Annealing brass. Should you?
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- A discussion about the advantages of annealing brass and some of the products available for that purpose.
Annealing Made Perfect's research and information page: www.ampanneali...
Videos I mentioned:
Roger's awesome AMP setup: • Revised AMP Mate on AM...
Bolt Action Reloading's annealing videos: www.youtube.co...
Erik Cortina's annealing videos: www.youtube.co...
DIY Induction Annealer videos: www.youtube.co...
When I started reloading 5 years ago I thought I had an unlimited supply of brass because I always picked up my brass for 20 years. Turns out when you reload, you shoot A LOT MORE!
The 5,000 or so pieces I had are now going on their third firing so I started annealing them the hard way, one at a time. This video has convinced me that I need an annealer! Thanks for all you do and keep em coming!!
100%
Oof. I only have 400 total and I'm very ready to buy one if I get a deal. Crazy what a difference it makes after 3-4 firing, eh?
I love my ep integrations annealer. Very good price for what you get.
I hand aneil my brass and for the last 18 years or so. I use a quarter inch extension in my electric drill and use a 1/4 inch drive socket that the cases Just sit in without wobble. As a rule it takes four seconds per case, and I always have the blue tip of the flame almost touching the brass. Any further away it takes longer to Aneil. I like to target shoot and hunt, but I don’t expect to put 10 bullets into the same hole. I am happy with getting more than 10 reloads per brass.- - shoot safe and enjoy the sport.
JRB is my favorite channel bar none on UA-cam.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE my EP integrations 2.0 annealer! Crazy easy to anneal right out of the box & anneals from the smallest of cartridges up to 50BMG without having to add or remove any parts & adjusts from cartridge to cartridge in seconds. I'd check it out.
I have an Annealeez Gen 3, so far it's been great. As far as 300BO brass I anneal it after cutting down 5.56 brass before forming to 300BO.
Really enjoyed this. I did exactly the same (in thought process) before I bought the AMP. I too watched the videos on their web site and decided that everything else represented too much compromise. Their research is extensive. Just processed 600.
lol, im sure they want you to have that EXACT feeling after watching their marketing materials. Given that many people don't anneal at all and have good results, the difference between the cheap and expensive annealer will be so minute its hilarious.
@@James28R In general, I would agree. However, I spent a career in direct sales and am the most "pitch" resistant person you will ever meet. I was convinced by the data. I can feel the difference when sizing and I can see it when I measure.
I've started annealing after every range session, after cleaning the brass. I've noticed more consistent neck tension when seating projectiles.
I now anneal after each competition too. havent had time to shoot outside of that in the last 14 months or so.
Add an adjustable regulator with a gauge to your 20# tank , leave torch valve full open and adjust your flame with the regulator. Then record the time and pressure , the digital timer is available on Amozon or Ebay and an easy install.
That sounds like a good plan.
Temperature is part of the old AMP white papers and also addressed thoroughly by ReeseontheRange a metallurgist
When I cut down 5.56 brass to make 300 blackout I anneal every cut case before I form/size the case. The factory annealed part of the case is cut off. The remaining brass isn't soft enough to rework without stressing it. I get consistent sizing and the brass remains at the length that I cut it down to. All I have to do is hit the case mouth with a tool to bevel the inside and outside case mouth edges. All I do to anneal is line up brass along my stainless kitchen sink rim and heat each case with a torch. When the case begins to show signs of turning red I knock the case into the sink and move to the next one. I can go through 200 cases in a short time with little effort. I found once fired LC 5.56, FC, and CBC brass are able to stay workable through 3 reloads before I need to anneal.
Lol I use the lee shell holder and map gas. 3.5 seconds and it works great for me. I’ll process 4-500 at a time. Since I started reloading (thanks to you) I haven’t bought any box ammo and only reload. I would rather buy once fired brass by the thousand and process it myself. I get better performance at a better price than buying match ammo. Not to mention my ammo is tuned to my barrel where box ammo isn’t. My groups show the difference.
I decap, anneal, tumble wash with pins and then size, length, flash hole ream, swage (if needed), square the primer hole and de burr in and outer case mouth and they are ready to get washed again just to remove any lubricant. From there prime, powder, seat and crimp. If I’m loading for match I’ll pull the ones with the best concentricity (gauged of course) and use those for my heavier grain like 75g or even 68g HPBT. My groups get even smaller.
If your group is sub moa at 100 yards, you’ll have an easier time holding 1.5 inch groups at 200 yards. Having the right barrel is key as well.
I have the V2 annealeez. I set mine up where I can just run the flame wide open and only adjust the speed for different cases. Makes it super easy to switch from 223 to 308 to 6.5 creedmoor etc. Just aim the torch and set the speed for whatever case I'm running.
I think that's what I'm going to try next. Seeing that flame change so much during the video was eye opening. I didn't notice it at all at the time! I think working under bright lights for the camera made it less obvious. If going wide open doesn't work for me, I might look for a different nozzle or something. I'm sure, if I look around, all of this has been talked about and figured out long ago.
Even with the small wheels, I had very poor results on my Annealeze not burning up the wheels. I gave up on both 300 BO and 6mm ARC. Great for 223 though.
You have to adjust the torch as close to the machine as you can and it will stop that
That's the complaint I keep running into. I tried to be careful and have the nozzle pointed slightly away from the machine. I saw a bunch of videos by a guy that added big fender washers as heat protectors for the wheels, but I haven't taken the time to watch them yet. Thanks for the info.
the gen 3 version lets you set the torch at an angle behind the machine. just ran 1500 300blk and no damage to the small wheels.
@@jeffnichols5176 crazy thing is he just sent me a email about that it’s a 4” exhaust clamp, I’m taking my gen 2 apart and going to set it up like the new one
Brass prices alone make it worth it, especially for my grendel brass I would start seeing cracks at 4X brass so I always anneal 6.5 after third firing 👍 Great vid brother !!!
308 bulk brass has fired 8x without statistically relevant cracking.
I found 6-7seconds in the flame is about the sweet spot for most brass in my experience.
For the people that do it by hand with a tourch use tempilaq 700 degree it's like nail polish you put a little swipe on the inside of the case and when you heat it it will dissolve and your done it is very accurate it basically works like a timmer.
I have to agree. It's easy and worth it. In the last couple years I've picked up rifles chambered in cartridges you can't find when times are good. Few things are quite as aggravating as losing cases after one or two firings when you took the time to make impossible to find brass out of hard to find brass. Passed up a 250 Savage a while ago, wish I'd grabbed it as I have tons of 22-250 available to make into 250 Savage.
Listened to all pros and cons....for me proof is in the puddin, I load many different kinds of cartridges, black powder and wildcat hand made by forming and very old chamberings ect. I need and want cases to last as long as possible, also want low pressure loads to seal at the case mouth on firing , annealing after 20 years proved to me I need to, in most cases, every reload. Also I could afford an expensive annealer but , never bothered, propane tourch a drill and appropriate size socket work perfectly, 60-80 rpm for 6-7 seconds, tip of the blue flame touching the brass shoulder angled toward the neck. Not rocket science. I think "like everything" over thinking over complicates the process and bottom line.
The only real precaution for safety, is dont over heat the bottom third of the case, keep the flame up on the shoulder, if your nervious, Set the case in a pan 1 inch of water. I have done this precaution when annealing very short cases.
Good Video, I just ordered one for myself
I do not anneal using the Lee collet die followed by the Redding Body die, resizing 3/1000 every reload. There ie spring back after 3 firings so need to push shoulders back a little more each time to maintain the 3/1000. Because I only Lee neck die size they are not work hardened, so my brass last longer without the need to anneal. I get about 10 firings from each case. My case failures are typically the primer pocket, having only a couple split cases over the years. I have great accuracy and shoot competitively in my league shooting fantastic groups. I have great success as long as I push the back the shoulders 3/1000. This does not work with if push the shoulders back using a full length die or bushing die, poor groups three shootings. It is understandable to me, as the Lee Collet Die works the brass only a fraction of a typical die. Last week with my 6.5 Creedmoor at 1000 yards I shot a 7” and 9” (5 shot) groups on a bipod. I measure each piece of brass many times during the reloading process making sure every piece of brass is exactly the same after sizing. I absolutely hate annealing and have found a reloading process where I do not need to anneal. Problem, just bought a 6.8 Western and Lee does not yet make a collet and Redding does not make a body die. So, I have no choice but to anneal.
If I was at my old job I'd have you send a bunch of samples and I could have done metallography on it.
The person that made it definitely has a sense of humor. Sounds like Analease lol
i love my anneilezz . i got the gen 2 . thought about the salt bath but went with the anneeilezz . many yrs ago when i was shooting bullseye a lot of the old guys would anneal the top 1/4 inch of 38 special cases . they said it helped the groups a lot . i tried it but the only thing i seen was less case mouth splits . but .38 wadcutters crimped over the top of the wadcutter would split cases very fast . great video ! people need to know this ! this will help you a ton when adjusting the torch head to the case neck . get a wingnut and replace the nut on the adjuster with it . no more wrench !
That's what was going through my head the whole time...WHY ISN'T THIS A WINGNUT?! lol I guess it is because it really needs to be very tight to hold that slippery tube. Do you have any issues getting it tight enough?
@@JohnnysReloadingBench not realy . but i found a wingnut with large wings on it . another mood is to use one of the u bolts that holds steel cable . they say it is way better than what comes with the unit . i never tried it myself . oh , and keep the lower wheel clean . the wheel with the blues stuff on it . if it gets dirty the brass will not turn right . acetone is what they say to use to clean it .
I anneal the 300 BLK OUT after I cut them before I size them. Make a big difference.
Im thankful I have access to an amp
Ugly Annealer is an alternative to AnnealEz, all metal parts, very well built, made in New Zealand but you have to order from Amazon in the US market. Ugly Annealer has all metal parts and very well built.. EP2 is a great option as well with a different design, I’d didn’t like guide rod stays hot throughout the brass annealing process, well made and American made.
Black sharpie burns off at 800 degrees. That’s what I use. It seems to work well.
WHAAAAAT? Oh, I'm testing this tonight! That would be perfect. 750 degrees F and the brass is annealed to its softest point.
@@seanmtactical6069 Curious if you tested it and how it worked for you?
@@stephenjohnson8205 Tested it. I ran multiple pieces of brass at different speeds and flame heats. The marker burned off of the ones that got red hot for a second. Anything less, it left some of the marker on, the hotter the less left. Pretty slick set up hack.
Another great vid “Johnny”
Giraud makes a great flame annealer as well. I'd recommend a regulator for the gas - keep it consistent. Plenty of cylinders will have varied output that a regulator will even out for you.
As a wildcatter it's impossible not to be playing around with some calibres WITHOUT annealing.
Good video
I have the induction annealing method off ebay and there is a video on here that shows you how to set up a on/off repeat timer as I've been reloading for a few years now I find I have 2 different setups. One for precision and one for mass production. I want my processes as automated as possible for consistency and time savings. If I could do it over again I would have bought annealeez rather then doing every case by hand, one at a time takes forever. Just my 2 cents
Very cool and great video. Great info. Thx!
I'm interested in DIY induction heating. I'm an electro-mechanical engineer by day job. If you build one I'd be willing to help. I can design circuit boards as well as mechanical stuff.
Anecdotally, I’d say your results with salt bath annealing were very good. Your groups definitely improved. Almost made me want to take the leap. But my imagination said I’d be investing in band aids from now till, well, forever. I see an AMP annealer in your future, just sayin.
After using this machine for a while i figured out a few things:
1: the wheels can get cooked especially if they arent moving. I always start the machine wheels before lighting the torch.
2: the torch flame will appear to shrink as the torch tip gets hot. Makes no difference.
3: i keep a few pieces of "dead" brass with the machine in each cartridge so that i can set up the machine without having to use any of the batch im about to do for setup.
4: i use the machine always with the torch at full and adjust using the timing. That way every batch done at a certain timing setting will always be the same.
5: i always do cleaned, deprimed brass.
Dirt or lube getting on the lower wheel can cause the wheel that spins the brass to slip. Clean brass keeps the machine clean.
I have just bought an AGS annealer but having a heck of a job finding a suitable gas torch. Any ideas where I could purchase one of these torches? I want to use a seperate butane tank. I am in the UK and amazon does not always cross over unfortunately but any name etc would be helpful... thanks bud
Do you anneal nickel plated cases??????? If so, how does the procedure differ??????
Shoot a couple of Straight wall cases
45-70 and 38-50 Hepburn
The Hepburn is formed from 303 British and I have a 375h&h expander in a lee Universal decaping die you bring it from arround .310 to arround .373 in one pass
That’s is working the brass alot so i anneal before and after forming
I’m shooting black powder so i do not size my brass the projectiles can be seated with you thumb however I use a die just for consistency
So once fire formed im not working the brass much at all I still anneal just the case mouth every so often but probably don’t even need to do that
You could literally get 50 or more shots per case if you look after it unlike modern smokeless Cartridges
I wonder if a flow gauge from the local welding supply would help keep a consistent flame that you could write down and dial in every time
It would be nice to put bullet in bullet at 300 yards with annealing. I settle for dime sized groups at 100 yards with my mixed brass reloads.
also I run my annealer where the inner blue flame just touches the neck then adjust speed
I have a question for you I shoot a 50 caliber muzzleloader full board chemical copper bullets with a copper skirt at the bottom of the bullet. Will that work is softening that skirt, so it makes a better seal.
Have you used that templaq stuff? I know I didn't spell it right
I use an annealeez for all my brass.
J. Have u tried using Tempilaq???
I’m pretty sure I’m sticking to “guy that reloads so he can mag dump into a berm” on the cheap. Cool setup tho. Maybe some day I’ll be there
Crazy timing. I just ordered stuff to make my own induction annealer (well, the handheld induction heater and stuff to add a delay relay timer). It should be every bit as accurate as the AMP and its only about $225 for all the stuff
Do you have a set of plans and/or parts list?
There is a certain distance down the reloading "rabbit hole" I really don't want to go.
@johnny’s reloading bench. Speaking of sockets, deep 12 point 1/4” drive sockets work great
I'm just starting out my adventure in reloading Partially because I cant find ammo and partially because I wanna tink around with more constant shot placement and accuracy. I'll prolly only be shooting maybe 50-100 rounds a year is this a necessary step in your opinion.
Timing as off on your wheels it’s should drop a case rite after the other case drops
The whole design has changed. You are probably thinking of a later version.
@@JohnnysReloadingBench it is adjustable. You can turn the top wheel a bit more so that the second the bottom wheel grabs the case to move it out of the flame the top wheel is dropping a new one in.
You have to be either pretty cheap or making some funky wildcats to want an annealer tbh. 5 firings from 5.56 then cut to 300 black for another 5 firings seems like plenty of brass life to me.
So I found that its the torch that it comes with that is weak.. I got the bluefire pro torch kit on Amazon for 50 bucks.. that thing at 40% speed glows the shit out of the neck
Flame is too far from the brass, inner blue tip needs to touch the brass just right above where the neck and shoulder join. 5-6 seconds in the flame should do the trick.
Looks fun
I think I'll stick with a standing or a sitting instead of annealing 😆
Should I anneal before resizing or can I go ahead and do it after? I resized all my .308 brass than thought I probably should have annealed them.
You want to anneal before resizing to make your shoulder bump and neck sizing more consistent.
TLDR; Yes
Here is a video overview of the EP 2.0 Annealer
ua-cam.com/video/BqZVj0OcouY/v-deo.html
It's way harder to destroy brass then u think. Consistent heat and time is very important.
Yeah but...induction is the only way. Gas is too inconsistent.
Annealeez is my favorite for saving brass during a time where you can't afford to loose brass to split necks ect. My last batch of lapua 6.5/284 is up nearby $50 per 100. Keep good notes.
"keep good notes" +1
I paid 125 for Laura 6.5x284 4 years ago bought 400 rods. So it's up 50 now
The Annealeez really was awesome. It is much quicker than my AMP, even with the AMP mate and case feed.
I use the Annealeez
notes r king
Shannon, There is an Australian company that makes an annealing machine comparable to the Annealeez called Kase Annealr, that have made a very good set of tutorials on how to setup their flame annealer. While their tutorials mostly pertain to setting up their machine, I'd like to point out in their flame alignment video, they recommend setting up the flame so that the tip of the inner flame is just touching the neck/shoulder junction. I believe this to be a more consistent way of setting up the flame, and should help you to alleviate the issue of your flame running away from your case. You're machine should be capable of speeding up to compensate for the extra heat being put into the case, so you don't ruin your brass. I'm not saying you need to try this, it is only a suggestion, but it might be worth a try. Good luck with the tinkering.
Should switch to Induction technology. Gas becoming outdated.
ua-cam.com/video/Bs5J5nZrKdw/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/channels/E-sacz5aoQz-CJHrwPcklA.html
I built my own induction annealer for just a little over $200. Works great. You just have to adjust your timing. I’m glad you commented on that system. AMP is a great tool but too expensive for the average Joe.
I have done thousands cases with my Annealeez, works fine.
Also your flame is way to short / low. IME with the feather (inner Fame) 1/4 to 3/16 from the brass about 6 seconds is what you will want with that brass.
I have an AMP and glad I purchased it. Yes it was a boat load of money but since im in my late 20's my thought is it will pay for its self in brass life over my shooting career. I anneal my 450 bushmaster brass on it to prevent split necks. also it comes in handy when forming 25-06, 6.5 grendel and 256 win mag brass. I was never sold on annealing and bought the AMP anyway just for extended brass life. It turned me into a true believer when I processed a batch of 308 brass. Before annealing trimming on my RCBS powdered trim pro was a chore. After annealing I had to back off the spring tension as it was too aggressive and causing problems. This is what opened my eyes as to how hard our brass gets and how important annealing is. Obviously an AMP isnt for everyone but I encourage all non beginner reloaders to anneal.
Yeah, people can balk at the expense in reloading, but with ammo prices so freaking crazy it'll all pay itself off pretty quick. I barely shoot, honestly, but I've probably paid off my stuff in a few years.
I have an " annealeez " and have no complaints....... It may not be the best or most expensive but it works great !!
I tried several different variations of flame annealing and the results were universally inconsistent. Flame stability and consistency is just a constant problem. Induction is the only way that yields consistent results. The Annie annealer is what I got. It is just a basic unit with a cooling coil so that the power source is protected during high volume annealing. The small handheld induction units he discussed are fine for very low volumes but will easily overheat and burn up their power source if not allowed to cool frequently.
There are ways to get more consistent flames to help with that issue. The larger the fuel tank the better. Discharge rate to volume will drop the tank temp, and thus pressure. Different nozzle designs also can make a difference. Not saying it's perfect by any means, just things that can make a difference.
@@OddBallPerformance Yes, a grill tank helped, but truth is, there is simply no comparison between inductive and even the very best flame based results. Setup is slow and changes every time you use it. I can easily anneal 200 rounds with my manual inductive annealer in the time needed to set up and adjust it a flame based unit. Once you have used the alternative, you wont ever consider going back.
While my Annealeez 2 doesn't cure split necks in my 6.5 Grendel, the brass lasts longer. All my 5.56 range brass goes thru annealing prior to trimming & reloading. I watched Erik Cortina's videos and came away with "it's not so critical that I need an AMP for my needs". I anneal everything and agree that neck tension is more consistent.
Annealing should be done before resizing and not afterwards! You’ll ruin neck tension by annealing after sizing.
For my 300 Win Mag I was using the exact Coleman propane/torch setup you showed... And the little Lee case holder doodad, but I chucked it in my lathe and ran it at 120 rpm. But it was a tad slow so I dug around in all my sockets and figured out a 13 mm deep well fit 300WM just about perfect. No more fiddling with locking the case head in the Lee doodad.
Not a lot of people have a lathe in their shop. So go to Lowe's or similar and get a socket adaptor for 1/4" impact to 3/8 drive sockets. And buy a cheap Chinesium socket that fits your case... Chuck it in your drill or impact and get to annealing.
I have been using the candle method for my grendel, but I don’t shoot tons of brass so it goes fast enough for me.
If, like me, you want a nice induction annealer take a look at North East Texas Tactical channel for a $250 induction DIY setup. It isnt fully automated but it sure is simple and consistent and for 1/10th the price it does a great job.
Coming from the blacksmith world, you want to anneal in a dark(er) room, and when the brass turns a dull red drop it immediately into a tub of water. This may be a touch too soft for cartridge cases though.
That was how I used this; I would set it to drop the case just as a faint glow appeared, but I didn't water quench. My sizing became easier and more consistent, and I rarely split case necks anymore.
Water is not the answer for annealing brass
@@6creeder688 you should read a metallurgy book.
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 no need to, I’m not wetting my brass after annealing. When I anneal brass it’s time to load it not wait for it to dry again. I promise I know what I’m doing with brass and reloading my trophies prove that. Annealeez comes with a metal pan for it to drop into not a water bucket.
@@6creeder688 im talking apples and you are talking oranges. Im speaking about brass in the material sense. You are speaking brass as in formed cartridge brass.
I anneal my 300 blk brass after cutting down the 5.56 cases and before forming .
Others have commented but you need the inner light blue flame tip just touching the neck towards the shoulder. Melting wheels on these is a real thing..sometimes from improper flame setup but more often from conduction and convection. If you want hit me up and I’ll send you a solution to this.
Annealeez thermal shields full kit - finally!
ua-cam.com/video/hecs4UTrR5I/v-deo.html
I made my father promise to retire the salt annealing process. A drop of sweat reacts badly. Bought him an Annealeez. Very happy and my 76 yo father is good. The consistency with it is very consistent.
I have long hoped you would start annealing all your brass as a part of your reloading process. I feel your SDs will be decreasing in the future, good stuff Shannon!
Consistency is key.
Hey sir, love your vids! I especially love how I can’t get out of my head the picture of Lt. Jim Dangle from Reno 911 sitting there reloading ammo! You sound exactly like him!
Great video. I built my own flame annealer last winter and have watched some of the same videos on building an induction annealer. While I like my flame annealer induction is the way I would personally like to go.
When I run my flame annealer I run it so that the inner flame is just kissing the point where the neck and shoulder meet and run it till it gets a faint glow and it then drops into my garage sale purchased bread pan.
Reese on the Range had some interesting videos on metallurgy when it comes to flame annealing and he makes it super simple to understand. Maybe someday I will have a job that will allow pay me enough for Amp Annealer money but right now I am happy with the flame. Great video thanks Johnny.
I am planning to buy a aneelezz. Some of my older 45/70 black powder cases sent the case mouth down rage through my Sharps.
I'd like to make a annealer from a 3d printer heating cartridge. You could probably tear apart a cheap 3d printer and have all the parts required to have perfect automatic temp control heater that almost fits in a 223 case. I'm smart enough to know there's a way to do it just not smart enough to do it.
You need the small wheel for 6.5 Grendel, 6 mm arc and I'm pretty sure 224 Valkyrie , I have tried using the medium wheels but just not enough brass hanging out, and the smalls really doesn't like to spin to good and that was with new wheel,, so i found annealing the dirty brass first. it did spin a lot better with the dirty brass then nice clean shiny brass. now 223 on the medium wheels was fine, but i on thinking about switching to EP 2.0 BRASS ANNEALER I anneal after every firing, i get long brass life and i have seen better groups on my worked up loads , which i had a harder time with be for annealing I find that i get the same release tension around the bullet
I use a my torch, socket and my electric drill bit. I just like doing everything by hand. I find it very pleasing and stress released process.
Johnny now that you have that annealez and the salt bath I wondered if you'd be willing to do a test between AMP, Annealeez, and salt bath, testing relevant info such as SD/ES and consistency. I've been sitting on pitchinf this idea to you and BAR for probably 1.5 years now. This test would potentially require quite a bit of resources, especially if using work hardened brass but I think this info would be super beneficial and could potentially clear up some people's beliefs or disbelief in AMPs study on the subject. If you guys ever to decide to the test I would be more than happy to donate to the cause and I hope you hit me up.
I use the lee hand trimmer that hooks to your drill and the shell holder that goes with it to hold the case and a propane torch like you said... I've just started messing with it and it does help tighten things up with your velocity numbers and makes sizing much more consistent. I've been waiting on this video ever since the livestream because I've been looking into annealing for a while and was looking at getting a machine because the way I'm doing it now takes forever. Great video as always keepem coming brother!!!
I use a socket set and put it in my wireless drill. I use the long sockets. I put the braas in the socket en let it turn in the flame off a cheap burner with disposable botle. I let the hot brass fall in an iron kitchen vegtable filter. So easy and not so hot as yours.
It's been proven now that unfortunately salt bath annealing is ineffective on bottleneck cases. It looks annealed but the metal is still way too hard. Works fine for straight cases though.
Please, please, please build the induction annealer!?! The idea of using a press to do it I also thought of. I was thinking of modifying a crimping die to contain the element somehow. Having a switch on the press that activates when the ram is at the top of the stroke. Only problem is I’m a dunce when it comes to wiring! So I have all the components but wouldn’t know how to wire in the timer or the switch. I know you have the smarts to do it so please do and show how all the wiring is done. Kindest regards from Australia, Superdude70.
I don't believe you are going to get more consistent sizing Shannon. The amount of time those were in the flame seemed way to short. The case neck is thinner than the shoulder and it will start to change color several seconds before you get the anneal you are looking for. To get a proper anneal, you need to see the orange glow from the heat in the shoulder of the case. I use one torch and my anneal time is about eight to nine seconds per case. Of course it also depends where in the flame the case is. Try it using your shoulder bump gauge and you will see what I'm talking about. STAY AWAY from the temp. changing lacquers. Reese on the range is a metallurgist, and he has a couple of videos showing why lacquers don't work for home annealing. I highly recommend going here, ua-cam.com/users/ReeseontheRange, and watching the annealing videos
👍💡
One thing I have to remind of is that I don't shoot to make an income, therefore I don't need to spend $$ on the best of the best equipment. I find a thing that suits my needs and that's what I use. I'm using the Annealeze and have had no issues with it, other that heavy ends precipitating out of the gas and clogging the burner nozzle which is no fault of Annealeze. I use a 750 deg F temp stick (Markal Thermomelt) to set it up and record my settings. I've done some studying on brass metallic annealing and seen the temp curves required to fully anneal without "cooking out" base metals. Form watching the video, Its hard to judge the amount of heat you were putting into the brass, but from my experience with that machine, you need more heat.
Set the flame so that the tip of the inner flame (the hottest part) is right at the neck-shoulder junction. 5.5 seconds in the flame was perfect for .308 brass. As Erik Cortina demonstrated, the time isn't as super critical as most people think and for that reason setting time in the flame using the timer on your phone or ipad should be sufficient.
We anneal Copper and nickel plates at work go through few time in process to make what plate size customer want and hardness of plates or coils of metal. All gos through heat then through water and acid clean the metals. Not into it yet for myself for reloading still think about it .
Annealing black powder cartridges is a good idea as well. A softer neck will expand to seal the chamber more easily preventing blowback. If your BP cartridges are dirty out of the chamber, you might need an annealing.
From what I could see your doing good , I do this after every firing it sure makes the brass easy to trim and by the way I use a drill motor and swap sockets per size of the case
Wife bought me an AMP machine. Best machine out there.
I've used an Annealeeze for several years and switched to a Benchsource annealer. More better, easier to get it right once you play with it a little bit. I set my torches so the two center tongues of fire meet on the neck of the case. I do it about 4 seconds and that seems right but you may need to go a little slower depending on the brass.
I built an induction annealer and I will NEVER use propane or a torch ever again
The price of annealers is as bad as case tumblers. I use the torch method and just lightly chuck up the cases in my battery drill and count to 6. Works OK especially on 308 I've converted to 6.5CM. I am currently building my own liquid tumbler using casters and an old corded 3/8" drill to turn it. I shoot 100 rounds a week or so and my Savage holds .5moa. My problem is me as far as groups go now but the price of some of this equipment is crazy for the average guy.
What about brass that's nickel plated? How is it to anneal that?
Talking about the 900F salt bath. What is the dip time for best annealing of 5.56x45 brass for you.
What about the 6.5mm Grendel brass? Did you try Grendel cases in your salt bath annealer.
The secret to the AMP New Zealand induction annealer is that they use tons of hardness data using their Vickers Micro-hardness tester. That rig is a few thousand dollars by itself, so they amortize the cost for owning and operating that lab level hardness tester by passing along the cost to their induction annealer price.