Has anyone tried Hornadys Case Annealer kit for a power drill?
I just bought one and was wondering what people think of it. I m hoping its in before this weekend. That should save me a Sh*t ton of cash in brass. Also time in case prep!
Any comments questions or consurns?
James
Midway USA Hornady Case Annealer

I've got one, just haven't had an opportunity to use it yet. The question I have is that it comes with a 475 degree Tempilaq and I have seen varying opinions that say that it needs to be 650 degrees or so.

Were you getting a lot of split necks so that it will save you that much money in brass?

Wow what a price increase since I bought mine about 6 years ago. I like the way it works. Better than tipping over in a pan of water.

I used the Hornady annealing kit with power tools. I found I needed quite a low rate of revolution (of the case in the annealing holder/heat sink) and consequently, a power screw driver worked better than a power drill. With the drill, I was forever trying to achieve a suitable low level of revs...

What I did NOT like about the tempilaq (sp?) was that it left a residue on the case after annealing. I found no other way of getting rid of this except polishing each case with steel wool. I thought that was a pain in the posterior!! However, I preferred the tempilaq to temp crayons in terms of visibility when reaching melting point.

- mike

I wonder if I could use my drill press for the job set on the lowest rpm setting? Also Mike did you try and just run the cases though the tumbler again after annealing to remove that junk? Seems to me that would be the easiest way. I do just about all my reloading expressly all my case prep in the evening. So myself would just toss the cases in the tumbler and let it run while I m sleeping.
Thanks!
James
PS Please forgive my spelling and grammar errors!!!

quote:

Originally posted by woods:
I've got one, just haven't had an opportunity to use it yet. The question I have is that it comes with a 475 degree Tempilaq and I have seen varying opinions that say that it needs to be 650 degrees or so.

Were you getting a lot of split necks so that it will save you that much money in brass?

Woods, My brass usuly lasts me up word to 20 loadings at times. Annealing should help me brake that number. I also just recently got the RCBS gauge to aide in this to help keep things safe from case head separation. Interesting thing also I checked my measurements on the case neck. They mostly run from .001 to .003 with a few acceptations.
Most all these cases have been shot out of only my 1903A3 Springfield.
I do full lanth re-size because I have a M1 Grand I shoot too on ocation.

quote:

Originally posted by James Kain:
Also Mike did you try and just run the cases though the tumbler again after annealing to remove that junk?

James, yes I did. No joy, I'm sad to report. I think I tumbled the annealed cases over night, and the (melted) tempilaq residue was still discernible.

- mike

Hum, Mike I think I m going to write to Hornady and see what they say. Couldn't hurt to see if they have a method to removing there own goo off the cases.
What tumbling media you use? I use the crushed walnut with the Lyman Media activate stuff. I have enough in my media to drown a small horse. My cases come out just as shiny as if straight from the factory.
Also the media I use is nothing but the stuff you buy down to the pet store. Made for lizards. Fast-cheap(er then the case media anywhere) and easy.

Lets hope Hornady has a fast easy method to solve this little dilemma.


Food for thought.
James

James, I use a deep socket on a short extension in a battery drill. With a 10mm for the 20 VT size case head, a 12mm for the standard 7x57 and a 14mm for the 404. These are bought individually and far cheaper than the Hornady unit.
I usually bung the cases in the polisher first ( walnut media, Frankford Arsenal brass polish) and then anneal them. I found that with a smaller gas torch I was able to aim at the shoulder neck junction and watch for the first colour change ( a straw-rainbow effect). With the smaller torch I found it was predictable as a timed operation as in about 4 sec for the 2o VT, 7-8 sec for the 7x57 and 9-10 for the 404.
With the smaller flame the colour change is easily seen and the need for temp sticks clean-up is negated. I anneal as a matter of course and have found a rythem that is repeatable.

Von Gruff.

Von Gruff,
What kind of torch do you use. I have propane style, but that is much too large a flam, I know. So how about something like a butane torch, or how about a map gas torch? Those I would have to buy.
Unless there is a different style torch I should be looking at?

I was thinking about rigging up something to tip the drill to the side when it was time to change the case. The torch would be fixed in place for ease of use. So the drill would swing out of the flam as need.

I use a SKIL 2.4 rechargeable screwdriver. It turns at about 50 rpms (perfect). I have a small butane torch which has a base which allows it to stand upright on the bench. I apply a dab of Templaq at the EDGE of the area to be annealed. When it melts I drop the case in a bucket of water. So far (four years) I have gotten perfect results. My cases look just like the new Hornady cases and hold up nicely.

BTW I use an old 12 ga shotgun brush or one of those 50 cents brass bristle brushes to buff off the Templaq. Hope this helps.

Geronimo

quote:

Originally posted by Geronomo:
I use a SKIL 2.4 rechargeable screwdriver. It turns at about 50 rpms (perfect). I have a small butane torch which has a base which allows it to stand upright on the bench. I apply a dab of Templaq at the EDGE of the area to be annealed. When it melts I drop the case in a bucket of water. So far (four years) I have gotten perfect results. My cases look just like the new Hornady cases and hold up nicely.

BTW I use an old 12 ga shotgun brush or one of those 50 cents brass bristle brushes to buff off the Templaq. Hope this helps.

Geronimo

I m going to have to remember that for when I get mine. Thanks! Is your brush in a drill too?

quote:

Originally posted by James Kain:
I wonder if I could use my drill press for the job set on the lowest rpm setting?

Only if you can turn your drill press upside down! Hornady's case holders are a gravity fit; not a friction fit. Very simplistically stated, they are like a deep well socket with a 1/4" hex bit on the end to fit into a cordless driver. Heat while in the up position, then dump the case out to cool. Refill and repeat.

I'm sure you'll find that using the Tempilaq on every case becomes unnecessary after you do the first few cases. You'll be able to SEE the correct color and duplicate it for every succeeding case. It's not rocket science. As far as a heat source goes, a simple Bernz-o-matic propane flame is fine. The key to the whole process is to bring the neck up to temp FAST so the heat doesn't have time to travel down the case shoulder and body to soften the case head. Spin the case however slow or fast as you wish...rotation gives complete and even coverage of the whole neck while the flame is held still.

Hey Dave, thanks! I was hoping to be able to use the press. I have yet to get it in. So I haven't been able to get a good look yet. I m guessing I ll have to just rig up something. :-/

quote:

I m going to have to remember that for when I get mine. Thanks! Is your brush in a drill too?

No, just a light buffing by hand, NBD.

Geronimo

quote:

Originally posted by James Kain:
Von Gruff,
What kind of torch do you use. I have propane style, but that is much too large a flam, I know. So how about something like a butane torch,

I use a small butane torch that is not much more than handyman capable and its flame is more than sufficient. The replacable (camp gas) cylinders have a flat bottom and stand securely, although the kit had a wider stand as well. As has been said with the drill turning as slow as possible so I can see the brass clearly works for me and the drill is easy to tip the case out of and re-index on the stand. The three socket are on de-headed bolts as it was cheaper than three extensions and they are cut to give the same over all length with a case in place for the three different sized cases.


Von Gruff.

Nice Von! Do you also dump your cases in the water? I m sure the reason for the water is to immediately stop the heat from expanding down the case and softening the rest of the case?
What a basic case of blacksmithing/metallurgy 101.

everything you need to know about "proper" annealing is right here.http://www.6mmbr.com/annealing.html for those who don't like reading so much here's a little cut and past from 6mmbr

The critical time and temperature at which the grain structure reforms into something suitable for case necks is 662 degrees (F) for some 15 minutes. A higher temperature, say from 750 to 800 degrees, will do the same job in a few seconds. If brass is allowed to reach temperatures higher than this (regardless of the time), it will be made irretrievably and irrevocably too soft.


so i'm pretty sure hornady needs to go back to the drawing board for sending out the 475 degree Tempilaq with their kit.

quote:

Originally posted by James Kain:
Do you also dump your cases in the water?

I dont tip them in water as I dont get them hot enough to require it. As Crout said too high a temp is ruinous and as I only heat to the very first sign of colour change that is visable. As said I run everything through the vibrator polisher first so that the change is easily seen and with the smaller flame and slow revs the rainbow straw colour is quite detectable as it happens. The heat is not so severe that enough travels to the head to alter the hardness. This leaves me with a case that is as in the picture ( blurry I know but just visable) that has a "tide mark"of colour just onto the side wall. Have you seen the vidoes of the annealing machines and they dont dump into water.

Von Gruff.