Annealing gas checks

[Oklahoma Rebel]

when annealing copper gas checks in the oven, what temp do you use, and do you quench copper or slow cool to anneal?
also what is the process for aluminum, same thing, if so what temp? thanks a lot! Travis

[John Boy]

HAve never annealed a copper GC yet

[TCFAN]

I have some aluminum flashing that I make 35 cal. gas checks from that have to be annealed. The way I do it is with a 2 1/2 inch diameter black nipple with caps on both ends. I put in as many gas checks as will fit and a small wad of newspaper and put in my Lyman 20 pound electric pot when I cast.I run the pot at 700 to 750 deg. for a hour or so and the checks come out perfect. Nice and soft with no spring back like before they were annealed.

Never had to do copper gas checks.............Terry

[B. Lumpkin]

I don't use the oven to anneal. I use a steel pot with a cover over a hot plate. I leave them in until they are blackened. I quench in a ctric acid bath. This removes all the scaling and make the checks a bright copper again.

[swheeler]

It takes about 750 deg and quenched or unquenched are both annealed. I use a piece of black pipe with caps for both ends, pour in 1k gas checks, add a smallpiece of paper, cap and throw in the wood stove, fish it out in the morning. The piece of paper burns up the o2 and stops scale from forming.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

can you think of a way to do it with a torch? maybe set them on a small square of sheet metal and hit them with a torch till they turn color? I like the idea of using the lead, but I don't have anything to put them in. of course they would float, so I could scoop them of.. wait! I have an altoids tin, and a country boy darn sure knows how to make a campfire! I could make charcloth and anneal my GC's both at once, and the cloth would burn the O2! does that sound good? I doubt it would take more than 20min to heat them through. let me know what you guys think, thanks!

[Char-Gar]

Annealing copper gas checks takes all the fight out of them and is a good idea. I have a small cast iron skillet I use. I put the checks in, set the skillet on the stove top and heat about medium. I stir them once in a while and cook until they are all black. I let air cool and that is that. I don't worry about the black, just use them as is.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

I have a small plug in countertop oven that reaches around 450 I think, would that work?

[Oklahoma Rebel]

I think id be in trouble for "cooking" GCs in a good pan

[Char-Gar]

I think id be in trouble for "cooking" GCs in a good pan

I don't use a good pan, just one I keep in the shop for that purpose.

[.22-10-45]

I use a thin stainless sheet over hot plate. Watch until color turns a very dark copper & slide off onto steel plate for heat sink. The dark copper color anneals nicely and there is no scale to deal with.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

ok, if the ovenwont work at around 425 or so then ill have to try that out, the reason is I have a little countertop oven just for hardening boolits and such, so I figure why not use it, no cleaning involved.

[B. Lumpkin]

Using the torch and steel plate will work just fine. Set a bunch on the plate and hit each gas check with the flame until it changes color or even glows a tad bit. You want them dead soft.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

ok sounds good! thanks for the help guys!

[nemesisenforcer]

maybe I'm ignorant (ok, no maybe about it) but why would you need to anneal checks?

[swheeler]

maybe I'm ignorant (ok, no maybe about it) but why would you need to anneal checks?

To remove the spring back

[762sultan]

I have always used a piece of pipe with threaded caps and put them in the bbq pit with a fire . Just picked them out in the morning and left them cool. Works for me.

[Shiloh]

Iron nipple pipe in the smoker when I finished smoking as the charcoal burns out.

Shiloh

[Oklahoma Rebel]

very good ideas guys, I have the parts to do that!

[5Shot]

A coffee can and a propane torch. Just hit the pile with the torch until they change color. Used to use a small enameling oven, but the torch works just as good.