Wm.Traynor wrote:Anything I have read or watched makes annealing sound very difficult.
I wouldn't say annealing is difficult, but half-assing it absolutely is.
The process is straight forward, heating brass to X temperature for Y seconds will soften it by Z.
There isn't a single formula, rather a small window where successful annealing will occur, as a little higher temperature for less time will effectively achieve the same result as a little lower temperature for more time.
Fail to reach the minimum temperature to induce metallurgical change and nothing will happen.
Reach a temperature where change will take effect but fail to maintain it for long enough and you'll get a sub-optimal or insignificant amount of change.
Heat brass too high, regardless of time, and it will be too soft to safely use.
The neck also needs to be heated high/fast enough to anneal in only a few seconds so the heat doesn't through the whole case. Anneal your body/head and you'll have made the case unusable, same as above.
I'm sure you'd agree you can't realistically expect to consistently hit all the right points by winging it, heating it with a gas torch until the glow is "about right".
Most annealing machines run at
about 400c for 2.5 seconds. Or some suitable variation of this.
If you bought or built a quality annealing machine annealing is easy.
Or, Tempilaq (and others no doubt) do a 399c (750f) paint, with this you should be able to do a passably consistent job.
People don't want to do any of that though, they just want to crack out the gas torch and baking tray full of water, do it cheap, and do it now.