Annealing brass question

[Larry (Omaha)]

I have read procedures on annealing brass and question the water quench. In the 70's when I first started working with sheet brass I was told to anneal brass, the process was to heat to bright red, and room cool. When the brass starts to get work related hard again, then repeat the aforementioned heat cooling. This process has always worked for me. I am seeing directions on this forum to heat and then quench in water. Is quenching a quicker way to cool or is it intended to be part of the softening process? I see no reason to quench, so please help me out here.
Flintlocklar

 

[hawkeye2]

It is not necessary to quench. I believe that comes from annealing cartridge brass. The neck and shoulder need to be softened but the heat cannot be allowed to travel to the head of the case. If the head is softened it could fail when the cartridge was fired. The procedure usually was to stand the cases in a shallow pan of water, heat the neck and then tip them over before the heat traveled. Brass will anneal whether quenched or not, air cooling works as you have found.

 

[LRB]

Quenching the brass only allows you to get back to work faster. It does nothing for the brass. Keep your heat to no more than dull red when annealing.

 

[Bob McBride]

99% of the time I anneal I'm working on a piece than needs 4-5 annealings as it work hardens, so as LRB suggests, dull red, quench, get right back to forming...