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Annealer Machine

l115a3

l115a3

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 28, 2010
449
1
Texas
After got many recommend to invest with Anneal machine for consistency anneal, I decided to purchase a set of Annealer machine.

Could some member who has an experienced, please suggest what Brand and Model that I should order.

Bench Source
Ballistic Edge MFG (Model 400)
Giraud Annealer
 
Re: Annealer Machine

i have a benchsource, but any of those models will work.

I would get a giraud or benchsource.

I may sell mine if your interested.

Ben Y
 
Re: Annealer Machine

I have a Bench Source. It is the way to go. I thought the Giraud was just as good, maybe better, but some feedback from Giraud users indicate otherwise.

Regardless of the machine, you have to set it up before use.
 
Re: Annealer Machine

Why the hate for the Giraud? I find the hopper and auto-feed to be handy
 
Re: Annealer Machine

They didn't like that amount of time it took to set up every time. I thought the Bench Source was a PITA to set up. The hopper is a neat idea, but you are not going to anneal cases unattended. Or at least you shouldn't, so it doesn't really save you any time.

I am a huge fan of the Giraud trimmer, so I am not knocking the man. Nor do I have any experience with the annealer, that was just a comment I am relaying.
 
Re: Annealer Machine

I have the Giraud annealer and I haven't found setting up to be all that big a PIA. It may be also that I like to accumulate brass until I have enough for a long run (500-1000 cases per caliber typically) before I change over to a different caliber and have to adjust for the new run.

I think it helps too that in my case I have a single brand of brass (Lapua) as I did notice that different brands of brass within the same caliber did require different adjustments and time. That said it might be a good idea to segregate your brass by head stamp and adjust whichever machine you get to the particulars of each brand.

Some have said they had issues with the gas feed on the Giraud but in my case I haven't had any of those issues so from my personal experience I have to say it is a non-issue.
 
Re: Annealer Machine

Here is the discussion from another thread...


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: afrancke</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Carter Mayfield</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I do like the fact that the Giraud appears to stay set up.</div></div>


That is appearance only, I'm afraid - unless somebody has figured out how to regulate the gas much better than the standard valve allows for. The difference between not enough, too much and just enough gas (to get the temperature you want in combination with the ramp speed one chooses and burner position one selects through mechanical adjustment) is the slightest hair of a turn of the knob.

It takes me probably 20 - 30 minutes to set it up and recalibrate the temperature/speed to get the right dwell time using Tempilaq on some sacrificial cases I keep around for that purpose each time I use it, which means I am very glad for its large capacity; this thing gets set up to run hundreds of cases at a time to amortize all that setup time, and then cranks away in automated fashion while I do other things.

Naturally, if you change brass make or caliber, recalibration of the whole setup is needed as well (though you are of course a lot closer when just changing headstamps within the same caliber than when you go from, say, .223 Remington to .308 Winchester). Some physical part swapping is also needed between certain case types (again, between .223 and .308, but not between .308 and .30-06).</div></div>

AND


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: milo-2</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: afrancke</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Carter Mayfield</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I do like the fact that the Giraud appears to stay set up.</div></div>


That is appearance only, I'm afraid - unless somebody has figured out how to regulate the gas much better than the standard valve allows for. The difference between not enough, too much and just enough gas (to get the temperature you want in combination with the ramp speed one chooses and burner position one selects through mechanical adjustment) is the slightest hair of a turn of the knob.

It takes me probably 20 - 30 minutes to set it up and recalibrate the temperature/speed to get the right dwell time using Tempilaq on some sacrificial cases I keep around for that purpose each time I use it, which means I am very glad for its large capacity; this thing gets set up to run hundreds of cases at a time to amortize all that setup time, and then cranks away in automated fashion while I do other things.

Naturally, if you change brass make or caliber, recalibration of the whole setup is needed as well (though you are of course a lot closer when just changing headstamps within the same caliber than when you go from, say, .223 Remington to .308 Winchester). Some physical part swapping is also needed between certain case types (again, between .223 and .308, but not between .308 and .30-06).</div></div>

This guy is spot on, the Giraud is no picnic. I tried to double needle valve mine, guy at propane place said no, so I regulated it, 40lb, needs 55 I think??
It is an adventure every time I fire mine up.</div></div>
 
Re: Annealer Machine

It doesn't take me much time (5-10 minutes) to set up my Benchsource Vertex, but maybe I am less anal than these guys. I set up the flames per directions, run a piece of sacrificial brass to see if I am getting the color I like. If I don't, I add some time and use another piece of brass to see if I got it right. I don't use Tempilaq because I have found it ineffective at determining that I have reached the appropriate state.
 
Re: Annealer Machine

I have the Bench Source, but considered the Girard as I really like their trimmer. Precision is what sold me on the Bench Source. It is a very fine piece of equipment.
 
Re: Annealer Machine

How much does a Bench Sourc machine go for? They don't have the price on the website.
 
Re: Annealer Machine

I have a Giraud,and it works well enough that I would buy it again.They all work well,I really don't think there is a wrong choice.The hopper on the Giraud is nice,and even though you should not leave it,you can do other things.I also had no problem putting it together,or changing calibers.Like most things,the first time will take longer than the rest.I really don't understand the problem those other guys had,they probably have problems with other stuff,too!The torch could be a little more precise,but once adjusted,stays adjusted.I bought another torch for mine and a hose to run it off a bulk tank.Good Luck with your choice. Lightman
 
Re: Hey, hey...found one

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lightman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I really don't understand the problem those other guys had,they probably have problems with other stuff,too!The torch could be a little more precise,but once adjusted,stays adjusted.</div></div>

Everything stays adjusted as long as you don't change calibers, true enough; everything except the flame itself, which is very tricky in my experience to get close enough to the same each time without a lot of diddling and running test cases with Tempilaq through. As I said in the bit that was quoted above, the difference between too much and not enough is a tiny fraction of a turn of the dial, really just the barest nudge. A suggestion I've since read on another forum to address this is to install a second valve as a cutoff so that the adjustment valve can truly be set and forgotten - I haven't done this yet, but it would go a long way to helping (except of course between caliber changes).
 
Re: Hey, hey...found one

I changed the torch and solved this problem.About $12-14 at Home Depot.Buying a hose and going to a bulk tank helped too..Any change in the flame was probably a change in pressure in the 1# can,not a fault of the torch.The original torch was not a big deal to me,only a few extra seconds to adjust.I went to the bulk tank,mostly because I always have a full one around.Not so with the 1# tanks.This would be a good mod for any of the annealing machines made. Lightman
 
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