When it comes to case annealing I usually get the case neck where it just starts to glow red then immediately drop it in water. That's the quick explanation. I had a friend just call me and told me he got the case necks the same, just where it starts to glow red then he just set the brass to the side and let it air cool. How is this going to effect his anneal by just letting it air cool and not air quenching or dropping in water?
Annealing Question ???
- Thread starter CA48
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I let mine drop in water immediately. I'm not taking any chances of even remotely softening anywhere near the case head.
Cooling freezes the smaller chrystaline structures you've just created by annealing in place. IN BRASS
I am no metallurgist, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express.
My suggestion however is to do your own research on metallurgical properties of brass before relying solely on a forum for the gospel.
Cooling freezes the smaller chrystaline structures you've just created by annealing in place. IN BRASS
I am no metallurgist, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express.
My suggestion however is to do your own research on metallurgical properties of brass before relying solely on a forum for the gospel.
I use this New Page 1
follow the directions closely and you can consistently anneal your brass with no worries
follow the directions closely and you can consistently anneal your brass with no worries
firstcoueswas80
Well-Known Member
I've always read even the case turns red hot, you've gone far too long. I hoist go until I start to see the rainbow happening, then air dry.
MagnumManiac
Well-Known Member
Quenching in water is not necessary in brass. If you have gone past 650ºF, then you will have made the brass too soft, this cannot be reversed, as brass will not 'quench harden', it can only be scrapped.
Even a dull red is too hot, what to look for is, 1) the neck goes a 'golden' colour but still retains it's shine. 2) the rainbow starts at the neck/shoulder junction and goes no more than a 1/4 down the case body below the neck.
Again, quenching in water will make no difference to arresting the heat, as soon as the heat is removed the case begins to cool, brass is good this way.
Cheers.
gun)
here is what you have to use to get the heat right Tempilaq temperature indicating liquids, temperature indication measurement
750 degrees inside the neck and 425 halfway down the case.
the 750 should turn black and the 425 no change if you do it right
cowboy
Well-Known Member
I will give you an alternate method to consider on the drop in water versus letting air dry.
I wet an old towel, soak with tap water, wring out the excess, and when I remove a piece of brass from the annealing torch I drop the hot brass onto the wet towel. The moist towel will prevent any heat from gravitating to a lower level on the brass than you had intended.
I wet an old towel, soak with tap water, wring out the excess, and when I remove a piece of brass from the annealing torch I drop the hot brass onto the wet towel. The moist towel will prevent any heat from gravitating to a lower level on the brass than you had intended.
I read an article about annealing that said to take a brand new case and use a pair of vise grips to calibrate the force it requires to just deform the neck, using the stop of the vise grip to prevent deforming it too much. Then go to your brass and compare the deformations. If it doesn't deform the same with the same pressure, then you need to anneal. I used this method to calibrate the amount of time and location of the flame on the case shoulder to match the new case. Not surprisingly, the results showed that a holding the flame for 5 to 6 seconds yielded perfect results.
In an absolutely dark room, the case will just start to turn blue in that time. You can't tell at all in light. Air cooling after this method won't result in over heating of the base. But I still drop them in water as an added safety measure so hot brass isn't rolling around.
In an absolutely dark room, the case will just start to turn blue in that time. You can't tell at all in light. Air cooling after this method won't result in over heating of the base. But I still drop them in water as an added safety measure so hot brass isn't rolling around.
That is s nice piece of equipment especially for a high volume of cases. He is going to shoot a few and see how it does, but does any know if can just re anneal these cases and go back to shooting them or was this an irreversible mistake?
Thanks for the responses. My phone had not reloaded the page when I made that last post so I was only able to see the first two replys.
It seems that the safest way to tell when you have reached the appropriate temperature is to use the temp lacquer at least until you have a better idea of what color the case neck should be when pulled.
It seems that the safest way to tell when you have reached the appropriate temperature is to use the temp lacquer at least until you have a better idea of what color the case neck should be when pulled.
Not really.
Temp lacquer is always better. Color is deceptive. Every time you anneal the color is different. You get less color with every annealing because the minerals that induce the color burn off. So you tend to over do it.
I would recommend practicing with the templaq until you can get a feel for it at the very least. I think it would be pretty hard to spin that case where the neck is heated evenly all the way around without some sort of machine. If you heat the bottom of that case too much.........
