Annealing, on the cheap.

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Hooda Thunkit

Hooda Thunkit

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I thought I'd share my method of annealing. I realize it's not the highest of hi-tech, but it works for me. I pretty much just used what I had around; it makes my Dutch heritage all warm and tingly when I don't spend money on 'fripperies' (as Mom called them).

A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say. 7.62x54r brass.
P1010396.JPG

P1010397.JPG

This is set up just as I do it. Angle and distance to the flame is about right. I operate the drill (on low) with my right hand, feed and empty the spark plug socket with my (gloved) left. Just let the hot brass drop into the rag-padded tray underneath, add a fresh one.

I tied the torch to the rifle rest after about the 4th time it fell off - I'm kinda slow that way.

I downloaded a metronome app to my phone, set it to 80 BPM, and ran some testing on old/trash brass - that's the few pieces standing on the workbench on the left in the first pic.
I turn on the torch, fairly low. Center cone of blue flame about 1" long. I turn off the lights, so I can see any glow of the brass - glowing is no bueno.

Count the beats to just before any glow. In this case, 10 beats was good. Try to get the spin rate the same each time. I aim the tip of the blue cone the junction of the neck and shoulder of the case.

Now you can turn the lights back on, 'cuz it's kinda spooky in the dark. Go to it.

I annealed 65 pieces in less than 30 minutes, including setup. Just try it; it's not that difficult.
 
I use essentially the same setup, and it works well for me. I anneal to improve brass life, not for consistancy of neck tension, so I use the heated brass color rather than a timer to stop the heating. I've found that the different headstamps require different annealing times, likely due to their differing metal composition ratio.
20210703_143649.jpg
 
sparkyv said:
I've found that the different headstamps require different annealing times, likely due to their differing metal composition ratio.
Click to expand...
You are correct , I have tested .308 and .223 brass while using an Annealeez along with Tempilaq . Dozens of different headstamps , using 750 degree Tempilaq . After annealing, some brass would be deep blue like it was dead soft while others looked like there we under-annealed with barely a trace the flame ever hit them . That was an eye opener after using the torch and socket and judging by color solely for years and years . I never ran into any negative aspects while doing it with a socket so I must have been close .
 
sparkyv said:
.... I've found that the different headstamps require different annealing times, likely due to their differing metal composition ratio.
View attachment 1016089
Click to expand...

All my brass is separated by headstamp. Although that is a good point that never occurred to me.

BigBoreBubba said:
My set up is the same, but opposite. I built this little machine to rotate my brass while I hold the torch. Built it mostly out of scrap around the shop the pulleys are sized to give me one complete rotation in 4 seconds.View attachment 1016093View attachment 1016094
Click to expand...

I like ! I'm going to look around, see if I have some 'stuff' with which to make something similar.

Slamfire said:
I like your idea of using a front rest for support of the blow torch.
Click to expand...

I get brilliant flashed occasionally. Very occasionally, according to Mrs Thunkit.
 
Hooda Thunkit said:
I thought I'd share my method of annealing. I realize it's not the highest of hi-tech, but it works for me. I pretty much just used what I had around; it makes my Dutch heritage all warm and tingly when I don't spend money on 'fripperies' (as Mom called them).

A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say. 7.62x54r brass.
View attachment 1016077

View attachment 1016078

This is set up just as I do it. Angle and distance to the flame is about right. I operate the drill (on low) with my right hand, feed and empty the spark plug socket with my (gloved) left. Just let the hot brass drop into the rag-padded tray underneath, add a fresh one.

I tied the torch to the rifle rest after about the 4th time it fell off - I'm kinda slow that way.

I downloaded a metronome app to my phone, set it to 80 BPM, and ran some testing on old/trash brass - that's the few pieces standing on the workbench on the left in the first pic.
I turn on the torch, fairly low. Center cone of blue flame about 1" long. I turn off the lights, so I can see any glow of the brass - glowing is no bueno.

Count the beats to just before any glow. In this case, 10 beats was good. Try to get the spin rate the same each time. I aim the tip of the blue cone the junction of the neck and shoulder of the case.

Now you can turn the lights back on, 'cuz it's kinda spooky in the dark. Go to it.

I annealed 65 pieces in less than 30 minutes, including setup. Just try it; it's not that difficult.
Click to expand...

Thank you for giving us some precise details about how you timed it, distance, and measurements. Many of these type of posts are so vague it’s difficult to really get a feel for the process except that you know it involves a torch and some brass.
 
I wonder if the speed of rotation matters. As long as the speed doesn't vary during one case's time in the flame, it should still heat just as evenly as another case that rotates more quickly or slowly, shouldn't it? I suppose if you went so slowly that it only turned half a rotation that could make it heat really unevenly, but if you're getting in at least 3 or 4 revolutions the speed may be inconsequential.
 
I use the same torch as Mr. Thunkit except it is on a 1# bottle and using the base made for these bottles so it sits straight up. It takes up little room on the bench and I hold the drill and socket so the case is straight up also which gives me what I consider the ideal flame angle on the case.
 
Hooda Thunkit said:
I pretty much just used what I had around; it makes my Dutch heritage all warm and tingly when I don't spend money on 'fripperies' (as Mom called them).
Click to expand...

Thank you for the pictures and write-up. My bench doesn't have room for special-purpose tooling. My Scottish heritage (just across the channel) appreciates the lack of 'fripperies'.
 
My set-up is almost identical to yours. Blue Ryobi drill, small drill press vise clamped to bottom of workbench, propane torch connected to 20# grill tank. The vise holds the torch at the correct location, case in the flame for a 6-count, then dump on cake pan. When case turns straw color, flame turns from blue to yellow, anneal is done. No more cracked necks on 223 Rem, easier to resize all rifle calibers. Waiting for "straw" color is simple and consistent.
 
For the second batch I’m trying the “candle method”
Only doing 60 rounds though. This will be my 200 yard reduce course 50 shot match ammo
1B19AEA0-BA57-40E4-AB68-6BD27BD49A3E.jpeg

ETA; never heard of it prior to this thread. So, let’s try it LOL
 
Yeah, I figured that one out real quick. I did my 60 then shut it down

edited to add. After I dried the candle method ones I noticed a buildup of a black carbon like residue on the case neck near the mouth. Even after 5 hours in the tumbler it was still there. I had to use a nickel and a scotchbrite pad to remove it. I’m staying with the cheap torch method like in the OP.
 
Last edited:
I use the propane torch/drill/socket method of the OP. About 6 or so seconds. I'm sure it isn't ideal or consistent regarding the degree of annealing. But it does reduce case neck splits (which is all I was after)..
 
I may try a form of this method in the future. I presently use hot lead to anneal my brass as I am usually casting bullets too. This will probably work well if I only have a small batch and no bullets to make.
 
Dean Grennel wrote about case annealing in "ABCs of reloading". He points out to be cautious not to anneal the case head, only the shoulder. The method he suggested is place cases upright in a pan w 1" or so of water. Use a torch to heat the shoulder & knock it over w the torch tip. It is fast & doesn't risk weakening the case head.
 
If you're cheap and don't have room for a setup and don't like burning your fingers, stand the propane torch up, use appropriate sized needle nose pliers to grip the case by the flash hole (needs to be deprimed) and slowly rotate the neck 180 degrees one way, then 180 degrees the other way and drop the case into a bowl/bucket of water. Very easy to do and you can process hundreds in under an hour. Just like getting into the "zone" with pouring lead into a mould, once you get the hang of knowing how long and how slow you rotate the case, it gets easy.
 
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