Ok, my process isn't high tech or anything.
I bought a cheap lead melting pot, and melted in a few big fishing sinkers from Walmart.
This is not very pure lead, so contaminants form at the top during use. I skim this out with an old screwdriver.
With pot temperature adjustment, I use an old Omega thermocouple/indicator inserted in the lead, and have verified it's readings with a handheld laser thermometer(borrowed from work). I set temp at 675deg highest, which can drop as low as 600deg depending on the rate I'm dipping cases. With each dip some heat sinks away to the case, and the cheap built-in controller raises temp to compensate -with a bit of overshoot.
So my window is ~600 to 675deg.
This recrystallizes(stress relieves) the case both from the inside and outside, without risking annealing.
Before lead dipping I pour Mobil1 oil in a plastic ammo box and insert my cases mouth down into it. Then I stand the cases up on a nail board with paper towels to further drain. Nice thin layer.
I've tried many oils/coatings and Mobil1 is the only coating I know of that can withstand these temps long enough, and not seperate from the cases during dipping. Amsoil synthetic might work, I don't know. Don't even try the other synthetics available, they'll just burn off with a flame, and you'll pull an elephant foot out permanently affixed to your case.
Even Mobil1 eventually burns. But it takes a couple minutes, and is not an issue provided you keep the amount low(hence, thin layer).
To dip, I just pick up a case with a leather glove and very slowly lower into the lead(maybe 1/8" per sec), and once reaching my desired point, I raise the case back out at the same rate. Very slowly. The oil forms a ring that flows up the case away from the surface of the lead pool. This leaves just enough of something(surface oxidation?)on the brass to keep lead from soldering to it. The case feels dry afterwards, -where it contacted lead. But if you go too fast with inserting or removing, this coating fails to form and lead sticks.
For new 6.5WSSM brass I needed to form new body taper & shoulder angles on, I timed 45sec total dip for stress relieving to center of the case bodies. Slowly In/slowly out in 45sec. My wife helped me measure caseheads while doing so, and we get less than 200deg. Brass is unaffected below 450deg, so I'm confident in the control offered by lead dipping(over any other method). You could not easily go so far down a short case with a torch, without ruining it.
For simple neck/shoulder with normal thickness brass, you could probably hold the caseheads with your bare hand.
Completed dipping, I drop the cases in a pan of Citrisolv, or whatever degreasing agent provided for me in the kitchen. Then I tumble. The brass darkens only slightly where stress relieved. Less than factory discoloration.
People rule out lead dipping due to risks with fumes and the evil energy in that pot. They rationalize that torching is easier –therefore better? Why is easier always better??
Annealing begins ~900+degs. How do you know a torch has produced the correct temperature all the way through the brass, and not 1000deg on the outside and 200deg inside?
Anyway,,
I dip outside with a box fan behind the pot, pointed down wind. Lock away any cats or dogs beforehand, and just be careful not to dump the lead or drop anything into it. Pretty much the same precautions needed with a torch.
Overall, it's less painful than turning, and about the same pain as bumping.
I only stress relieve when needed. I know when I reach this point because I comparative measure & watch neck tension, and when bumps fail to consistently hold, it's time. With the minimum sizing I do, I can easily go 10 reloads before re-dipping. With the 6.5WSSM batch referenced I am just at this point(26 reloads).
That's it!
And with this you could apparently walk among Supermen..
