Lee lead hardness tester

[Wrbjr]

Finally set it up and gave it a go. Ordered it a couple weeks back. After learning left is right and down is up, I feel pretty comfortable with it. My pure lead ingots showed spot on .080/BHN #8. My range lead registered about 15 or just a tad below. Great tool for the money. Now I need to fabricate one of those cool mounting bases for it.

[thegreatdane]

I really should get one...

[pdawg_shooter]

I am totally satisfied with mine. Slip it in a 45ACP size die and use in my press. Quick, easy, and accurate.

[montana_charlie]

My pure lead ingots showed spot on .080/BHN #8. My range lead registered about 15 or just a tad below. Great tool for the money. Now I need to fabricate one of those cool mounting bases for it.

A .080" dimple indicates 7.8 BHN, which is as hard as 20-1 alloy.

Pure lead should have a .100" dimple, which means 5 BHN ... and yes, I know the Lee chart doesn't go down that soft.
You can get a chart for the Lee which goes down to 'pure' on this page ... http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...44#post1236344

Just click on it to make it bigger before you save it to your computer.

CM

[Wrbjr]

Cool. I stand corrected. Learn something everyday.

The source of this lead that was at 8 was from plumbers pipe I believe so I assumed 8 being the bottom of the chart was pure.

Thanks for the link to the chart and the heads up, Montana-Charlie.

PS. Got a copy of that chart. It goes down to 4.4? Is that pure?

[montana_charlie]

Cool. I stand corrected. Learn something everyday.

The source of this lead that was at 8 was from plumbers pipe I believe so I assumed 8 being the bottom of the chart was pure.

Thanks for the link to the chart and the heads up, Montana-Charlie.

PS. Got a copy of that chart. It goes down to 4.4? Is that pure?

A BHN of 5 is commonly accepted as the hardness of pure lead. The number dates back to earlier days of hardness testing, and it's conceiveable that there could be some error involved. But, people believe what they see in charts.

Much of the 'pure lead' available today is re-smelted and cleaned-up metal from all varieties of lead scrap. You can shampoo a carpet to get it really clean, but that doesn't make it new carpet. Similarly, it is not cost effective to keep refining scrap below a certain point of purity.

When you buy 'pure lead', it is usually described as 99 (point something)% lead.
If you can obtain some stuff certified to be "pure", it will take dimples larger than .100". Therefore, BHNs of 4 (point something) are possible.

Today's accepted 5 BHN is just one of a whole list of numbers that are accepted as factual, and have been accepted for decades because ... well ... because people believe what they see in charts.

The problem with those 'charted' numbers is, they have been around so long we don't know if they come from actual tests ... or have been 'calculated' from other testing results.

The 'chart' shows 20 -1 alloy as having a hardness of 10 BHN. According to a test last year by Dan Theodore, certified 20-1 alloy actually tested at 7.8 after it had time to stabilize. His certified 'pure' lead returned 4.5 BHN.
Dan did not test all of the alloys shown in 'the chart', but every one he did test came out lower ... except for one.
The chart says Lyman #2 alloy is 15 BHN because Lyman DID test the alloy for hardness when they developed it. The chart contains Lyman's published result. Dan's test of Lyman #2 also came out at 15 BHN.

I provide this simply as information. You decide if it is important to your efforts.
I won't be around to argue about it ...

CM

[Cowboy T]

They are very handy devices. My mix of 50/50 lead/Lino is about 15-16 BHN, as measured by this tool--great for magnum-style handgun loads. Every time I melt down a new batch of WW, I let it age-harden for a week or so and then test it. So far, it's been between BHN 11 and 13.

[W.R.Buchanan]

What to you mean by Cool mounting bases? I thought you screwed this tool into a RL Press?

What exactly do you slip into a .45ACP size die?

How about some pics guys.

I have questions?

I understand how to use the tool and I usually measure the dimple on my optical comparitor. things said above have cornfued me.

Randy

[pdawg_shooter]

I slip the collimator into a 45ACP die, put the die in the press. Put the v-groove bullet holder in the ram. Run the ram up to the collimator and look through to gauge the size of the indent.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Pdawg: Thanks for the clarification, I kind of figured that was what you were doing, but you never know?

Wasn't there some place on this forum where people were showing different holders for the "lens pen" style comparators?

When I first got my Lee hardness tester the first thing I wanted to make for it was an adapter to hold a dial indicator over the ram to insure you were getting good repeatable readings. I saw that done on one of the posts above for a guy who makes his own hardness tester. I never gotaround to making it or my Case and bullet comparator, either.

Maybe soon.

Randy

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Here are some things I recently tried in regards to my Lee Microscope stand.

Last fall, I bought a Lee hardness tester for some testing
of different alloys and how fast they age harden.

well, two weeks ago, I finally started my alloy testing,
which includes lots of hardness testing.
after several tests, I realized my microscope stand was a poor design,
though when I posted photos months ago,
I did get many complements that it looked nice,
well looking nice doesn't allow for adjustment problems.

So, I built a "Revision II" stand.
the main problem I had with "Revision I" was that the bullet wasn't horizontal,
so it was a pain to move/adjust the boolit position and
my fat fingers would block the light while doing so.

So, I had an idea to use a modified 223 case drilled and tapped for 1/4x20 to
hold and adjust the boolit.

Another thing I did was drill the hole for the microscope "oversized",
then I lined the bottom portion of the hole with some beeswax type boolit lube,
This is kind of a coarse adjustment.
so I could move/adjust the microscope to line up with the center
of the boolit dimple,and it would hold it's place....

After coursely adjusted, Then I can turn the
bolt to gently move the boolit dimple to
precisely line up with the graduations in the microscope.

Rev I design



the following 4 photos are the new design "Rev II"

[RobS]

Excellent use of what's available!

Here are some things I recently tried in regards to my Lee Microscope stand.

Last fall, I bought a Lee hardness tester for some testing
of different alloys and how fast they age harden.

well, two weeks ago, I finally started my alloy testing,
which includes lots of hardness testing.
after several tests, I realized my microscope stand was a poor design,
though when I posted photos months ago,
I did get many complements that it looked nice,
well looking nice doesn't allow for adjustment problems.

So, I built a "Revision II" stand.
the main problem I had with "Revision I" was that the bullet wasn't horizontal,
so it was a pain to move/adjust the boolit position and
my fat fingers would block the light while doing so.

So, I had an idea to use a modified 223 case drilled and tapped for 1/4x20 to
hold and adjust the boolit.

Another thing I did was drill the hole for the microscope "oversized",
then I lined the bottom portion of the hole with some beeswax type boolit lube,
This is kind of a coarse adjustment.
so I could move/adjust the microscope to line up with the center
of the boolit dimple,and it would hold it's place....

After coursely adjusted, Then I can turn the
bolt to gently move the boolit dimple to
precisely line up with the graduations in the microscope.

Rev I design



the following 4 photos are the new design "Rev II"

[geargnasher]

If it were to happen and I could choose, THIS is the group of fellas to be stranded with on a desert island.

Gear

[Wrbjr]

American ingenuity is still alive and well.

How did you split the .223 so precisely?

[mold maker]

Besides that, We're all cheap, er-ah---thrifty.
What other group would diligently hunt and assemble a pile of hazardous waste, stand over a 750* pot to melting it, mix and match it to get the formula just right, pay for molds, and cast boolits, to save 10-20 cents each.
I tell ya, We're Crazy.
But it's sure fun.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

American ingenuity is still alive and well.

How did you split the .223 so precisely?

a Band saw. Be sure to drill and tap the 1/4x20 hole through the primer pocket first...don't ask how I know
Jon

[ColColt]

I think he needs to get a patent on that immediately before the design is stolen and money made off it. How much are you selling those for-I need one?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

ColColt,
I am considering it.
are you interested in the first one "Rev I" ?
in the first photo.
Jon

[perimedik]

JonB - Great job urban engineering that...

[Markbo]

Great stuff!