Tumbling before annealing

[Smokin7s]

So I’m kind of new to this so be patient.
I’ve fired my brass 3 to 4 times (lapua) and I think it’s time that Anneal it. Here’s what makes sense in my head as far as the process help me if I’m wrong please.

Size and deprime
Wet tumble
Anneal

This will work yeah? Better way?

 

[hic28]

Anneal before sizing

Deprime
Clean
Anneal
Lube
Size
Clean

 

[Snuby642]

Your breast is not going to like getting annealed.

 

[Mauser06]

I do exactly as above. Each and every firing.

Knock out the primers, run the primer pocket uniformer quick and toss in the tumbler before bed. Wake up and get them out. Toss em in the bin with the rest on the firing cycle.

When I'm getting close to needing brass, I anneal, lube, size, trim/chamfer/deburr. Toss 100 at a time in the tumbler. Usually just a half hour or hour to clean up the lube and brass shavings.

Then into another bin waiting to mandrel and load.

 

[OREGUN]

Clean, anneal, decap/size, wtf else prep you like, load, will work too.

 

[OREGUN]

So I’m kind of new to this so be patient.
I fired my breast 3 to 4 times (lapua) and I think it’s time that Anneal it. Here’s what makes sense in my head as far as the process help me if I’m wrong please.

Size and deprime
Wet tumble
Anneal

This will work yeah? Better way?

Since you are new…
The thing to remember is that annealing reconditions the brass so it makes more sense to recondition the brass BEFORE trying to reshape it (sizing) than it does to shape it and then recondition it.

I clean my brass first because it keeps the whole process cleaner (all steps are less grimy)
I anneal after cleaning but before resizing and decapping (which I do in one step)
Cleaning again after sizing is up to you and might depend on what kind of lube you use, how much time you have, whether wiping each piece off is easier for you than whatever tumble process you use.
Once the pieces are resized, you can do whatever else you need to do…trim, chamfer, primer pocket cleaning, graphite the necks, expander mandrel, etc.

Happy loading.

 

[Smokin7s]

Your breast is not going to like getting annealed.

Fixed lol

 

[Smokin7s]

Clean, anneal, decap/size, wtf else prep you like, load, will work too.

Do you not want your primer pockets to get cleaned in the tumble?

 

[Smokin7s]

Anneal before sizing

Deprime
Clean
Anneal
Lube
Size
Clean

When you clean the second time do you tumble again or just wipe down each one with acetone to get the case lube off?

 

[Snuby642]

I deprime with a universal first and then tumble so none of the good equipment gets dirty.

 

[OREGUN]

Do you not want your primer pockets to get cleaned in the tumble?

My experience has been that tumbling doesn’t do much for the primer pockets anyway and digging tumbling media out of primer pockets/flash holes is a major PITA. I sometimes take a turn on a primer pocket cleaning tool…and sometimes skip it all together….doesn’t seem to make any difference.

 

[Smokin7s]

My experience has been that tumbling doesn’t do much for the primer pockets anyway and digging tumbling media out of primer pockets/flash holes is a major PITA. I sometimes take a turn on a primer pocket cleaning tool…and sometimes skip it all together….doesn’t seem to make any difference.

My mentor has the same opinion so I think I’ll skip the initial decapping.

 

[OREGUN]

Likewise, the media in the pockets is the main reason I don’t tumble again after sizing…that and I use a really light lube that mostly just wipes off on my fingers or with a paper towel as I move on in the process…that and tumbling takes time/two trips to the detached garage when a paper towel solves any “residual lube” concerns immediately while I sit there at the bench.

 

[hic28]

When you clean the second time do you tumble again or just wipe down each one with acetone to get the case lube off?

Tumble for an hour or so to get the lube off. I use the Dillon lanolin

 

[Hairball]

I have had issues with dry media getting stuck in flash holes but no issues with wet tumbling. My routine is like many others: deprime, wet tumble, trim, anneal, FL size, clean, prime, charge, and load.

 

[Snuby642]

If you use walnut lizzard bedding for media and tumble till the wax and mineral spirits flash off media wont clog or stick.

I use a media separator bowl, pick them up 4-5 cases at a time, invert them and give a double tap on the plastic bowl.

Thousands of rounds of 5.56 range brass and no problems.

 

[jrhtx]

New to annealing also, do you brush the inside of the case neck before you anneal?

Wax and mineral spirits in the media?

 

[OREGUN]

I tumble in the green Lyman media that is “pre-treated” with something. So, no additives for me. I don’t brush out my necks either before or after annealing. If you get the necks too clean, you’ll lose the lubricating qualities of a little carbon in there and have to graphite your necks before seating. There are mixed opinions on this...some guys swear that annealing burns off the neck residue and thus makes post-annealing brush/graphite mandatory. I’ve not found this to be the case for me.

 

[Snuby642]

New to annealing also, do you brush the inside of the case neck before you anneal?

Wax and mineral spirits in the media?

I use a 1 part Nufinish car wax to 1 1/2-2 parts mineral spirits.

I put it in a condiment squeeze bottle shake it up and make about 3 round squeeze trips in the media bowl full of wallnut with it running.

Covered let it run 3-5 minutes to distribute and break up clumps. Then I add the brass.

Brass is clean and has a protective film on it, won't tarnish or cold weld , imho.

I don't bother brushing necks.

 

[supercorndogs]

New to annealing also, do you brush the inside of the case neck before you anneal?

Wax and mineral spirits in the media?

Brush it after you anneal to remove the oxide left by annealing.

 

[Darkside-Six]

I must be the only one that anneal first thing.......before even cleaning?

 

[supercorndogs]

I don't clean before I anneal either. I don't clean before I size either, unless there is some mud or something that needs wiped off.

 

[NukeMMC]

You should always size after annealing. A welder will certainly know this, but any heat-treatment will make a metal expand. The subsequent cooling will be to a size smaller than prior to heating. This is why a pipe welder has a 5deg limit on "dogleg" during a 5G or 6G weld qual. The pipe will "soak" the heat at the top of the weld and when it cools, it will bend upwards as the metal shrinks.

If you size then anneal, your consistency of sizing the neck, and possibly even shoulder-bump, will be tossed out the window.

 

[Smokin7s]

You should always size after annealing. A welder will certainly know this, but any heat-treatment will make a metal expand. The subsequent cooling will be to a size smaller than prior to heating. This is why a pipe welder has a 5deg limit on "dogleg" during a 5G or 6G weld qual. The pipe will "soak" the heat at the top of the weld and when it cools, it will bend upwards as the metal shrinks.

If you size then anneal, your consistency of sizing the neck, and possibly even shoulder-bump, will be tossed out the window.

Yeah that’s obvious now that you said it.

 

[Darkside-Six]

I don't clean before I anneal either. I don't clean before I size either, unless there is some mud or something that needs wiped off.

Same.
Annealing is the first thing I do.
Then FL resize, then clean
Trim/chamfer and I’m done.

 

[supercorndogs]

I usually measure a couple before I start trimming. If they are about .01 over max trim length I will trim them. Trimming went from every firing for me, to more like every 5-10 reloads now. All those years of reloading and turning wrenches has taken its toal on my fingers. I am trying to preserve them a little better now.

 

[Smokin7s]

Do you guys have any tips for getting a good polish in there I’m using the Frankford pin media a squirt of dish soap and a squirt of off brand lemishine liquid

 

[Texasflyer]

1 anneal
2 clean
3 lube
4 resize/deprime
5 length/primer pocket cleaning
6 prime
7 charge
8 seat
This is the method i use every time.

 

[Darkside-Six]

Do you guys have any tips for getting a good polish in there I’m using the Frankford pin media a squirt of dish soap and a squirt of off brand lemishine liquid

That’s the same thing I do except I have real lemishine which is the powder. They come out looking brand new.

 

[Hairball]

I use the same. A bit of Dawn concentrate and some lemishine. Here is some before and after pics. Maybe let it tumble longer if the brass is not coming out the way you would like.

 

[918v]

I just tumbled in dirty water... now I’m gonna anneal them.

 

[NukeMMC]

I just tumbled in dirty water... now I’m gonna anneal them.

polish with mercury?

 

[918v]

polish with mercury?

No they came out quite nice. I shook the water out of the brass, dried the outsides on a towel, and they made a satisfying hiss in the AMP.

 

[NukeMMC]

No they came out quite nice. I shook the water out of the brass, dried the outsides on a towel, and they made a satisfying hiss in the AMP.

It was tongue-in-cheek, kind of like cleaning in dirty water. Mercury ruins brass.

 

[918v]

Oh, didn’t know that.

 

[Smokin7s]

I use the same. A bit of Dawn concentrate and some lemishine. Here is some before and after pics. Maybe let it tumble longer if the brass is not coming out the way you would like.
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View attachment 7636706

I bought some Lyman pins and they were covered in oil and shit so I think that’s what ruined the last batch