DIY annealer

I figured I'd cobble up my own chassis for it (I saw another guy use plywood), I have some sheet metal I can use.

Other than a DC powersupply (I have a bunch lying around), this should be enough. A speed controller, the DC motor, an adapter to hook it to a drum and a cake pan (not sure if the ninja will let me steal one of her).

Free shipping on the below as well. $45 or so.

Once I get version 1 working, I want to figure out an auto-feeder, though it is much safer as he's doing it, one by one (open flame and all that).

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uniquegoods 6V 12V 24V Digital Display LED DC Motor Speed Controller PWM Stepless Speed Control Switch HHO Driver - Black CCM5D
$13.99


Sold by: UG seller


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Fat Daddio's PRD-62 Anodized Aluminum Round Cake Pan, 6 Inches by 2 Inches
$7.99


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Uxcell a17030600ux1063 High Torque 0.5K DC 12V 25 rpm Gear Box Stabilivolt Electric Motor Replacement
$11.99


Sold by: uxcell

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Great Planes Collet Prop Adapter 8.0mm Input to 3/8x24 Output GPMQ4971
Great Planes
$10.16

Sold by: Supreme Hobbies
 
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Follow the basic footprint / design of others which have a larger hopper to stage brass into the machine.
I have an Anneal-ease which I love for how basic it is, but can't imagine using the machine if I can only load 8 or 10 cartridges in the hopper.
 
You need that color changing stuff too right?
Tempilaq would probably be helpful until you figure out the appropriate time in flame, there on should be unnecessary.

I have watched that video before and thought about this so many times, it always lands on the back burner.
Seems like a just bigger than shell diameter slot should let you pile cases on the ramp, need an upper guide so they feed one at a time, should be simple...
Interested to see how it turns out.
 
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I use the tempilac for setup each time. Keep a small box of various caliber cases painted up just for setup to get close, then paint up 1 or 2 of the specific headstamp to be sure that it’s dialed in.

Do post pics of the build, and if you get hung up and just need a few hundred cases annealed I’m generally happy to help folks out.
 
Built one a while back, use a 9v -12v power supply to get a better range in the speed of the tray.

And always do your annealing on the kitchen counter so the wife can help out while she's doing the dishes, cooking supper, and mopping the floor !


 
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Follow the basic footprint / design of others which have a larger hopper to stage brass into the machine.
I have an Anneal-ease which I love for how basic it is, but can't imagine using the machine if I can only load 8 or 10 cartridges in the hopper.

Yeah, I was already trying to figure out how to stage them so only one goes into the gap at a time. I think that gap is relatively large to handle multiple cartridge types- though I guess I could get a bunch of baking pans to swap them out.
 
The hardest part so far is finding the center of the pan to drill a hole. There are some techniques to do it, but they need a real edge to start from and the pan, of course, has a rounded one.


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Hole drilled, time to cut the edge to a height that allows most rounds to extend. 1.25" was his recommendation.

Do not try to get as clever as I did. I had it assembled so I could spin the pan and then combined it and a cutting tool.
I ended up breaking out a hacksaw when I was frustrated after 30 minutes. That baking pan is serious (it is oddly thick).

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Getting closer

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I think I figured out why he didn't do a hopper with multiple being staged. It's because of the drag. The way it is set up is the shell is rolling on the outside edge waiting for a gap and then it drops. If there were a line of them, that's a lot of spinning shells as they rub against each other. I need to figure out way that only one at a time is rubbing on outside edge.
 
The drag may be an issue, I don’t know, but if you queue several on the ramp don’t several fall through the slot as it comes past? Adjusting the angle of the ramp or size of the opening might allow you to find a sweet spot. If you can make that work then a simple chute with an opening sized for the cartridge width can feed the ramp.

Otherwise you’ll need a mechanism at the top of the ramp that releases a single case. This can be done by running a wheel notched to only hold a single case from the same motor as your cake pan. The feed wheel rotates once for each rotation of the cake pan. Then just built a chute on top of the feed wheel.
 
Otherwise you’ll need a mechanism at the top of the ramp that releases a single case. This can be done by running a wheel notched to only hold a single case from the same motor as your cake pan. The feed wheel rotates once for each rotation of the cake pan. Then just built a chute on top of the feed wheel.

Yes, I've cut my slot so that only a single 308 drops through. But, the drag is still an issue.

I thought about the notched wheel concept- which is what the anealeeze uses, but that's probably more complex. It will require a belt/gear to the main drive motor (then you deal with tension, wheel sizes, etc.). Or, it would require a second motor, maybe driven off the same controller.

Right now I'm conceptually working (items already in my cart) with an inductive sensor pointed at the gap in the pan to trigger a push/pull solenoid to release a single shell from a hopper onto the ramp. I still don't know how to utilize that (maybe like my dillon powder measure- it drops in until pushed forward).

Note: I'm only doing this for fun. I've already spent more time/effort (though not material cost yet) than the annealeze. If all you want is a system to anneal brass, it looks like a sound (primitive design- he's not using an IR proximity sensor!) product. That system is $275 SHIPPED. Even if I make a cooler one than that, I wouldn't sell it for less than what he's asking. But, just like reloading doesn't save me money- I'm enjoying playing around with this thing.
 
I was thinking that you could shape the funnel mouth so a single case comes out at a time, then put that mouth one case width away from the rotating pan. One case would be on deck, one would be stuck in the funnel mouth until the on deck case drops. Extra friction from just one case.

Funnel would probably look like a vertical line on the left and a 45 degree line on the right. The vertical side would stop one case width above the ramp, the other would be a hair longer the prevent cases from feeding up the ramp.
 
Use a compass on the inside of the pan, about 2/3 diameter,
swing the arc then move to opposite side and swing again,
where arcs intersect that is dead center. QED
That doesn’t make sense. If the compas is set at anything other than the radius of the pan then an arc drawn with one point on the circumference can’t go through the center, and the second such arc can’t intersect at the center.
 
That doesn’t make sense. If the compas is set at anything other than the radius of the pan then an arc drawn with one point on the circumference can’t go through the center, and the second such arc can’t intersect at the center.
That is what I get for posting while I'm working. Have to do it twice and then line from two points for each arc that is dead center.

 
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Yeah, I was already trying to figure out how to stage them so only one goes into the gap at a time. I think that gap is relatively large to handle multiple cartridge types- though I guess I could get a bunch of baking pans to swap them out.
How about a 90 degree bracket that mounts with a wingnut to the bottom of the pan as a shield to adjust the opening?
 
The two systems I used to find the center of the circle are: draw a line touching two points on the circumference of the circle. Exactly halfway between those two point, a perpendicular line will go through the center of the circle (do it twice). Or- use a right-edge with the vertex touching the edge of the circle. The two lines that eminate from the vertex will intersect the circle. Draw a third line connecting those two points and it will go through the center (do it twice).

In both the methods I describe above, nothing other than a ruler and 90 square is needed.

What is missing is a well defined edge of the circle!
 
I went low-tech. I just ordered the salt-bath annealing kit.
 
How about a 90 degree bracket that mounts with a wingnut to the bottom of the pan as a shield to adjust the opening?

Yeah, I could see that, but it makes the pan somewhat un-balanced. What I'm going to do is just get multiple pans. The pan comes off in seconds.
 
When I'm done, you can borrow this any time, TopRudder (I'll need some more 9mm soon). I only see me doing batches every couple of months.
I tend to do 223 in large batches (500+ at a time) and don't shoot them up very quickly, so I will probably be like you. Once every couple of months, at the rate I have been going. I'm thinking I may try annealing some magnum revolver rounds as well, though. 44mag and 460, mainly.

Let me know when, and I'll have some 9mm ready for you.
 
Working annealer! I had to open up the slot because the small slot make me have the ramp higher, which often made it bounce out. Now need to decide if I'm inspired enough to do the auto-loader. I figured another 12v motor in parallel with a notched wheel for the cases.

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Ok, I need to do an autoloader. 308 isn't that big a deal- I don't have that much of it, and I'm kind of picky (like pulling out the winchester brass and giving it to Slacker).

But .223- I have tons of that stuff. There's no way, I'm loading each one individually so I'm ordering a second motor tonight to autoload.
 
Tempilaq is stupid expensive- a bottle costs more than the parts for the annealer. Can I just use a laser thermometer?
 
Tempilaq is stupid expensive- a bottle costs more than the parts for the annealer. Can I just use a laser thermometer?
Not really, you end up measuring the flame. At least it didn’t work for me.

If you want to send me a couple dozen pieces of scrap brass, best to use what you’re planning to anneal, I’ll paint them up and send them back.
 
While waiting for the second motor, I used the existing one for the feed wheel.

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To build my hopper and a better feed ramp, I need some angle-metal. I'd prefer aluminum, but home depot wanted $30 for a 4' piece. I might take a hacksaw to some junk in my well-organized garage (cue Slacker).
 
Not really, you end up measuring the flame. At least it didn’t work for me.

If you want to send me a couple dozen pieces of scrap brass, best to use what you’re planning to anneal, I’ll paint them up and send them back.

That's a very generous offer-I'll take you up on it to validate what I've got so far. I have an IR camera with a spot sensor.
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In later photos, I found I could aim in the case mouth for a very accurate reading.
 
That is really nice! I thought you were talking about a hardware store Ir sensor.
 
Makes me chuckle, you could probably buy 6 Annealeze machines for what the camera cost. :)
 
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