AGS Annealer review and automation

[Kaldor]

Been working on this one for awhile now, little bit here and there, until I get it done. Video is a bit slideshow'ish due to that, but I try to hit the important parts.
Took me a few revisions to get everything working right and an ice cream bucket of parts that didnt work, or melted

The short version of the video:
If you need a dual torch annealer, and dont mind hand feeding? The AGS will fill that need and work quite well.
If you want to automate and you have a case feeder and access to a 3d printer? It can be done and works pretty decently.



All parts needed including the 3d printed stuff are in the first comment on the video.

 

[Show Me]

Been working on this one for awhile now, little bit here and there, until I get it done. Video is a bit slideshow'ish due to that, but I try to hit the important parts.
Took me a few revisions to get everything working right and an ice cream bucket of parts that didnt work, or melted

The short version of the video:
If you need a dual torch annealer, and dont mind hand feeding? The AGS will fill that need and work quite well.
If you want to automate and you have a case feeder and access to a 3d printer? It can be done and works pretty decently.



All parts needed including the 3d printed stuff are in the first comment on the video.

Aren't you something.

 

[Kaldor]

Aren't you something.

Thats what my better half says too!

 

[Show Me]

Thats what my better half says too!

She just want to be in your next movie. I like experiments.

 

[dh1633pm]

I watched the whole video. Nope, don't have that skill-set. Like how you think.

 

[jmorris]

Looks like you've got it working for you. I designed my plates so they are universal from 17 hornet to 50 bmg, you just move/adjust torches and adjust dwell time.



I did add a case feeder to my personal one. It uses all Dillon parts for caliber conversions because I already had them where your case mouth is dragging the bottom case on the column, I avoided by the linkage over the blade, activated by the indexing wheel.



It drops one case from the tube at a time, no pressure from above. A spring loaded door keeps it vertical and allows it to settle before the index and spring loaded door are opened, letting the case out.

Auto annealer

www.youtube.com

 

[Kaldor]

Looks like you've got it working for you. I designed my plates so they are universal from 17 hornet to 50 bmg, you just move/adjust torches and adjust dwell time.

View attachment 1197021

I did add a case feeder to my personal one. It uses all Dillon parts for caliber conversions because I already had them where your case mouth is dragging the bottom case on the column, I avoided by the linkage over the blade, activated by the indexing wheel.

View attachment 1197022

It drops one case from the tube at a time, no pressure from above. A spring loaded door keeps it vertical and allows it to settle before the index and spring loaded door are opened, letting the case out.

Auto annealer

www.youtube.com

I thought about going the route of just building one and looked at your feed plate design awhile back, especially the universal part, which is the real key I think. The bushings are kind of a PITA to work around, but I understand why AGS made the bushings the way they do for ease of manufacturing. I did do a quick test on not using the bushings, but the cases really ran out of round on the turner, and 223 tends to want to tip over without the bushing. The 308 sized bushing with the 223 is just small enough to keep things from getting rowdy and having them tip.

I do have someone that could water jet me a chunk of aluminum (ideal) or steel plate (heavy), I think 1/8" material would be plenty, but 1/4" would probably be better. I might want to go a bit smaller though, as I want to be able to stash this on a shelf, so about the size of a Benchsource, which is why I spent a good chunk of time looking for one. The case dropper on yours is solid and prevents that entire case tipping issue I see as it comes out the drop tubes.

 

[41 Mag]

Well all I can say is ya dun good on that one...

There are things I can pull off in my little shop with the sticks and spoons I usually work with but having access to REAL tools is a big option I really don't have. Time being what it is though I can sit and crank out a hundred or two in the evening after work or on a weekend when I am at the house. Otherwise I would be all aboard the case feed train.

Here again the space saving thing is one of the biggest reasons I went with the AGS. I can knock out a years worth of hunting rounds and stash it away nicely. It also sits nicely on the little shelf I use for casting so it's easy to swap one thing out for the other.

One thing you mentioned about the cases stopping once in a while, yup wiped out several myself. I don't know what the actual issue is, but I smeared just the ever so fine layer of high temp silicone over the rotating knob the cases spin on and things quite sticking. I figured it was just the slick of the finish verses the polished up case heads and not enough tension. I also used the next size bigger case adapters as well and so far haven't ruined one since.

Anyway, like the ol sayin, there's more than one way to skin a cat, that's what makes these forums and the folks in them fun.