The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

This arrived today along with a load of other assorted lengths of aluminium. The bottom section is 300x300x20 so a nice lump

Hmmm! - Looks like a DIY annealing machine kit to me. :-P

It is indeed I will start marking out in a bit. I sincerely hope my rotary table shows up soon as the alternative of cutting out with a hacksaw does not appeal to me

I must admit, I'm yet to be convinced on the virtues of annealing.

For obvious reasons, we don't attempt to anneal the bottom of the case yet, for me, it's the base which gives problems - slack primer-pockets and eventually expands 'til they won't fit the shell-holder. Time to 'bin' the brass.

Yes, when brass gets work-hardened - 'springy' - it won't always bump back satisfactorily but I usually scrap 'em after 5 or 6 loadings - sometimes less. At one time, it was just WSM stuff but now my 308 brass gets slack primer-pockets after 3 or 4 firings.

With my 6PPC brass, a set of a dozen cases usually does a season - they will have been loaded 30 to 40 times by then without problem. However, I'll be the first to admit - nothing shoots like new brass and I always use new (or once fired) brass for major comps.

Vince

ovenpaa wrote:It is indeed I will start marking out in a bit. I sincerely hope my rotary table shows up soon as the alternative of cutting out with a hacksaw does not appeal to me

Is this a "make it up as you go along" project or do you have real plans and things?

I have the calculations and 1:1 drawings I have prepared for the Geneva cross drive and I know which motor/gearboxes combos I will use for the cross drive and rotating station where the annealing takes place but things like gearbox supports and ultimate height are only approximations, the good news is I have a reasonable idea of how I want it to look and function and how it will be constructed. I also want it to look good.

That sounds quite a major project - will you keep us updated and also some idea of the cost of the materials.

I love the Geneva drive - almost looks as if it could be used in a machine gun action, keeping everything locked up even while the rest of the action is cycling.

I first came across the Geneva cross in the early '80s when they were being used by Wavis to drive 4 station rotary tables for Sierra rear cross member assembly and was always impressed so such a drive seemed like an ideal choice for an annealing machine, plus it seems like a fun drive to build. I will be documenting the build process and of course dragging Christel out to the shed from time to time to show her masses of swarf and chippings

What table saw are you getting, Ovenpaa?

:)

Not a table saw Rob, I am going to use a rotary table on a Milling machine to cut the platten, plynth and sub plate. Two reasons being I cannot get a 300mm disk on my lathe and also I have additional ops to do on the platten and plynth and it is easier on a Mill as it reduces tedious setup time.

Plus I need the rotary table to cut the slots for the Geneva cross as they need to be very accurately placed.