Being retired and having some time, am thinking about purchasing one of the fancy automated case annealing machines and offer annealing as a service for $0.10/case plus shipping. What do you think? Is there enough demand that one could get paid back for the machine? Would take something on the high side of 10,000 cases to pay off the machine, which would be the main thing I would be after.

Buy one and lots of your friends will want to borrow it. When it comes back the propain tank will be empty and they will complain that it dosen't work as well as they thought it should. Pay for it don't make me laugh. 

40 Rod

Before you invest in the machine,

I just did 360 38/55 cases.  Propane Torch in the shop lights out. Each one dropped base first in a deep 1/4 inch socket rotated with a power screwdriver. Right color all round tipped the case out into a bucket of water at my feet. Time to heat and anneal real fast, most of the labor is picking up the empty case inserting into the socket then dropping it out. Two hand motions per case 2nd one just a tip out. 

Meachum sells a similar arrangement to my deep throat 1/4 inch drive socket. His is purpose built for individual cartridges and could be a better choice for some calibers. Total investment if using Torch Socket and Power screwdriver you already have=zero

Machines have to be loaded and unloaded ones I have seen are too big to tip out the hot case. May be more labor than doing the job with a power screwdriver. Could be wrong never seen one in person but. Seems to me the machines are expensive solutions looking for a problem.

Would I have paid 36 dollars plus two way shipping to have it done ? doubt it.

Boats

Paul - who is doing all that for $0.10/case? I'll have to send them mine as I could not compete. Am only talking about the annealing end of things. 

boats - am using a 3/4" x 3/8" copper reducing union and piece of 6" long 3/8" dowel in my electric drill with a propane torch for my annealing at the moment. Only difference seems to be that I drop my annealed case into a cardboard box rather than a bucket of water.

Hey, watch your language!  Let's not have any unpleasant four letter words ending in 'k' here.   

And if you breech-seat you whole collection of brass may be 2 or 3 rounds.   

True my 140 out of that lot reserved for 32/40 120 have only been fired with a few sub sonic gallery loads. 20 reserved for B/S. Most of the time use 3 or 4 in a Hudson match, switching off when the primer pockets get real dirty. 

Amazing how long we can shoot these rifles on the same brass.

Boats

SSS agree on the Starline although I am going through my new lot of 250 40/65's fire forming all then will anneal and final trim to length.

Only real case separation problem I have ever had in SS cases was with 45/70's that had canalures rolled in. Few separated at the grove causing all sorts of Trapdoor problems.   

Boats