My Rifle Brass Annealer

[Crusty]

The major limitation is actually case length - the feed hopper has a notch cutout in it for the case neck to pass through on it's way to the heating position and it needs to be just long enough for the case to go through. I actually used the cutaway aluminum from the notch to make a ramp tab that pushes the case back towards the wall so that it will fall into correct position where the flame is aimed. The slot width in the rotor is pretty forgiving - as long as a case will fall into it below the rotor surface that's good enough. If you've got a small lathe it's relatively easy to make more rotors for really different case sizes and they go onto their driving shafts with a couple of set screws in the bottom of the troughs so they're easy to change. There's little torque required so the set screws don't need to be really cranked tight, which would mar an unhardened shaft.

I've already stated the unique factors to be taken into consideration. A rotor revolution time of 6 seconds is likely adequate for most calibers because the flame can always be adjusted greater. Around two inch rotor diameters provide adequate rotation for uniform heating. Configure it so that the input rotor delivers the case onto an upward moving surface. I chose ½" Thompson QS shafting and it was a good choice. The bearings were just cheap generics from my hardware store that fit. I bought the burner at Home Depot, sawed it in two and spliced a fuel hose between the burner and the tank. The specifics for different case dimensions, a different driving motor or mechanical drive components and different materials selection are design elements to be thought through in each unique instance.

[Frank S]

The major limitation is actually case length - the feed hopper has a notch in it for the case case neck to pass through on it's way to the heating position and it needs to be just long enough for the case to go through. I actually used the cutaway aluminum from the notch to make a ramp tab that pushes the case back towards the wall so that it will fall into correct position where the flame is aimed. The slot width in the rotor is pretty forgiving - as long as a case will fall into it below the rotor surface that's good enough. If you've got a small lathe it's relatively easy to make more rotors for really different case sizes and they go onto their driving shafts with a couple of set screws in the bottom of the troughs so they're easy to change. There's little torque required so the set screws don't need to be really cranked tight, which would mar an unhardened shaft.

You just answered my main question before I had a chance to ask it. case length, diameters and positioning were my main concern.
Thanks a great build

[hemmjo]

Very clever!!! I bet you could market those.... but then you would never have time to shoot!!

[ragsflh]

Very clever!!! I bet you could market those.... but then you would never have time to shoot!!

great idea.looks like it works great

[Crusty]

I'm retired and determined to stay that way.

Frank, thinking about it a bit, it's entirely possible to make the hopper with an elongated notch for the case necks with a sliding adjustable tab set to suit any particular case length. And for that matter the rotors could be made to accept slot inserts made from InstaMorph plastic to accommodate a wide range of case sizes if you kept an eye on the rotor temperature, but a properly aligned flame should allow at least a hundred cases to be annealed before it started getting too hot. Machining the inserts from aluminum would even remove that limitation.

[Cr17’]

That looks perfect for what I need is it possible to get some photos of the back to see the works?

Thanks

[Crusty]

Nothin' to see on the backside except the rotisserie motor sticking out from the drive shaft (the opposite end is visible in the video on the left side). It's a belt drive assembly consisting of a drive shaft driven by a rotisserie motor and two driven shafts, each with a timing sprocket, connected by a 10mm XL timing belt, all supported by hardware store bearings which fit the ½" shafts. The flange bearings are inserted into the front and rear panels from the inside and held in position by the hubs on the sprockets. There's also a take up roller on the slack side of the belt to remove the slack. The rotisserie motor has a square socket which normally drives the skewer and I ground down the backside end of the drive shaft with an angle grinder to fit into it. There's no torque required to speak of and the ball bearings can tolerate some misalignment so it's not a critical assembly. If the front and rear panels are temporarily fastened together and then drilled for the bearings at the same time that's adequate alignment for each shaft. Really, it's just three pulleys connected by a flexible belt but using a toothed belt and sprockets to keep them synchronized. I used a 6 rpm motor but I wanted 10 rpm rotor speed so I chose the pulleys ratio to achieve it. The edge frame was sawn on my table saw with mitered corners and when glued together I drilled for and glued bamboo skewer sections in them as dowel pins for reinforcement, and two support feet made to lean the entire assembly backwards around 10º to keep the cases in the hopper. The front and rear panels are ¼" mdf that I cut to the same size as the aluminum cover panel that I bought at Home Depot. I did go a bit overboard with the burner mount and something much simpler which aims and holds the torch in position will work just as well.

[Cr17’]

Thanks Crusty

[Jon]

Congratulations Crusty - your Rifle Brass Annealer is the Homemade Tool of the Week!

Great win on your very first post on this forum!

Some more nice builds from this week:

Ball and Radius Turning Attachment by Dimitris Polychronis
End Mill Cutter Grinder by MachineNZ
Way Oil by DIYSwede
Gear Cutting Hob by bobneumann
Electric Motor Control Circuit by bongodrummer
Chain Drilling Guide by rgsparber
Anvil by AirborneProductions
Lathe Corner Radius Tool by rgsparber
Spot Welder by Mark Presling
Lathe Powered Leadscrew Drive by DIYSwede
Combination Drawbar Hammer and Spanner by Mark Presling
Mill Power Feed by Crusty
Drill Press Centering Tool by rgsparber
Drawbar Hammer Handle by Mark Presling
Hole Angle Drilling Jig by rgsparber
Stamping Tool by Thunderbelch
Laser Cutter and Engraver by MachineNZ
Long Bar Heavy Clamp by Kwandotechnic
Mini Table Saw by Retro Steam Tech
Torsion Beam Lathe Stand by DIYSwede

Crusty - we've added your tool entry to our All Homemade Tool of the Week winners post. And, you'll now notice the wrench-on-pedestal award in the awards showcase in your postbit, visible beneath your username:



You'll be receiving a $25 online gift card, in your choice of Amazon, PayPal, or bitcoin. Please PM me your current email address and award choice and I'll get it sent over right away.

Nice work!

[Crusty]

Thank you thank you - I'll be here all week folks.

I'm glad that I didn't show the three annealers that came before it and didn't make the cut.