Transitional Hardening

[LeadThrower]

Has anyone on the forum tried to quench just the base of a plain base boolit in an effort to harden the base while leaving the nose as soft as possible? If so, what were your results like? If nobody's done it, I'll give it a shot and post the results. (Hardness tester one-point calibrated thanks to yammerschooner! :drinks: )

[454PB]

I'll watch for your results. I'm trying to figure out how you could get the base only quenched before the hot boolit has cooled to the point where it does no good.

[runfiverun]

seems it would be easier to harden the whole thing then soften the nose.

[DLCTEX]

It would be easier to pour a two part boolit, as has been done on these pages. DALE

[leftiye]

Plus 1 on what R5R said. Heat treat them, then anneal the noses (50/50 lead/WWs). Use tempilaq tempering crayons in the 250 degree range(? IIRC).

[45 2.1]

Has anyone on the forum tried to quench just the base of a plain base boolit in an effort to harden the base while leaving the nose as soft as possible? If so, what were your results like? If nobody's done it, I'll give it a shot and post the results. (Hardness tester one-point calibrated thanks to yammerschooner! :drinks: )
By accident long ago. I was casting some PB 30s and dropped one on a wet towel base down and it stayed like that. Base was really hard and the nose was less hard, but much harder than the normal alloy was air cooled.

[Wayne Smith]

By accident long ago. I was casting some PB 30s and dropped one on a wet towel base down and it stayed like that. Base was really hard and the nose was less hard, but much harder than the normal alloy was air cooled.

My experience is, when I want them to land that way they never do. When I don't, occasionally they do. I'll continue to cast soft bi-metal boolits BruceB's way.

[45 2.1]

I'll continue to cast soft bi-metal boolits BruceB's way.

There are much better ways without the time factor and risk to the mold.

[runfiverun]

yeah
im not too keen on those really frosted boolits.

and i am still in shock that leftiye agreed with me.