Annealing Brass Sheet Metal

The term anneal is the scientific term used to describe the softening of metal.

Annealing brass sheet metal.

You might want to consider starting with half hard material to avoid having to anneal at all. Metal wire that has been drawn from one size to a smaller size may also undergo an annealing process. What you are looking for as you apply the flame of your blow lamp torch onto the part to be annealed is the tell tale colors again. Basically copper alloys don t work like iron alloys when it comes to annealing.

Take your butane torch and start the flame out slowly. Annealing is a heat treatment process in which the sheet metal is altered on a molecular level altering its strength and hardness. Work hardened materials such as sheet metal that has undergone a stamping process or cold drawn bar stock. That can take a surprising amount of time though usually.

Then drop the metal quickly into the alcohol so it s totally immersed. Whether you re shooting black powder cartridge o. Annealing brass is very similar to copper although the temperature should be a little cooler. When the brass starts to show a blackened color then is the time to quench it quickly before cleaning it up.

This method is fast and uses no special equipment. Over time and after repeated usage the neck on a rifle cartridge will get hard and brittle making it more apt to fail either during the loading process or during shooting. Take your piece of brass and mark it with tempilaq. How to anneal cartridge brass for accuracy and longevity.

Industrially this is done in a furnace where the temperatures can be monitored mechanically. Also i use 400 f on the lower half that will tell me if i have over annealed the brass. Annealing is the process of reducing stress within metal by heating it to a prescribed temperature. I prefer using the 650 f on the shoulder and halfway down the body.

In the studio it is more common to anneal with a torch. Let the metal cool enough so it s no longer glowing meaning down around 900f or less but not much cooler than that. Machining operations that create high amounts of heat or material displacement may also warrant an annealing process afterward. Then wait till you hear it actually quench.