Annealing machine finished! And... Design change quickly after first use!

[cajuntec]

I've been so pumped up about finishing this annealing machine. I finally finished it a few weeks ago, and put some 6.8 SPC brass through it, just as a test run. It ran well. Few minor adjustments, and it was off and running.

I made one change from the original plans right away. I wanted to push the brass away from the U-bolt in the main drum, and I didn't want the brass riding on the threaded portion. Looking at the size, I figured I could slip a piece of brass over it. I ended up using the expander from a .243 die to open up the neck of a piece of .223. I measured, and then cut off the base of the .223 brass, and then "threaded" it backwards onto the U-bolt. It makes a nice spacer, and my brass no longer rides on threads. I don't think it would cause any harm... but I'm experimenting, so it's all worth the extra effort, regardless.

But then I tried to adjust it for .300 AAC Blackout (one of the main reasons I built this machine - that and .30 Herrett and 7TCU). I quickly realized that the original torch holder design shown on the plans wasn't what I wanted. Nothing wrong with it. I just wanted to do it differently, especially with the torch-head I have. So I decided to redesign that part this weekend.

I had an idea in my head, and it worked out great. I used a cable clamp that had 5/16-18 threads, used a coupler, and attached it to some 5/16-18 all-thread that went through the machine body. I drilled a new attachment hole, adjusted so that I could move the torch body back and forth to adjust flame depth. It also swivels easily to adjust where it's pointing, and the all-thread allows easy depth adjustments.

I also found a torch bottle holder at Lowes, so I attached that to the side, and used a hose to connect bottle to torch head. It's much easier to adjust the torch head without a big bottle attached to it.

Not bad for my first try (+ a quick re-try). Worked well on the .300 AAC brass I did today.

All the best,
Glenn

[cajuntec]

Video of it working:

https://youtu.be/tA1qW86_oxw

[clffrdfdge]

Pretty slick?

[Bowyer]

Very slick! How much will you charge to anneal someone else's brass?

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[JakeGraves]

Awesome. I have all the parts to build but have t designated the time to assemble box and put everything together. Can I pm you if I have electrical questions?

[Cantcatch5]

I don't reload so forgive my ignorance. What does annealing do to the brass?

[poisonivie]

Softens it so it's easier to work. Nice job, Glenn.

[Greyman]

I downloaded the plans for (I believe) the same setup, it looks promising just haven't moved on it. Looks like it is working well. What was your final material bill if you don't mind me asking? I have heard it is supposed to be less than a $100 bucks.

[Slick8]

Thanks for the motivational post, I've been wanting to build one for some time.

[cajuntec]

Very slick! How much will you charge to anneal someone else's brass?

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Thank you. I couldn't see charging someone much to do this. A couple cases get sacrificed when checking the heat with Tempilac, and after that, the propane and electricity costs are probably only pennies. But I don't think it would be cost effective to ship brass back and forth, just for annealling. After a few shipments, you could have paid for the parts to build your own machine.
All the best,
Glenn

[cajuntec]

Awesome. I have all the parts to build but have t designated the time to assemble box and put everything together. Can I pm you if I have electrical questions?

Anytime. I'd be happy to help with any questions. A lot of others helped me. I'd be happy to pass on what I've learned.

All the best,
Glenn

[cajuntec]

I don't reload so forgive my ignorance. What does annealing do to the brass?

Softens it so it's easier to work. Nice job, Glenn.

I'm a novice at this, so I'm still learning, but from everything I've read / researched, it serves multiple purposes.

One of them, as poisonivie pointed out above, it softening the brass. As brass gets "worked" (fired) it starts to harden. After repeated firings (and subsequent "working" / hardening), the necks can split. So the first thing it supposedly does it soften the neck so that your brass lasts longer (more firings).

Since I load a few wildcats - such as .30Herrett from .30-30 brass, and 7TCU from .223 brass, I am also working brass into a different shape than it was originally designed to be in. In the case of the .30 Herrett, the shoulder and part of the neck are now part of what the old .30-30 shoulder and bodies were. In the case of 7TCU, I'd expanded the neck and most of the shoulder. Annealing (should) help me get more life from this re-shapped brass.

I haven't tested this last claim (I plan to), but some say their extreme spread when cronographing their ammo has been reduced drastically, leading to better accuracy / tighter groups. I'm told this is because of uniform neck tension achieved from the annealing. Again - I haven't personally tested or witnessed this claim. But I've heard some claims of ES being reduced from double digit numbers to single digits.

I hope to test a lot of this in the upcoming months.

All the best,
Glenn

[rcjunky007]

I downloaded the plans for (I believe) the same setup, it looks promising just haven't moved on it. Looks like it is working well. What was your final material bill if you don't mind me asking? I have heard it is supposed to be less than a $100 bucks.

Can you post a link to the download for the plans?

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[cajuntec]

I downloaded the plans for (I believe) the same setup, it looks promising just haven't moved on it. Looks like it is working well. What was your final material bill if you don't mind me asking? I have heard it is supposed to be less than a $100 bucks.

Unfortunately, I didn't keep track of the entire costs, but since I made a few modifications, I think mine is a bit more.

My MDF, glue, nails, torch, and power cord didn't cost me anything, as I had those items laying around from previous projects.

My electronics cost me $57.09 shipped (total). It was $17.26 for the two motors, $24.88 for the speed controllers with digital displays, and $14.95 for the power supply.

Most of the hardware, besides the couplers, all-thread and 2" aluminum angle, were found at Lowes. I don't remember the cost, but I think it was less than $20 for everything. The other three items, I got from Home Depot. The couplers and all-thread were not expensive at all - about $8. So less than $30 in hardware.

Pie pan for the main drum was from Hobby Lobby. About $5 if I remember correctly.

The aluminum angle, on the other hand, was pricy, but I got it at a discount. Nobody had 1/16" thick angle in stock, which was half the price of the 1/8". So the store manager gave me the 1/8" at the 1/16" price. That piece was $26.56 plus tax. The 1/8" regular cost was $45 plus tax. I've got most of it left, as they didn't sell small lengths, so if others need it for this project, I can ship some of it out or send it via TBH express.

So at that point, I was in it for about $120, but remember - I had my own MDF, power cord, torch, glue and nails, so that increases the cost if you don't have those.

I ended up adding a few items, not in the original plan. The propane bottle holder ($5) and hose ($25) were not necessary, but nice additions.

Hope this helps.
All the best,
Glenn

[WhiplashTX]

I saw you mention 30 Herrett, how well does it work with rimmed cases?

Has anyone tried that design with Hornet brass?