Brass case annealing machine

[wyn]

Seen a few of these on youtube and will be needing to do some annealing in the future, so thought i would make one.

It's mostly dictated by what materials i already have in the shed..............3mm sheet, 16mm silver steel, 16mm ID oilite bushes, 3" aluminium round bar.


Started with some 3mm sheet.
Drilled a few holes and turned some round bits to hold the oilite bushes.
Guessed a bit and drilled the holes at 90mm centres.

Welded the bits in

The oilite bushes are a little loose but will probably be ok.

Turned some aluminium rollers and fixed to the shaft with grub screws.
The top one has a cut out to pick up one case.
The bottom one is knurled and i've also cut grooves for o-rings.
A bit of a hopper out of more 3mm.

A guide out of more 3mm

A "flap" out of 3mm stuck to a 10mm rod.


The top roller will be powered and the bottom roller connected to it with a round belt.
The top roller picks up a case from the hopper....Drops it onto the bottom roller which is rotating.
A blow torch is positioned to heat the end of the case. I'll need a smaller torch.
The flap will be timed to the top roller to drop the annealed case just before the next one drops.

These aluminium bits will be the drive pulleys.
The rod controling the flap will be operated by a cam on the top drive pulley.

A 12v dc motor and g/bx plus a speed control thingy turned up this afternoon so i can fit that soon and see if it all works.

 

[Migmac]

I have seen the annealing machines too. Looking good. The purpose built ones are very nice but expensive, much more satisfying building one. I don’t anneal as I get my brass free and get 10 uses before the necks split. You’ll need to put a video up when it’s all up and running

 

[ronan]

.243 ?

 

[wyn]

.243 ?

.204

 

[Parm]

Educate me, I know nothing about shooting.

Why do you need to anneal the bullet casings ?

 

[addjunkie]

Large calibre bullets are quite pricey. .243 are roughly 1.50 each.

Annealing is a controlled heating / cooling of metal, to soften it, so it can be worked.

Aiding reloading used cartridges.

Saving money.

 

[Parm]

Large calibre bullets are quite pricey. .243 are roughly 1.50 each.

Annealing is a controlled heating / cooling of metal, to soften it, so it can be worked.

Aiding reloading used cartridges.

Saving money.

Cool

I know what annealing is but didn’t understand why you would need to do it to bullets. Now I do

 

[ronan]

Cool

I know what annealing is but didn’t understand why you would need to do it to bullets. Now I do

Well its not the bullets, the actual projectiles, its the brass cases, especially the neck where the bullet sits into the case. I always thought it was very wasteful to throw away brass cases, when you look at how precisely made they are and the good material is.

 

[Parm]

Well its not the bullets, the actual projectiles, its the brass cases, especially the neck where the bullet sits into the case. I always thought it was very wasteful to throw away brass cases, when you look at how precisely made they are and the good material is.

Lol, I did mean casings, even said it in an earlier post. It’s late now and I’m well lubricated

 

[Kent]

I have never annealed a std size case. It's really a waste of time and money over what you can easily get out of good quality brass.
Some fire formed cases certainly benefit of it but its got to be done very uniform or you s rew up your neck tensions.
I get around ten firings plus if you are prepared to check the cases very carefully and that's from hornet brass which is about as thin as it gets. Hardly ever had the likes of Lapua brass crack on 308 class cases in ten firings

 

[Perry Owens]

I just hold the case in a Lee case spinner holder in the chuck of a cordless drill. A dab of Tempilac on the neck and hold in the blowtorch flame with slow rotation until the paint turns black, then dunk in cold water. After a few you get to know how long to hold it in the flame and can dispense with the indicator.

I only do it for extreme resizing, like 24gauge brass down to 577-450 Martini-Henry, or fire forming 308 Winchester to 11.15mm Werndl.
Perry

 

[MattF]

Brass can be overheated slightly, if left to cool naturally rather than quenching. Exact temperature, as long as the minimum is reached, isn't necessity.

 

[Migmac]

I have never annealed a std size case. It's really a waste of time and money over what you can easily get out of good quality brass.
Some fire formed cases certainly benefit of it but its got to be done very uniform or you s rew up your neck tensions.
I get around ten firings plus if you are prepared to check the cases very carefully and that's from hornet brass which is about as thin as it gets. Hardly ever had the likes of Lapua brass crack on 308 class cases in ten firings

I get ten firings from my federal 243 cases without annealing. Like I said in another post I get my brass free. Just recently, within the last year, there were reports of case head separation with some of the Lapua brass.

 

[Alan Reynolds]

Out of curiosity, how do you fit new primers?

 

[Migmac]

Firstly you knock the old primer out, I use a lee universal deprimer die. Then you can use this to put the new primer

 

[Migmac]

Here you go, a primer being knocked out


https://photos.app.goo.gl/KhCDfUXvJXNaubzF9

 

[Robotstar5]

Firstly you knock the old primer out, I use a lee universal deprimer die. Then you can use this to put the new primer

View attachment 149134 View attachment 149135

I think I've still got one of those from my pistol days, handy tool as you can sit and watch the telly while priming a load of cases

 

[slim_boy_fat]

So, how do costs compare [allowing for all the time and equipment you'd need to buy] between buying a round and recycling a spent one?

 

[Migmac]

So, how do costs compare [allowing for all the time and equipment you'd need to buy] between buying a round and recycling a spent one?

My reloading kit was £230, dies £30, powder £40(160 rounds per tub if I remember correctly), bullets £27 per 100, primers £3 per 100, brass cases free. The last time I worked out cost per round it was something like 37p, factory rounds are £1.40 each. The biggest factor is accuracy, factory rounds will do sub inch groups, homeloads I make will do sub half inch or better. The homeloads are made to measure for your rifle.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

@Migmac Thanks for the explanation/comparison