Recommend a lead hardness tester
- Thread starter QueensHorseman
- Start date
While I have never used my Lee hardness tester, I have read that it is fiddly to use, it can produce accurate results.
I've seen photos where someone mounted one to a cheap microscope that worked well.
I just haven't found a cheap one locally.
I had an LBT one a couple of decades back, but got talked out of it.
It was expensive for a few pieces of sheet metal, but it was easy to use and accurate.
I've seen photos where someone mounted one to a cheap microscope that worked well.
I just haven't found a cheap one locally.
I had an LBT one a couple of decades back, but got talked out of it.
It was expensive for a few pieces of sheet metal, but it was easy to use and accurate.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Lee for the price seems to be the one everybody says is hard to beat, which is what I bought. Haven’t used it yet but it’s pretty simple to use.
I’ve used the LEE many times, though it can be tricky to hold steady it does produce very good results. By the time you’ve measured your third bullet you’ve pretty much mastered the hold. (The object is reversed so it appears upside down & backwards so as you try to measure Left-Right, you have to move the bullet Right-Left. Odd but not overly difficult). If I had to buy again, I’d still choose the LEE.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I no longer have the Lee hardness tester, but is what I would get again if I wanted to test lead hardness. As per Post #5, a bit fiddly to start for first one or two times, but seems to work out well enough. As far as "accuracy", I have never had anything to compare it to - so I do not know how "accurate" it is - seems to be a better system than dropping thing on floor and listen for difference in sound it makes when it lands on concrete. Making up some kind of jig to hold the tube or the bullet would help - but can be done all hand held, easy enough - with bullet sitting on table top / work bench, as I recall.
If you have never used one, you will be creating a "dimple" in your test sample - using part of the tool in your reloading press - then the optical tube allows you to measure the diameter of that dimple. Come with a chart that allows you to convert that measurement to a BHN number, I think. Softer material gets bigger, wider dimple; harder material gets smaller diameter dimple. You are going to be measuring to parts of a millimetre - so is really small increments involved.
If you have never used one, you will be creating a "dimple" in your test sample - using part of the tool in your reloading press - then the optical tube allows you to measure the diameter of that dimple. Come with a chart that allows you to convert that measurement to a BHN number, I think. Softer material gets bigger, wider dimple; harder material gets smaller diameter dimple. You are going to be measuring to parts of a millimetre - so is really small increments involved.
I have the LBT which I am perfectly happy with. Easy to use. If you can find one as it’s better than the Lee. With the LBT you just look at the dial. The just has more work involved to get the same reading.
I have the Saeco hardness tester and it works very well. Unfortunately they have become very expensive (as in US$225-$250). Luckily I bought mine when they were a LOT cheaper. I probably would go for the Lee if I was buying one today.
Besides measuring the hardness that you it probably works best for consistency is making/melting your ingots in a big batch, that way they are all the same.
Preferably with a bottom pour pot so you don’t end up with crap from the top in your ingots.
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
If your handy with tools and a bit of ingenuity, you can build a "cabin Tree" facsimile very inexpensively, a couple threaded bolts and a spring and an "indicator" that measures in thou's are the main pieces.
you won't have the calibrated factory chart for specific hardness values but you can very accurately compare known harness samples (pure lead, WW, linotype, Bullet barn cast sample, will cover everything from dead soft to Brinel 25 )that you already have to make the tool very useful.
Back in the day, I didn't use a hardness tester at all. COWW's, Linotype and roofing lead were very abundant, and I used one or the other or a combination of those to make up certain alloys using formulas it was pretty easy to speculate what the final hardness was going to be, and I never had any lead related issues with my pistol and rifle loads. Years later, one of my friends who cast bought the Lee hardness tester and I used it to test some of my bullets and found I was within a BHN or two of what I thought I had BHN wise.
Lead art pencils have been used for a long time to test the hardness of coating used in various coating industries, so they work equally well for testing lead hardness and the hardness of your Hi Tek or powder coating. I switch over to the art pencil testing some years ago and found it to be equally as accurate as the Lee tester. The test is pretty straight forward as seen in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmCvBjXf3D4
Pencil set I use STAEDTLER
Pencil to BHN reference chart, copy and print this out or tape it to the inside of your pencil box for quick reference.
Other items you will need are a pencil sharpener and a fine piece of sandpaper for blunting the tip of the pencil to give you a good scribing edge, as seen here. Hold the pencil at a 45-degree angle to the surface to be tested.
Lead art pencils have been used for a long time to test the hardness of coating used in various coating industries, so they work equally well for testing lead hardness and the hardness of your Hi Tek or powder coating. I switch over to the art pencil testing some years ago and found it to be equally as accurate as the Lee tester. The test is pretty straight forward as seen in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmCvBjXf3D4
Pencil set I use STAEDTLER
Pencil to BHN reference chart, copy and print this out or tape it to the inside of your pencil box for quick reference.
Other items you will need are a pencil sharpener and a fine piece of sandpaper for blunting the tip of the pencil to give you a good scribing edge, as seen here. Hold the pencil at a 45-degree angle to the surface to be tested.
Sometimes it's hard to beat old school technology.Back in the day, I didn't use a hardness tester at all. COWW's, Linotype and roofing lead were very abundant, and I used one or the other or a combination of those to make up certain alloys using formulas it was pretty easy to speculate what the final hardness was going to be, and I never had any lead related issues with my pistol and rifle loads. Years later, one of my friends who cast bought the Lee hardness tester and I used it to test some of my bullets and found I was within a BHN or two of what I thought I had BHN wise.
Lead art pencils have been used for a long time to test the hardness of coating used in various coating industries, so they work equally well for testing lead hardness and the hardness of your Hi Tek or powder coating. I switch over to the art pencil testing some years ago and found it to be equally as accurate as the Lee tester. The test is pretty straight forward as seen in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmCvBjXf3D4
Pencil set I use STAEDTLER
Pencil to BHN reference chart, copy and print this out or tape it to the inside of your pencil box for quick reference.
Other items you will need are a pencil sharpener and a fine piece of sandpaper for blunting the tip of the pencil to give you a good scribing edge, as seen here. Hold the pencil at a 45-degree angle to the surface to be tested.
back in the day, i didn't use a hardness tester at all. Coww's, linotype and roofing lead were very abundant, and i used one or the other or a combination of those to make up certain alloys using formulas it was pretty easy to speculate what the final hardness was going to be, and i never had any lead related issues with my pistol and rifle loads. Years later, one of my friends who cast bought the lee hardness tester and i used it to test some of my bullets and found i was within a bhn or two of what i thought i had bhn wise.
Lead art pencils have been used for a long time to test the hardness of coating used in various coating industries, so they work equally well for testing lead hardness and the hardness of your hi tek or powder coating. I switch over to the art pencil testing some years ago and found it to be equally as accurate as the lee tester. The test is pretty straight forward as seen in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emcvbjxf3d4
pencil set i use staedtler
pencil to bhn reference chart, copy and print this out or tape it to the inside of your pencil box for quick reference.
other items you will need are a pencil sharpener and a fine piece of sandpaper for blunting the tip of the pencil to give you a good scribing edge, as seen here. Hold the pencil at a 45-degree angle to the surface to be tested.
tagged
That old tech works just fine, as long as the pencils themselves are as hard or soft as indicated.
I found that even the most expensive "art" pencils, which as mentioned are the best go-to types, their hardness indications vary from lot to lot.
It's definitely close enough for most purposes but for the types that get anal about consistency, between batches, not so much.
If you use consistently pure components, it's very easy to make up consistent batches of ingots with the desired hardness, with your own recipe or one from Lyman, such as the Lyman #2 recipe.
If you're using wheel weights and other unknow components, such as pewter cups, picture frames, plates, etc, then you need something more reliable.
I found that even the most expensive "art" pencils, which as mentioned are the best go-to types, their hardness indications vary from lot to lot.
It's definitely close enough for most purposes but for the types that get anal about consistency, between batches, not so much.
If you use consistently pure components, it's very easy to make up consistent batches of ingots with the desired hardness, with your own recipe or one from Lyman, such as the Lyman #2 recipe.
If you're using wheel weights and other unknow components, such as pewter cups, picture frames, plates, etc, then you need something more reliable.
