Annealing ?

[D.ray]

I want to try my hand at annealing. I hand load 3006 and running once fired brass through the press is fine but I’ve noticed 2nd and 3rd is not as smooth.
I see people using machines for this and average time in the flame is 6 sec. when I use drill and a deep wall, it glows red on the 6 count.
Do we want glow or no ?
Thanks !

 

[1066]

If you are just annealing to extend case life the drill and socket method will work just fine although if you're cases are glowing you have gone too far, either move the flame a little further back or cut down the time a little.
A metronome app on your phone will help you get consistent timing an a crude sort of jig will help you position your drill and socket in the same place every time.

If you are concerned with screwing the last bit of accuracy out of your rounds then even more attention is necessary for consistent neck tension. This is where some sort of machine, whether it's induction or gas fired really helps with the consistency.
Here's a couple of my home built machines earning their keep.:

 

[D.ray]

If you are just annealing to extend case life the drill and socket method will work just fine although if you're cases are glowing you have gone too far, either move the flame a little further back or cut down the time a little.
A metronome app on your phone will help you get consistent timing an a crude sort of jig will help you position your drill and socket in the same place every time.

If you are concerned with screwing the last bit of accuracy out of your rounds then even more attention is necessary for consistent neck tension. This is where some sort of machine, whether it's induction or gas fired really helps with the consistency.
Here's a couple of my home built machines earning their keep.:

Thank you for the advice. Very nice machines , pro !

 

[748]

I was going for cheap and long case life so I just lined the brass up on a metal surface and passed a torch over each one just long enough till the neck discolored a little.
Then I discovered 30-30 shells usually fail in my gun and being ran on my dies because of a body split befor theres a neck split.
I'm glad I was able to figure out I don't need to anneal with out spending money on an annealing rig.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

It ain't rocket surgery.

Get a bottle of Tempilaq (Amazon, Walmart, etc.) and some votive candles (Walmart). Put a dab of 750 degree Tempilaq inside the case mouth, hold the case by the head and rotate it with your fingers in the candle flame until the color changes. Drop the case on a damp towel and pick up the next one.

Typically, by the time the head of the case is too hot for comfort, you will have reached the correct temperature. After a dozen or so cases, you only need to use the Tempilaq every ten cases or so to keep yourself "calibrated.".

 

[Walkalong]

Good advise here, and no, you don’t want them to glow

 

[.38 Special]

I pretty much use the technique Vern outlined. I use a propane torch, though, because it's quicker, and then I drop the case into water. The grizzled old man who taught me always cautioned that if the case head, held in my fingers, got too hot to hold, that I may have weakened it and should throw it away. That point, for what it's worth, comes well before anything starts to glow.

 

[D.ray]

Good info here, thanks guys !

 

[rdnktrkr]

I haven't built an annealing machine uwt but have looked at a couple of designs, I like the ones with 2 wheels, 1 picks up a round the other spins the case. I use the socket/torch process now, I have a board I prop the battery drill on and a propane torch, I have a clock with a second hand, before the brass glows the flame will change color, you want to dump the case before the flame changes. I like the idea of using tempilaq every 10 cases or so and will look into that the next time I anneal. I do most calibers every 3 loads and 303brit every other load.

 

[mmb617]

I have a home built machine. When I first set it up I'd read somewhere that you should dim the lights in the room so you can see when the color of the flame changes which occurs just before the case glows, and that's about the right temperature. I set the variable speed control to conform with that and it's worked well for me. I'm sure I've loaded some of my .223 cases at least a half dozen times and almost never find a neck split.

I didn't want to have to track when the last time a particular case was annealed so I just do them all every time I reload them. With the machine it isn't hard and doesn't take long.