wheels melt, the flame is almost impossible to control, Its made of thin sheet metal that bends and gets warped when its heated, The torch is very hard to aim just right with the adjustments provided, The included tray sucks and does not mate to the machine causing cases to sometimes fall outside of tray, melting carpet or whatever else shit ruining the case.

I still use one as its all I have, but its a massive pile of shit. Will be upgrading to an AMP next season and be rid of this shit.

You run your annealeze on the carpet...

The flame is almost impossible to control? Torches are valved for tank pressure. If you have liquid in your bottle the "flame changing" is in you head mot reality.

I almost asked in the other thread how you had quantified how much better the AMPs annealing was. You been going around crowing about the AMP and haven't even used one.

You can look at a case and see how good the annealing is too...

This people is why you don't listen to everyone on the internet.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

You run your annealeze on the carpet...

The flame is almost impossible to control? Torches are valved for tank pressure. If you have liquid in your bottle the "flame changing" is in you head mot reality.

I almost asked in the other thread how you had quantified how much better the AMPs annealing was. You been going around crowing about the AMP and haven't even used one.

You can look at a case and see how good the annealing is too...

This people is why you don't listen to everyone on the internet.

Who said I run it on carpet? Learn to fucking read. The cases fill up the undersized pan and due to the design of the slope of the machine they sometimes fall and get stuck on the lip, this causes the next case to bounce off and out of the pan, rolling off the table.

Yes the flame is impossible to control. Watching runs of 200+ cases you constantly see the flame tip walk. Have to adjust it every few minutes to make sure you are getting the same heat/time for each case.

The AMP is better. I have one so how the fuck do I not have experience with one? I bought one after getting tired of dealing with the piece of shit Annealize and wish I would have done it two years ago. The machine even without the mate is faster, more consistent and you can see each case being perfectly annealed, unlike what you see what the torch machines.

Ever look at new Alpha, Peterson or Lapua brass? Its freshly annealed from the factory and you can see the discoloration due to recrystaliztation of the material. The same thing happens and you get the same look as fresh from the factory brass with the AMP. Never got that with a torch machine no matter how many different settings were tried.