Dental X-Ray lead hardness

[Shuz]

I spent some time smelting lead pipe and dental X-Ray lead backers the other day. I cast a few sample boolits outta both just to test for hardness and came up with Saeco 0 for the lead pipe and Saeco 5 for the dental X-Ray backers. I fully expected the zero reading for the pipe, but was somewhat surprised at the 5 on the "backers". So...for those of you that think dental x-ray backers are close to pure lead, you may wanna check them out. I ended up with about 12 pounds of the backers that are now in nice shiny ingots, and that includes the zillion or so that landed on the floor and/or around the pot! I also ended up with about 85 lbs of pure lead from the pipe. I'm a happy camper, and remember...a clean shop, is a happy shop!

[fecmech]

Thanks Shuz--I had mentioned in a previous post that the ingots I cast from dental xrays had a "ring" to them when dropped on concrete as opposed to the dull thud from known lead roof sheeting. I don't have a tester what does a Saeco #5 relate to on the Brinnel scale? Nick

[Shuz]

Nick--The Bhn equivalent to Saeco 5 is 8. While not real hard, it sure beats pure lead. Wheel weights usually register Saeco 6 to Saeco 7 which interpolates to Bhn 9 to 11. --Shuz

[floodgate]

Guys:

Glad to get the hardness figure on dental x-ray lead. I've got 25 lbs. or so ingotted [is that a word???] up, and it always looked a bit tin-y to me; stays bright instead of dulling in a few days in the open like pure lead, and a bit harder to gouge with the thumbnail. Guess I oughta ask Bill Ferguson. Past history now, as the local tooth-puller has gone to digitable X-ray imaging.

floodgate

[fecmech]

Thanks Shuz-Nick

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
THANKS , as I will get some more of the dental X-ray lead .
Any more info on this stuff would be much appreciated!

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have generally found that a clean shop is somebody else's shop