Under annealed brass?

[TroyMN]

I am annealing some brass by hand with the drill method. I have five Remington test cases that turned out perfectly (to me -look like Lapua)then I did a set of my Winchester cases which I plan on using for load developement and target shooting. I used same distance from torch, same 6 count, same position in the flame. After I was done a few of them look just like they should I thought, but several look a little under done. After polishing in a vibratory polisher with walnut media Most of the annealing look disappeared. I repolished the Remington brass same amount of time just to see if I could get that annealing color to disappear and I could not.
My question is -- With properly annealed brass for you guys using the machines, after polishing in walnut media(Nufinish wax) should they keep the tarnished look or does that polish off.
Thanks Troy

 

[TimP]

In my experience it will polish off. In fact if you took some brand new Laupa cases and tossed them in your tumbler for 4 - 5 hours they would lose their "annealed" look

 

[CatShooter]

I am annealing some brass by hand with the drill method. I have five Remington test cases that turned out perfectly (to me -look like Lapua)then I did a set of my Winchester cases which I plan on using for load developement and target shooting. I used same distance from torch, same 6 count, same position in the flame. After I was done a few of them look just like they should I thought, but several look a little under done. After polishing in a vibratory polisher with walnut media Most of the annealing look disappeared. I repolished the Remington brass same amount of time just to see if I could get that annealing color to disappear and I could not.
My question is -- With properly annealed brass for you guys using the machines, after polishing in walnut media(Nufinish wax) should they keep the tarnished look or does that polish off.
Thanks Troy

My annealing polishes away - and it polishes out of Lapua cases too.

 

[TroyMN]

Thanks for the information

 

[jlow]

You simply cannot anneal a case and determined whether it is properly annealed by the color and degree of tarnish of the brass after annealing.

The reason is the color is in many ways determined not only by the heating but also equally by the condition of the surface of the brass i.e. what is on it like lube, oils, etc. The only way to properly determine annealing time is to turn the lights off and assuming you can put the same spot of the case on exactly the same location of the flame and keep it there, run it until you get a very slight red glow. Note that time and reduce it very slightly and now run a case with 650 degree Tempilaq at the neck and shoulder and half way down the body. Now put 400 degree Tempilaq from the middle of the body to the case head. Your annealing should clear the 650 Tempilaq at the neck/shoulders and slightly down the body but NONE of the 400 Tempilaq should be affected.

As for whether the tarnish will come off, yes of course since the tarnish is only on the very surface of the brass but it’s a waste of time and effort to polish it off

 

[40X Guy]

Excellent post jlow! Thats the way I do it after playing with tempilaq the first few times after i got my Benchsource machine. I no longer use the tempilaq and I turn the lites off and after having the flame at correct length and having centered at junction of case neck and shoulder, I simply look for the correct just bare minimum red glow. Have been annealing a bunch of 6 Dasher cases and the time is not the same each prep period I anneal them. I start at around 3.5 seconds and then work up. Kind of a feel and see thing. Really is tough to tell my cases have been annealed by looking at them as i do not over tumble or clean them. But results are on the paper. Annealing plain and simple is a step that should be included on any serious long range BR shooters regimen.

Frank

 

[jlow]

Thanks 40x Guy! I of course learned this from the builder of the Benchsource annealer so the credit goes to him.

Yes, my annealing time also does vary a little and that is because it is virtually impossible to use the exact flame strength, distance from the brass, and where exactly it is aimed at in terms of the neck everytime you use the machine. With two burners, that makes it doubly more difficult. However, it’s not a problem at least with the Benchsource because if we use the “bare minimum glow” method, it gives perfect annealing every time. I do use the Tempilaq for a final sanity check but have never seen any indication of problem which is a testimony to how well the method works.

This of course is why I gave up the socket/drill/counting seconds method.

 

[jsthntn247]

Put some 750 tempilaq in the neck and do a few with the drill until you get your seconds count down. Each caliber and brass type may be different will different time in flame, let the tempilaq show you what is needed not appearance.

 

[spclark]

Annealed brass can be cleaned / tumbled / polished after annealing without affecting the annealing (ductility) condition but you may lose the "look" which is strictly a surface effect.

I wash annealed & sized brass (to remove the water-soluble RCBS II lube I like) in the same detergent + citric acid solution I use for SS-cleaning, the "tarnish" from annealing disappears in less than 30 seconds.

Brass looks super though! I need carefully to bag & label it though or risk confusing it for tumbled but unsized cases.

Different brands of brass will react differently, surface appearance-wise, to annealing. Cartridge brass differs in trace elements & the subtlties of alloy composition will drastically affect what the tell-tale tarnish looks like from annealing.