Tempilaq NOT clear..turns black..Annealing

[harv50]

Just getting a benchsorce annealer set up for the first time...Pretty easy setup ...BUT when I went to set up for the flame dwell time my 650 tempilaq turns black almost immediately.
I have the flame set at center of shoulder and the point of the flame between 3/8" - 1/2" away from the shoulder (just like the directions say), but no matter how long I leave it in the flame it only turns black. I have alot of junk 6BR cases that I am using to get it set up (I've took the timer up to 7 Seconds just to see if I could get it to "go clear" but notta.. I called but Dave is gone until Tuesday and I guess he is the one that knows the answer.. I believe it was his wife I talked to and she said she thought it had something to do with the flame...Any how I don't want to go any further (on my Dasher brass) until I get the dwell time right so I thought A Post here might find me the answer.. Sooooooo any body know what the cure is?? :-\

 

[Preacher]

Put it on the inside of the neck and see how that works...
A direct flame will most always turn that stuff Black.....

 

[harv50]

I'll give it a try...But wont be able to see how far down it goes clear....

 

[Coolhand]

Does Tempilaq have a shelf life ? The stuff I have here has gone dirty brown asphalt colour in the bottle.

regards
Mike.

 

[DennisH]

Does Tempilaq have a shelf life ? The stuff I have here has gone dirty brown asphalt colour in the bottle.

regards
Mike.

I have never seen any in the color you are describing above.

Dennis

 

[Geronimo Jim]

my 650 which is brown separates overnight......light brown liquid to top. I have never got it to go clear on a case.

 

[Bench30BR]

I use 700 and it turns black. My Ken Light is set up so the brass comes out of the flame just when the tempilag turns black. Not over annealed, works fine.

 

[pacificman]

I coat the inside of several case mouths with Tempilaq 700 and let it dry...then I turn my torch on so there is a blue "center flame" which is about an inch long. I then use a slow speed drill and socket to turn the brass just at the tip of the center blue flame and count...One thousand one...one thousand two...one thousand three etc. right up to the point when the Tempilaq turns black... takes about a 5 thousand count. I then place in a metal pan...I do not quench in water but with brass I don't think it would matter if you air cool or quench with water.
I only put Tempilaq on a few cases to get my count right...then it's easy peasy. As you can see it does not take long for the Tempilaq to turn black. It will not turn clear. When it does turn BLACK... you have reached the degree of heat specified. This is how I have learned to anneal and has worked for me for years. If I had a annealing machine I think I would set it up like Bench30BR.

I use 700 and it turns black. My Ken Light is set up so the brass comes out of the flame just when the tempilag turns black. Not over annealed, works fine.

 

[harv50]

Read the responces ..thanks everyone.. Well I tried it with super buffed up clean cases inside the neck and out but it still turns black (and starts to go black in less than a second.. still confused.. I guess I'll have to try it in the dark and see what time it takes to get it to show faint red, more red, more red, etc... can't see any purpose in under annealing but don't want to "over anneal" either.. I'm more concerned with case grip than case life.. Thanks again, harv

 

[harv50]

OK got into a darkened area (tip of flame approx 1/2" from shoulder) and at 4.5 Seconds faint red at the top of the neck 5 seconds and the whole neck shows faint red...decided to see how long to get them to look like new lapua cases (sort of silver neck and blueish about a 1/8" down from the shoulder) took 7 seconds and the neck was very red..
So I'm guessing it should be at least 4.5 seconds and less than 5..
Opinions ?????