Annealing

[dungheap]

Originally Posted by georgeld

Here we go again!

Is it because so many have short memories, or just didn't read things when it was being discussed? OR, surely we're not gaining that many new members.

Anytime you heat brass enough it turns red, it's nearly always junk from then on! Count o nit!

Just enough heat to start ANY color change is time to stop and drop 'em in the can to air cool. There won't be enough heat left over to do anything in the way of changes much below mid body. There's just not enough volume of metal to hold that much heat before it dissipates.

Pull up the last half dozen discussions and become educated!!

Consider me adequately spanked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by georgeld

Here we go again!

Is it because so many have short memories, or just didn't read things when it was being discussed? OR, surely we're not gaining that many new members.

Anytime you heat brass enough it turns red, it's nearly always junk from then on! Count o nit!

Just enough heat to start ANY color change is time to stop and drop 'em in the can to air cool. There won't be enough heat left over to do anything in the way of changes much below mid body. There's just not enough volume of metal to hold that much heat before it dissipates.

Pull up the last half dozen discussions and become educated!!

Time to take a couple of happy pills big guy.

DH

Sit your brass in a cookie pan with water half way up the case. Heat the necks to jut barely turning colour, you can get some temp paint (Tempil Sick) to do the first few till you get the hang of what temp annealed brass looks like. Sitting them in the water makes certain you don't soften the web or rim. Worse that can happen using this method is the necks will be a little too soft if you overheat them but they will harden back up with use, and no danger of making the rest of the brass too soft.

Whether they air cool or you tip them over in the water you get exactly the same hardness outcome as brass behaves different than iron or steel. It can't be quench hardened, it has to be work hardened.

Great Article on Anneling

http://www.6mmbr.com/annealing.html

[Daryl]

TKS Dean - great article! I've bookmarked it for use on a different site where annealing arguments happen at least once a year. Seems to me, we're about due again. LOL

[dungheap]

Well, I got my feet wet with this annealing business this afternoon. First my propane torch took a spit, so I switched to a PrestoLite torch I've had for years. Put the cases in a Lee case spinner in a cordless drill, and gave 'em the heat. No need to worry about cooling today, as it was about 10 degrees F. The cases formed just fine afterward, we'll see how well they hold up. Can't brag about my new found expertise just yet, but I think it worked.

I tried that technique of standing cases up in a pan of water years ago, but I used an acetylene torch (welding tip) to do it and wrecked nearly all of the cases -- got them too hot.

For now, I think I'll stick with air cooling.

Thanks for all the input, guys! I knew I could count on you.