Re: "Alternative" tumbling media?
well folks, believe it or not, but after the treatment i give them i have found some cases with water still in them, especially the ones full of SS pins, 300 deg. is no where annealing temps.
<span style="color: #3333FF"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">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. Brass will begin to glow a faint orange at about 950 degrees (F). Even if the heating is stopped at a couple of hundred degrees below this temperature, the damage has been done -- it will be too soft. From this discussion we can see that there are four considerations concerning time and temperature:
1> Due to conduction, the amount of heat necessary to sufficiently anneal the case neck is great enough to ruin the rest of the case.
2> If the case necks are exposed to heat for a sufficient period of time, a lower temperature can be used.
3> The longer the case necks are exposed to heat, the greater the possibility that too much heat will be conducted into the body and head, thereby ruining the cases.
4> The higher the temperature, the less time the case necks will be exposed to heat, and there will be insufficient time for heat to be conducted into the body and head.</div></div></span>
ANNEALING CARTRIDGE BRASS
JUST WANTED TO ADD THIS:
<span style="color: #3333FF"> <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A great deal has been written about cartridge case annealing in the popular gun press. A great deal of what has been written about annealing is misleading, with one exception: articles and books by Dean A. Grennell. In his "The ABC's of Reloading" (page 190), Mr. Grennell correctly describes the procedure. Although it is a very short description, it is correct. There is one slight error of fact, but it is on the side of safety and Mr. Grennell cannot be faulted for this in any way. In fact, if you do not have this book I recommend it -- even for "experienced" handloaders. There is much valuable information in it, much of it overlooked in other publications. The photo's are profuse and excellent, the explanation clear and concise, and the writing is witty and wry.
After wading through this weighty tome, you will know more about annealing and cartridge brass than you probably bargained for.
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