Annealing brass

[raptor1ronin]

I just recieved my Annealeeze set up for $275. This unit is well made and adjustable. I am thinking that no other annealing product on the market makes better results for the price than this unit. The giraud is good but this works as well for far less coin.
I got the burned fingers to give evidence that adjusting is tricky. Get your tempilac from brownells since it is cheaper than Amazon.

Have been happy with mine great product.

 

[centershot]

You do not quench the brass in water?

 

[37Lincoln1]

You do not quench the brass in water?

Not necessary

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Doesnt quenching the brass harden it right back?

 

[spclark]

Doesnt quenching the brass harden it right back?

No. Brass doesn't behave the same as iron-bearing alloys.

All quenching does is add another step, one that requires additional time for the water to evaporate.

 

[mrbigsteel]

I use a home built anealing machine that makes short work of 100 or 200 cases that need annealing for now mostly .284win necked up lapua cases ,anneal after 2 firings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJalFC9ZUws

I like how simple your design is. Can you share any info about the motor you used and how you control the speed?

 

[centershot]

Thanks, Joe R.The pics were worth a thousand words!

 

[Endyo]

Don't want to Hijack, but Eric and Raptor. No issues with the annealeez? Have y'all used other annealers to compare it to?

 

[raptor1ronin]

Don't want to Hijack, but Eric and Raptor. No issues with the annealeez? Have y'all used other annealers to compare it to?

Used a bench source and it was awesome but couldn't justify spending that much money. I can use it elsewhere like buying more powder. In my
Opinion the annealeez works just as good as a 500 dollar machine.

 

[Joe R]

Dusty Stevens said:
Doesnt quenching the brass harden it right back?

Here's a very good article on annealing brass, it is worth reading and answers the quenching question. By the way I anneal every time.

Because I'm into F-TR and shoot 3,000+ rounds a year, about a month ago I finally broke down and decided to give the annealeez a try. At first my cases didn't spin properly, but after a couple emails (very fast response) I was told to adjust a part and it has worked flawlessly. I did 480 cases at one time without a single hickup. It seems to be well built, but I wonder about the little electric motor, everything depends on it. Time will tell if it is a good buy.

Kindest regards,

Joe

 

[Endyo]

Good article thanks Joe.

I know I will break down and buy an annealing machine. I just got a bernzomatic torch and propane bottle combo at Home Depot for $15. I'm going to try the cheap drill method until I have more funds available.

Concentricity gauge and better dies take priority. It also doesn't help that I bought two rifles in the last month. F-class is proving to be as expensive as it is addicting.

The annealez, Giraud, and Benchsoure are on targets. Maybe another good deal will come by on these threads.

 

[Joe R]

Endyo,
You have your priorities in good order. I annealed with the drill for a couple of years, and I still think it is the best method bar none. But, I'm getting a little lazy and the price seemed very reasonable. In a moment of weakness I gave in.

Endyo said:
F-class is proving to be as expensive as it is addicting.

Amen brother. They've shut down our range (Bayou Rifle) for a couple of weeks starting last Monday (8/17) to do some repairs and upgrades. There is a whole bunch of us junkies down here getting withdrawals. I'm getting calls asking me if I want to go a commercial range near by and it's only been five days. I think before this is over we may have to form a support group.


Joe

 

[johnfred1965]

I got this lovely PM from Catshooter, and since he doesn't take return PM's I thought I would answer him here.

"If they get hot enough to glow red, you are cooking the zinc out of the brass alloy. "

That is blatently false - you cannot "cook the zink out of the brass allow"!!

How the hell do you think they cast brass - they heat it too white hot. Zink does not cook out.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiIrLvAUh6o

If you watch this video for setting up a bench source annealing machine, you will see where I got the idea that zinc can be burned out of brass, although in the video he did say it was debatable weather it was zinc, tin or other impurities.

As for manuracturing brass, while I am not a metallurgist, I am able to read and do a google search on alloy manufacturing. Copper melts around 1900F while zinc boils (or vaporizes) around 1800F. When making brass alloy, up to 50% extra zinc is added to account for vaporization during manufacturing, So YOUR statement that zinc does not cook out is blatantly false.

Finally, I can see why you do not post publically on here because you really come across as a d*#khead weather you are right or not. had you simply stated that I might be mistaken, I would not have bothered to confirm myself, but since you obviously have all the answers and I am but a lowly serf, I thought I would check my sources and rub your nose in it.

 

[ericbc7]

Catshooter by way of whoever is right, brass is not susseptable to quenching/tempering. Brass does not respond this way. Dump your hot brass in water or not -no difference. I don't know about trying to flame brass partially submerged in water, but annealing said brass is far less effective than using tempilac and a mechanical Annealer .

 

[Juma]

If you take away the heat source from your brass i.e. you flame how does the annealing continue to travel or operate because the process is dependent on heat. Just put our annealed brass onto an old towel straight from the deep well socket.

 

[Mozella]

....... snip ...... I'm going to try the cheap drill method until I have more funds available.

....... snip .. The annealez, Giraud, and Benchsoure are on targets. Maybe another good deal will come by on these threads.

Build a "Skip" designed machine. They're cheap, easy to fabricate, and they do a consistent job easier and more accurately than many commercial machines. They're at least as good as the best on the market and at a fraction of the cost. Google "DIY Annealer". There are many great posts about how to build this machine including parts lists, dimensions, etc.

I anneal every time since it's so easy. Load the hopper with a hundred rounds or so, light the torch, and watch it run. Since this photo was taken I added a proximity switch to the feed ramp to keep the two motors in sync and wired it to a counter which keeps track of how many cases are in a particular batch.

Here's my version.

 

[z2013]

Mozella, where did you get your torch head you are using? I built the unit, but can't find a torch tip like yours.

 

[JRS]

Bernzomatic, Mag-Torch or Worthington.

 

[Mozella]

Mozella, where did you get your torch head you are using? I built the unit, but can't find a torch tip like yours.

I don't remember if it was Lowes or Home Depot, but was one of the two. I also bought an extension hose at the same place. I also mistakenly purchased a similar looking head which was NOT a pencil flame, but you really need a pencil flame for this job. Read carefully.

 

[eric n]

If you take away the heat source from your brass i.e. you flame how does the annealing continue to travel or operate because the process is dependent on heat. Just put our annealed brass onto an old towel straight from the deep well socket.

You don't want to do that.... Put some foil on top of the towel and dump them on that. Towel burned on the neck is hard to get off..... Ask me how I know