Annealing. First batch. How does this look?

[LawDog101]

I read up a bunch on annealing and took the advice of several hide members before I started. Here is my first batch. Bottom of the pic is the first run, where I was experimenting with time. Some are too light, some too far down on the case. Middle of the pic is a little short on time, I think. Top is what I feel is best. Slightly less than 1/4" below the shoulder, nice blue ring all the way around. I am going to keep testing to see and I have Tempistick coming for verification.



Another question is whether to get 650 Tempilaq and paint it in the throat or go with the 475 temp a little down from the shoulder like some of the annealing kits recommend (Hornady). Many thanks to hide members for their help.

LD

 

[8nbait]

Looks very good, what brand brass is it? I can't get any color out my lapua brass.

 

[XL Mammal]

Looks pretty good to me. Which technique did you use?

 

[High Binder]

Top looks the "best" and the bottom looks inconsistent as hell. Tempilaq isn't going to help you because as I've been saying for years here on the Hide, temperature is NOT the only factor. Annealing is as much about temp as it is time. Best method is to try it in a darkened room and if you're using a single propane blowtorch (which it looks like you are) and go for a dark maroon glow. You have a bigger window then people tend to think so don't freak out if you go to hot or cold (hotter is better but don't go nuts).

 

[J-ROD]

I agree with High Binder 100%.
I use the dark room method in a somewhat controlled process, so far so good


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[LawDog101]

I used the chuck it up in a socket, spin it, heat til you see blue ring 1/4" down from shoulder and drop in water.....method.

Right around 8sec for top in pic. Seems to be about right....maybe a tad bit more. Most folks online indicate 8-12sec on 308 brass.

In the dark it is clearly heating up. The brass is hornady frontier brass. Had a bunch lying around and used it to test.

Feeling like i am getting a handle on it. Thanks guys.

LD

 

[Aimsmall55]

You really don't need to drop it in water. That kind of defeats the purpose, as the heat is supposed to spread throughout the case to "soften" the whole thing. I think it's 700 degrees at the neck and that will spread down toward the case head (not at those temps of course) So get your self a metal bowl, cook it until its annealed and allow it to cool down on its own.
I just use a butane torch and a pair of gloves while holding and spinning the case. It works pretty good....

 

[Bluejazz]

I personally don't let mine cool down on its own. I dump it in water.
If the brass heats up further down in the web area when cooling on its own,
does that make it more prone to case head separation?

 

[Aimsmall55]

I personally don't let mine cool down on its own. I dump it in water.
If the brass heats up further down in the web area when cooling on its own,
does that make it more prone to case head separation?

If you way over do it , yes, there's a higher chance

 

[High Binder]

I personally don't let mine cool down on its own. I dump it in water.
If the brass heats up further down in the web area when cooling on its own,
does that make it more prone to case head separation?

No, the brass isn't thick enough and acts as a heat sink bleeding off heat quickly.

Does the web warm up? Yes, but if you're doing it right it wont be even get hot enough to not hold in your fingers.

Is it enough to anneal or even effect the web? Not even close! Because like I said above and a thousand other times here already, annealing is not only about heat. The time needed to anneal your brass at the heat level that will reach the web is so minor that even weeks at that temp wont anneal the brass. This is also why it's perfectly safe to dry your brass in an oven at ~200F

 

[Cascade_Sherpa]

Good information guys! How many times should a piece of brass be fired between annealings?

Tag for reference later.

John

 

[Ballistic308]

Good information guys! How many times should a piece of brass be fired between annealings?

Tag for reference later.

John

3x is a good cycle

 

[jsthntn247]

Good information guys! How many times should a piece of brass be fired between annealings?

Tag for reference later.

John

All depends on what you want to do with it. I anneal after every firing because I do the same steps every time to my brass for consisntency sake and it is paying off on paper.

 

[damoncali]

That kind of defeats the purpose, as the heat is supposed to spread throughout the case to "soften" the whole thing.

I suspect you know this, but your language isn't clear and in case anyone who does not know reads this, you do NOT want the heat to spread through the whole case. You want it limited to the neck and shoulder. Annealing will take the strength of the brass from as high as 85 ksi down to 20ksi or even 10ksi. Doing that to the case head is a very bad idea and a good way to get a face full of propellant gas.

Drop it in water or let it cool in air, but whatever you do, do not anneal the head.

 

[Aimsmall55]

I suspect you know this, but your language isn't clear and in case anyone who does not know reads this, you do NOT want the heat to spread through the whole case. You want it limited to the neck and shoulder. Annealing will take the strength of the brass from as high as 85 ksi down to 20ksi or even 10ksi. Doing that to the case head is a very bad idea and a good way to get a face full of propellant gas.

Drop it in water or let it cool in air, but whatever you do, do not anneal the head.

Your right. I should have been clearer. My apologies. My thoughts are one should practice on "throw away " stuff before using annealed brass that you do not know if its gtg or not. Just be safe and maybe practice with 600 to 700 templique

 

[Sweetyzfd]

Good info. Can't wait to try

 

[Sweetyzfd]

You just dropping them in a socket on a drill?

 

[armorpl8chikn]

Your top batch looks perfect. You just make sure the brass doesn't lose its "sheen" if you can understand that. If it looks dull you went too far.
I agree you can never go by the way brass looks. Lots of long range BR guys do it by this very method, with no fancy machine and going strictly on "feel" and you know what a bunch of morons those guys are
Better quit doing it this way and spend several hundred dollars on a machine, so you can paint by the numbers instead of becoming an artist. Some people with little talent are jealous of those who aspire to art.

You don't need any crap to smear on the case to tell you when it is right.

 

[Aimsmall55]

Your top batch looks perfect. You just make sure the brass doesn't lose its "sheen" if you can understand that. If it looks dull you went too far.
I agree you can never go by the way brass looks. Lots of long range BR guys do it by this very method, with no fancy machine and going strictly on "feel" and you know what a bunch of morons those guys are
Better quit doing it this way and spend several hundred dollars on a machine, so you can paint by the numbers instead of becoming an artist. Some people with little talent are jealous of those who aspire to art.

You don't need any crap to smear on the case to tell you when it is right.

Your right, forget learning or using tools like tempi. to get speed your learning. Oh, and using the correct tools dose not make you less smart. Just faster and more consistent.

Not to be a jerk, but I think what he's saying is that WHILE learning how to anneal he doesn't have to use a few hundred $ machine to get it done right. Nobody taught me shit, I learned by trying different brass, making note of each types characteristics while cooking it. Some will turn an indicating color such as RP and Hornady brass, and some won't like win or lapua. Point is that while some people prefer a machine , others enjoy doing it themselves. I guess you could compare it to a compound bow hunter with the "latest and greatest " Matthews Bow with a 250$ ranging sight. Then you have the recurve and long bow hunters who do everything by instinct. An instinct that they have acquired from PRACTICE without the fancy gadgets.

 

[Aimsmall55]

Ism that I still do it the same way I started. A pair of leather work gloves and an 18$ butane torch from Walmart.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

Mr. Wetsuit you would likely pass out if you watched me load a batch of match ammo. You would likely perk up when you saw me shoot it though. You might be shocked at what kind of ammo can be turned out, without all the obsessive operations touted on internet forums, by a man who NO LONGER owns a mic or concentricity guage, and who can't even tell you where the last place he put his primer pocket uniformer. Don't own a headspace guage to measure sizing setback either, and yet have managed to win matches and lose brass to primer pocket failure after untold number of firings. Not saying tools aren't great, I am saying they can be a crutch that leads to dependence.