Home made annealer

[wjm1000]

Never did much annealing and have been fairly successful in 1000 yard competition ( won IBS national score championship and several state championships) and long range hunting having taken several deer over 1000 yards. However this past hunting season I noticed some vertical dispersion when testing loads (408/338 Big Baer and .338 Baer) and had some very high SD using newly purchased LabRadar. After talking to Bruce Baer he informed me that I should be annealing. So being on a fixed income I decided to make an annealing machine. this is what I came up with and the results from that endeavor.

Please comment on the photos of my test annealing. The Tempilaq below the shoulder is 450°F and I had 750°F inside the case mouth which melted. The cases are 408/338 Big Baer and .308 Baer

 

[1066]

I'd be happy with those from every aspect.

Here's one of my homemade efforts.

 

[wjm1000]

I'd be happy with those from every aspect.

Here's one of my homemade efforts.

Nice Job!

 

[Zero333]

Both you fellas have it figured out.

@ wjm1000 : correct me if I'm wrong... you painted red tempilaq (760?) below the shoulder and white (450?) below the red ?

 

[STS]

Looks like it's doing the job. What torch did you use?

 

[wjm1000]

Both you fellas have it figured out.

@ wjm1000 : correct me if I'm wrong... you painted red tempilaq (760?) below the shoulder and white (450?) below the red ?

No. I only had 450° F on the outside of the case and 750° F inside the case mouth. The red is the 450° F melted.

 

[Bc'z]

I'm assuming these are test cases?
3rd case from left looks like it'll fail on next firing. Also noticed a line on a few others just above the web.

 

[jepp2]

The Tempilaq below the shoulder is 450°F and I had 750°F inside the case mouth which melted.

There are basically 2 camps on annealing.

The 750° camp which based on the time at temperature is stress relieving

The over 1000° camp, which is just before the case starts to glow dull red in a darkened room. This is considered annealing.

I started annealing in the '70's using the case standing in the pan with water half way up. The popular guidance at the time was heat to the dull red glow in the darkened room. I didn't like I was only able to heat 1 side of the case with this setup.

Times changed and guidance was for the 750° Tempilaq inside the case neck. Did that for a few years using a better setup and later a MRB annealer.

Introduction of the AMP. This took temps to the dull red glow again (based on their data and charts). AMP owners are very committed to their product.

I've been using the above 1000 for a while and for cases with equal patina, can see no difference in the appearance of the end product. Probably will stay with it. But I had read that taking cases above 750 would burn the zinc off and make the case necks dead soft and they would collapse when you started to seat the bullet. Hasn't been a problem to me.

Just sharing perspective, you decide which you want. And regarding the Tempilaq on the outside of the case, if the flame contacts the Tempilaq, you can disregard it as being accurate. It is basically a high melting temperature wax, and the temp of the flame melts it. Keep it below the flame contact for accurate readings.

 

[wjm1000]

Looks like it's doing the job. What torch did you use?

Just your average burns a matic torch propane torch