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

[derek45]

Did anyone ever find out how hard Dental lead is ?

.

[John Boy]

About Bhn 8

[Dusty Bannister]

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?4003-Dental-X-Ray-lead-hardness&highlight=hard+dental+lead

There is a sticky about this even.

[rintinglen]

There are two categories of lead shielding. Older medical buildings will have nearly pure lead, while post 1960's stuff will be hardened. The reason for the change reportedly was the soft lead was compacting under the influence of time and gravity so they went to antimonial alloys for better strength. Supposedly, the lead was thinning at the top to a point that might be dangerous for the X-ray techs. Some years ago I regretfully passed on 2 tons of the older stuff. I wanted it, but I had two kids and a wife then to help me spend my money then. And money was less plentiful.

[gwpercle]

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

I can tell you for a fact ...that clean shop isn't my shop either ... !
Gary

[Green Frog]

A clean shop is the sign of a depraved mind! :mrgreen:

I mostly lost out on dental lead since they’ve gone to mostly digital “X-Rays” now. Back when it was plentiful my late father was purchasing agent for a commercial sheet metal operation and brought home hundreds of pounds of drops of lead sheeting... we had more than (we thought) we could ever use. That was prior to joining my the North-South Skirmish Association and sending so many of those 58 cal Minie balls down range! :roll:

One never has too much lead unless he’s trying to swim with it! ;)

Froggie