Annealing

[mealiejimmy]

He is talking about a full anneal in that video, rather than stress relief annealing.

I understood the advantage of stress relief annealing at 400˚C is that you retain the OEM neck tension, but reduce the likelyhood of neck splits thus extending your case life until the primer pockets become loose.

Full anneal beyond recrystallisation makes it dull red territory and much softer. In order to be consistent you would have to anneal new brass to the same level before load development and first fire.

I thought you were stress relief annealing with your Induction machine to match the OEM neck hardness, or are you doing a full annealing like him?

Alan

I anneal to match new OEM hardness
Looking at your graph and converting the values from my Webster hardness tester to Brinell values (never an exact science) I'd estimate that my annealing temperature is around 520-530 deg C

Cheers

Bruce

 

[Alantoo]

I anneal to match new OEM hardness
Looking at your graph and converting the values from my Webster hardness tester to Brinell values (never an exact science) I'd estimate that my annealing temperature is around 520-530 deg C

Cheers

Bruce

I am still in two minds as to whether I send my Webster tester back or modify it...

I would like to know whether my black soap @400˚C and the longer time to achieve that temperature with a gas flame means that we end up somewhere close...

Even if I don't send the Webster back maybe I could send some to you to compare with yours.

Alan

 

[Utectok]

It is the relative stable point at 400˚C, whatever the starting hardness state that makes it relatively easy to hit consistently with soap. It is before recrystallisation gets going and after the stresses are removed.

I agree that a full recrystallisation anneal is more straightforward and reduces any risk of over or under heating. I always annealed brass and copper to red in the workshop an did the same for the first few times I annealed cartridge cases. But then read that stress relief annealing was the optimum for OEM neck tension, so went for the 400˚C point.

Alan


View attachment 248075

Thanks alan I might give it a go I remember using soap as an aid in the workshop for aluminium when forming it long time ago lol

 

[Utectok]

He is talking about a full anneal in that video, rather than stress relief annealing.

I understood the advantage of stress relief annealing at 400˚C is that you retain the OEM neck tension, but reduce the likelyhood of neck splits thus extending your case life until the primer pockets become loose.

Full anneal beyond recrystallisation makes it dull red territory and much softer. In order to be consistent you would have to anneal new brass to the same level before load development and first fire.

I thought you were stress relief annealing with your Induction machine to match the OEM neck hardness, or are you doing a full annealing like him?

Alan

Actually I usually do anneal and size new brass… it’s a bore but I’m debur the primer pockets and so forth anyway so I anneal and neck size but don’t body size as I usually do on once fired.

 

[Alantoo]

Thanks alan I might give it a go I remember using soap as an aid in the workshop for aluminium when forming it long time ago lol

That is where I got it from...full annealing of aluminium is 400˚C and just happens to be good for stress relief annealing of cartridge brass.

The associated trick with Aluminium when you are hot forging it is the charred stick or hammer handle. The "greasy stick" on the other hand is good for setting springs without disturbing their temper! KISS engineering!

Alan