Annealing Question

[ken98k]

I'm a little confused about annealing brass.

Most of the books say to heat the neck and then drop it into a pan of water to prevent the base from getting hot.

I understand not getting the base hot but, isn't that how you harden steel, heat and quench?

Kenny

[AzRednek]

I'm a little confused about annealing brass.

Most of the books say to heat the neck and then drop it into a pan of water to prevent the base from getting hot.

I understand not getting the base hot but, isn't that how you harden steel, heat and quench?

Kenny

 

Kenny not sure how to answer your question or exactly what is your question. I'm not sure exactly how steel is quenched. Friend of mine that ran an automotive leaf spring shop quenched springs in oil. The temp of the heated red steel when it was quenched was critical to keep the springs flexible. Done incorrectly the springs would either break when flexed or bend and not return to the original position.

 

For your reloading brass heat up the brass' shoulder near the neck with a torch, as soon as it changes color dip the heated shoulder area in water with the neck pointed down. Don't dunk the entire case unless you want to bake the cases to get out all the moisture. Do it with a gloved hand and you will get a feel for the heat coming through the glove. Don't get carried away with the heat, as soon as you notice the color of the brass changing stick it in water.

 

I haven't annealed brass for several years. Unless you have hard to find or expensive brass don't mess with it. If you're splitting necks chances are good you have pretty much got the useful life out of the brass. If you're re-forming brass into another caliber I suggest you fire-form before you anneal the brass. The books may say other wise and suggest annealing before you fire-form but I say don't bother unless you split allot of case necks on the initial fire-forming.

 

[Ron J]

I'm a little confused about annealing brass.

Most of the books say to heat the neck and then drop it into a pan of water to prevent the base from getting hot.

I understand not getting the base hot but, isn't that how you harden steel, heat and quench?

Kenny

You're exactly right. Quenching (cooling rapidly - normally done in some type of liquid) is what hardens carbon / alloy steel. Tempering (heating and cooling slowly) is what softens or anneals it. I've often wondered about why the opposite works with brass. I know that certain stainless steels work in reverse for hardening also.

 

[BradD]

Another way, I've forgotten where I got it now, but it works, is to dip the mouth and shoulder into molten lead and then drop it into a container of water. Apparently molten lead is the exact perfect temperature for annealing brass.

 

It's also a pain, but more prescise than trying to properly and consistenly heat around the neck/shoulder and push it over at just the right moment.

 

Here's how it works. You need a lead furnace for bullet casting. Buy or borrow one. I don't cast but a buddy found one along with enough lead to do the job at a yard sale. Melt enough lead to be a couple inches deep.

 

Get a bowl and fill it with motor oil or such, nothing too light, light oil doesn't work well. Get some VERY thick gloves. Get a fairly good sized water vessel.

 

Once the lead is melted, take a case and dip it halfway into the oil, then dip it into the molten lead. Five to ten seconds is plenty. Shake the case clean of any hangy-onny lead and drop it into the water. Continue til all are done. If there is any lead stuck to the case just redo it, make sure the oil is adequate and you shake it clean. It is important , I find, that the case be clean.

 

It stinks, sometimes the oil flames up and it doesn't work quite as well in really cold weather. Other than that, it beats mowing the lawn.

 

Did I mention to be sure and wear the gloves on your hands?

 

Brad

[Dr.Hess]

Sometime in the last 30+ years, somewhere in print (before teh 1ntr4w3b, yo), I read:

 

Put a tuna can full of water on a lazy susan. Put a case in the middle. Spin lazy susan. Heat the neck/shoulder with a propane torch. Let cool. The water prevents the rest of the case from annealing. Never tried it. I just shoot them till the necks split then pitch them. With the price of brass these days, I may try it.

 

I have annealed a bit of aluminum and I do that by: Putting a mark from a magic marker/Sharpie on the aluminum. Heat with an acetylene torch rosebud until the line disappears almost completely. Let cool slowly. That works well and then you can bend the aluminum sheet pretty easy. I annealed the aluminum panels for the body that way seen here:

 

then bent the panel around the frame and did a lot of beating with a hammmer/mallet collection.

[Spiris]

I haven't done the annealing thing in a few years, but I've done the pan of water procedure. Line up the cases in the pan so it brings water up to about 3/4 to 1/2 inch of the shoulder, spaced about an inch apart. Then just heat each one with a propane torch until you get a color change and tip over into the water. It's not scientific but it works and protects the base of the brass.

Of late, I just buy brass or acquire it from different sources. But I can attest to the pan of water annealing as a workable solution, especially if you have wildcat or just hard to find brass and want to make it last.

 

Spiris

[AzRednek]

the pan of water procedure. Line up the cases in the pan so it brings water up to about 3/4 to 1/2 inch of the shoulder, spaced about an inch apart.

 

Spiris

 

 

I've tried that method, works great untill you knock over one case, the domino effect takes over and all the cases fall over.

 

[Spiris]

I've tried that method, works great untill you knock over one case, the domino effect takes over and all the cases fall over.

 

The key to it is not trying to do 200 cases at once in a 9" pan. lol

 

Spiris

[pacrat]

Here is my take,

 

Any carbon bearing ferros metal when heated then quickly quenched hardens. If heated then allowed to cool slowly it anneals. Non-ferros metals such as aluminum, brass, copper, etc are just the opposite. When heated then quickly quenched it is annealed. Many yrs ago while working in the aircraft industry we heated aluminum extrusions in an electric oven to a given temp for a set time. Then Immediately plunged them into a blast freezer for annealing. When held at that temp they remained soft. Parts were transported to machinists packed in dry ice. After machining, parts were returned to the oven and then allowed to cool slowly to reharden.

 

I use a cheapy propane torch standing on its base and a 3# coffee can half full of water. Holding cases by base turn in flame until they turn from brass color to "straw" color in the neck/shoulder area then drop them into coffee can. The more (overbore) the case the more often they need annealing. This process prevents split necks and often more than doubles case life due to removing the work hardening caused by firing and resizing.