Armory Sponsor
Posted: 4/16/2009 9:12:01 AM EDT
|
OK so I've got some freshly cleaned, resized, trimmed brass ready to anneal with a benzene torch and have a couple questions:
1. The tempering process requires me to rapidly cool the brass in water. Will getting the bottom of the brass wet cause it to harden? I was planning on keeping it in about an inch of water to prevent the bottom part from getting too hot, then knocking them over, and when finished putting everything in the tumbler to get dried out. Does this sound like a good plan or do you have a better one? 2. Should I debur/chamfer before or after the annealing process? My thought would be after. 3. I've heard 4-5 seconds for each case; is this total or from the moment it turns orange? I've seen it done both ways. 4. Anything else I should know? |
|
http://www.6mmbr.com/annealing.html
Everything I know is wrong. |
|
Quoted:
OK so I've got some freshly cleaned, resized, trimmed brass ready to anneal with a benzene torch and have a couple questions: 1. The tempering process requires me to rapidly cool the brass in water. Will getting the bottom of the brass wet cause it to harden? I was planning on keeping it in about an inch of water to prevent the bottom part from getting too hot, then knocking them over, and when finished putting everything in the tumbler to get dried out. Does this sound like a good plan or do you have a better one? 2. Should I debur/chamfer before or after the annealing process? My thought would be after. 3. I've heard 4-5 seconds for each case; is this total or from the moment it turns orange? I've seen it done both ways. 4. Anything else I should know? Relating what I know about the procedure.... 1. Rapid cooling? not absolutely necessary. Tipping them over in the water is just a convenient means to get the casings cool for handling since the bottom half is already in the water and to get them out of the way of the annealing flame. 2. Your choice. 3. Orange in a " very dark" room with your eyes accustomed to the dark. Do not try to judge color in a lighted room. Trying to time it is problematic without a good mechanical assist. Only the top of the neck or casing mouth will be orange, do not try to get the orange down to water level. It will not work. 4. This procedure is touchy at best, and should only be used as a last resort. It is not necessary for 1X, 2X fired brass. Most reloaders never do this procedure. |
|
Don't confuse color run with red/orange because of heat.
The case will turn a silver just before it gets to the point it goes to dull red heat, quench then and you get a bluish tinge to the neck. and a color run on the shoulder. ]=http://www.hunt101.com/showphoto.php/photo/515562/ppuser/2247] If you look close at the shoulder, you can see a slight discolor about a quarter down the shoulder. 'Borg |
|
Quoted:
Everything I know is wrong. Well, it makes it easy that you found that out on your own. 
The best results I have had for annealing so far came by holding the case in my fingers and twirling it in the torch flame while counting steamboats, then finally dropping onto a damp towel. The case should never glow, but will have a distinct heat tint after you are done. I have recently finished putting together a new setup that uses a Lee Precision Melter to melt potassium nitrate salt. I use a digital multimeter with themocouple input to monitor temperature. Doing some tests with it I found I could anneal a case in about 4 seconds and control the temperature within 5 Celsius degrees. I haven't used the finished setup yet but figure it will process 1200 cases per hour easy, with almost perfect temperature control. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Everything I know is wrong. Well, it makes it easy that you found that out on your own.
The best results I have had for annealing so far came by holding the case in my fingers and twirling it in the torch flame while counting steamboats, then finally dropping onto a damp towel. The case should never glow, but will have a distinct heat tint after you are done. I have recently finished putting together a new setup that uses a Lee Precision Melter to melt potassium nitrate salt. I use a digital multimeter with themocouple input to monitor temperature. Doing some tests with it I found I could anneal a case in about 4 seconds and control the temperature within 5 Celsius degrees. I haven't used the finished setup yet but figure it will process 1200 cases per hour easy, with almost perfect temperature control. How are you dunking the cases into the bath? This seems like a good way to get burned if you're holding the cases in your fingers. The anneal should be progressive along the case; softest in the neck, to no change past a point just below the shoulder. |
Armory Sponsor