Salt Bath Annealing

[Mikecr]

Plenty of videos here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lee+pot+pid+contoller

 

[MudMarine]

First 100 cases of 300wm are done. I've selected a few for your review and input, thoughts?
500deg C for 5-6 secs.

Those look good to my untrained eye.

One experiment I did when I first got this setup was to anneal a couple of sacrificial cases using some tempilaque (sp?), up to like 15 seconds. The visible anneal line slowly moves down the case. In other words, you would almost have to put a piece of brass in the pot and then go make a sandwich before you end up annealing the case head. I exaggerate, but you get the idea.

Depending on the brass, I use 6 to 7 seconds with an eye on being consistent with each lot of brass.

 

[TwoMore]

Ogrmar SSR-25 DA 25A 3-32V DC / 24-380V AC Solid State Relay and Heat Sinkwas 8.99 amazon

MYPIN® TA4-SNR+K Thermocouple SNR PID Dual Digital Display Temperature Controller Dual Type-K Thermocouple 27.99 amazon

uxcell K Type 50x5mm 500C Probe Thermocouple Temperature Sensor Cable 9.8ft 3 Meters 6.28 amazon
I bought a 1/16 din cabinet from Auber Instruments Inc, it was the most expensive part other than the case holder the cabinet was 40 bucks but you can use just about anything that will keep it covered, the solid state relay does not get hot and I wouldn't have had to used a heat sink other than it came with it, if I was going to do it again I would use a smaller cabinet . the pid controller has the wiring schematic on it and it is straight forward, I bought a two wire k type 2 inch probe that hooks right up on the pid with out any jumpers, in the 7 and 8 slots... I came in with my 3 wire 12 gauge with the common (black) goes into the load side of the relay along with a smaller black common that goes to my rocker switch in the 2 position the 1 position of the switch goes to the number 2 slot on the power input on the pid the other spot on the relays out put goes to the common on the slip in plug receptacle for the pots supply. so basically the relay is opening and closing the common to the pots supply voltage .the neutrals are all together one on the slip in plug which will be the power supply for the pot. the other will go in the number 1 slot on the input of the pid and the third spot on the rocker switch for lighting it up if you want. the relay inputs hook up on the 3 and 4 slots of the pid

if you order a pid just make sure you get one from the states so the instructions will be in english lol sjots 5,6,9,10,11,12 are empty, you could use the alt slots for a temp alarm if you wanted to and set those values in the setup on the pid

 

[TwoMore]

Plenty of videos here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lee+pot+pid+contoller

I like the guitar in the vid!

 

[Mc Fraser]

I didn't really like how much salt is left inside and outside of the case so I decided to put them through the wet tumbler for 3hrs. This is what I got in the end. Pretty happy with the results.
What do you guys think?
Almost forgot, I neck size them again with a Lee die and it did feel different, hard to describe ...

 

[TwoMore]

i didnt have much drag out on my cases, when I pulled them out of the water they are pretty clean, this is one right out of the water and air blown dry.

 

[Doublezranch]

I didn't really like how much salt is left inside and outside of the case

I do a quench immediately after the brass comes out of the salt. This helps keep my anneal consistent and wash the salt off the cases. After the cases are dry then I tumble them with corn cob.

 

[Mc Fraser]

i didnt have much drag out on my cases, when I pulled them out of the water they are pretty clean, this is one right out of the water and air blown dry.
View attachment 132446

I found mine to have residual salt inside.

 

[TwoMore]

I found mine to have residual salt inside.

how hot are you running your salt? I ran mine at 932F

I do a quench immediately after the brass comes out of the salt. This helps keep my anneal consistent and wash the salt off the cases. After the cases are dry then I tumble them with corn cob.

thats is how I have been doing it also

 

[Mc Fraser]

Same temp and cooling process.

 

[Doublezranch]

I run mine at 550c and have not had any residual salt on any of the cases. I was worried about it at first so I Ultrasonic cleaned them after. Once I realized that there was no salt on the case I dried them out and tumbled them.

 

[TwoMore]

i know the salt actually looks thicker until you get close to 900

 

[JimmyCP]

Is it to much to ask to put together a step by step tutorial for PID, specific to which part goes where and how is it wired?

Look up heat treat oven DIY on you tube. Most of us knife makers have made our own heat treat ovens all using various pid controllers.
In my use of annealing brass, I don't realy have a use for a PID.

With a thermocouple on a meter it's pretty easy to control with the melting pot. Once you put the brass in, the temp drops, once the temp comes back up to your desired temp, pull the brass and drop it in water.
A PID controller is used mainly to control temp within 1 to 2 degrees for a set period of time "soak period"
So if I was using a metal for a knife that had a 1650 degree 1 hour soak period before the quench I could program the PID to do it or even do step down temps.

There are a few knife makers that use high temp salt in 4 inch round stainless steel tube 24 to 48 inch long to heat treat knives in a salt bath.

For me a PID doesn't real serve a pupose in my application for doing brass

 

[Rick Richard]

I finally got around today to anneal some brass with the Salt Bath annealer. It is so easy that a...Cave Man can do it. The only issue I had was maintaining a consistent temperature with the melting pot controls. It would fluctuate about 20 or so degrees (C), which I don't think would effect the process that much that I would be able to tell.