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Induction brass annealer redux

jthor said:
I’m going to convert you to using an auto feed system once I finish it this fall. ;)
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Why have auto feed? Because you can. It is another challenge to meet and defeat. Have a look at my post way back on page 53 for a very simple and non-technical auto feed. All made in my shed with wood and hand tools. Like you I have basic electric / electronics skills and I managed to put this together without too much drama - and it works !! A few minor improvements since then but still the same basis device. Over 5,000 cases now and it still works perfectly.

And here is a YouTube of my auto feeder in action.
 
Nice design and it works ! As I said auto feed is cool, and you did it "because you can" I understand. But for me running 50-100 case through the basic unit, is a good way for me to relax coming home from a match.
 
@Brucey Boy My design is simple ish. Similar to yours in the way it feed, but my codes logic will play as follows.

1- INPUT pin detects HIGH signal to solenoid
2- Delay .5 seconds
3- Stepper motor attached to the cartridge dropping cylinder spins to drop case down funnel.
4- Stepper motor continues to spin until it passes the where it picks up a new cartridge, but stops prior to the drop position.

Then it goes back to waiting for a HIGH INPUT from the solenoid to repeat the loop.
 
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Anyone selling one of these pre built? I am decent with electronics and work with induction heating, but just don't have the time/workspace to get one of these together. PM me if someone is interested in commissioning one for me.
 
jthor said:
@Brucey Boy My design is simple ish. Similar to yours in the way it feed, but my codes logic will play as follows.

1- INPUT pin detects HIGH signal to solenoid
2- Delay .5 seconds
3- Stepper motor attached to the cartridge dropping cylinder spins to drop case down funnel.
4- Stepper motor continues to spin until it passes the where it picks up a new cartridge, but stops prior to the drop position.

Then it goes back to waiting for a HIGH INPUT from the solenoid to repeat the loop.
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My next mod is to do the same as you and do away with the timer on the pickup drum. And the use of the solenoid high signal is the solution I have been pondering. Glad it works for you, I will give it a go. As many have said before, every design is different. But they all work.
 
So I finally did it. I managed to 'cook' my ZVS induction heater board. I put 100 x 6.5 Creedmoor cases through for 8.6secs each with only about 0.5sec delay between cases. At around the 75 cases the watts and amps dropped off significantly. I checked absolutely everything and even re-wired a few runs that I was not happy with, but nothing fixed it. But being an amateur electronics guy had no idea how to check the main board. Anyway, as luck would have it I had an identical spare board in my workshop. Swapped them out and all is good and operating on full power again.

No complaints from me though, I have put 5,408 cases through it (I have fitted a counter which is cycled by the trapdoor solenoid) and this is my first real drama. I blame my reliance on the auto feed to some extent as it is just too easy to load it up with cases, hit the 'go' button and sit back and watch it all happen. I will ensure there is at least a 1 sec delay between cases from now on and I will look at improving the positioning/efficiency of that cooling fan and attaching it directly on top of the board. The fan currently blowing onto the board from the back and the board has a heat sink attached, but it looks as if that was not enough. I am sure that these things all have a life span too, and I didn't expect a $40 board to last forever. On a positive it was a good excuse to get into the workshop and mess around with 'gun stuff'.
 
I check for this thread every time I log in and always wonder why everyone is posting such long anneal times. I just looked to confirm it, but all of my annealing is between 3.5-4.5 seconds. .223/22-250/.243/6mmBR/6.5CM/7mm Rem Mag/.308 etc.

Only thing I can think is I kept mine as SS (KISS) as I could and wrapped the coil in heat resistant tape and used a couple of zipties to hold the coil tight. 12V PSU (fans, water pump and solenoid), 48V PSU, timer, water pump, radiator, SSR, couple cooling fans, trap door solenoid and an on/off switch. No fuses, amp meters and just a couple pieces of 3/4" plywood to hold it all together.

What might be the difference? SSR? Tight coil? Lack of amp meter?

The 22-250 cases I push to the point of bright red that most would say they were junk, but it has stopped the split necks that frequently happened. Not the highest anneal time either.
 
The coil would be the biggest factoR. Did you wrap your coil in a smaller diameter that the 3/4”? That would increase heat transfer. Do your coil wraps have slight separation between them? Because that would increase inductance. My 7mm brass anneals at 4 seconds flat.

I tried to go back and see your post on your coil, but none of your photos or video are working.
 
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A difference I have noticed that can have quite a big effect is how much case or position of the case is in the coil. my 308 vary between 4.4 sec to 5 depending 4.6 for a 6.5C and only 2.4 sec for a 223. I dont think it matters at all what you covered your coil in (as long as its not conductive) best to have a tight coil as in no space between coils vertically.

As for the Auto feed you will never convert me either I love using the machine. To be Honest I have to pace myself just to be sure i don't over heat it.
 
David101 said:
I dont think it matters at all what you covered your coil in (as long as its not conductive) best to have a tight coil as in no space between coils vertically.
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So I have to disagree with you there. A slight space between the coils will increase inductance vs no space. For example: A coil with a fiberglass sleeve to give the coils a slight distance between each other vertically will have better inductance vs a coil whose coils are touching.
 
Of course if the coils aren’t isolated you short the coil. But a coat of lacquer or a non-conductive sleeve achieves that. A tighter coil, all else being equal, has more inductance.
 
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For the cost of $1AUD you can get the covering from ebay. A shorted coil may cause you a failure of the induction PCB as well. Seems crazy not to put the covering on, it makes winding a good tight round coil easier as well.

My covering has worn a little bit on the inside of the coil and I am thinking the best way to repair it. Perhaps super glue a short section of the split tubing on top of the worn section.
 
SGK said:
Of course if the coils aren’t isolated you short the coil. But a coat of lacquer or a non-conductive sleeve achieves that. A tighter coil, all else being equal, has more inductance.
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That’s what I was getting at
 
Trying to switch my annealer over to a litz wire wrapped Ferrite core when I’m back stateside. Anyone know where I can find C or U ferrite cores at? I’m going to build another annealer just to do a bunch of tests with ferrite cores. Should make the induction much more efficient (ferrite cores increase the magnetic field) and get rid of the water cooling.
 
Have a look on ebay is probably the best bet. I would probably buy just a straight piece of ferite and then cut and glue bits together to make the shape I wanted. You can buy a ready made one from fluxon. To be universal I think it needs a larger gap and the tips shaped. See other designs for ideas.

Using a 45 V supply and the large fluxon C shaped 16mm gap and just the wingdings as factory Fluxon. It will do a 223 in 1.2 seconds. I think this may be a little fast. If I used the smaller ferite which has a 12 mm gap I think it would be even faster. The part of ferite presented to the case is a round section. Perhaps a shaped square section may be better.

Getting rid of the water cooling certainly makes it more portable. I think perhaps using one of the higher power induction PCBs but using a lower voltage say 30-36 V to keep the wattage down this way there are more mosfets to share the current this I think would help keep the temperatures down.
 
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