Snyders JerkyRepackboxRotoMetals2Wideners
Inline FabricationLoad DataReloading EverythingMidSouth Shooters Supply
Lee Precision Titan Reloading
Results 1 to 16 of 16

Thread: Need help increasing BHN

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy vrh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    259

    Need help increasing BHN

    Hello everyone.

    I have 10 lbs of wheel weights with a BHN of 10. Would like to increase this to a BHN of 18.
    Percentage formulas are not understandable by me. (call me a dummy)
    So how many lbs or ounces of antimony and tin should I put with the 10 lbs of the wheel weights to go from a bhn of 10 to a bhn of 18?
    Da Okie/ Now known as Vearl

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master OS OK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    El Dorado County, N. Ca.
    Posts
    6,234
    Good riddle...(@ 10 BHN, I'm figuring you basically have range scrap Pb)
    + .5 lb. Sb
    + .2 lb. Sn

    = 10.7 lb. Pb blend of ( 5.61% Sb, 2.02% Sn, 92.4% Pb ) @ 14.3 BHN <(which is basically Hardball)

    Cast and water drop for +18 BHN or better?

    Interesting question, can't wait to see all the answers...c h a r l i e
    a m e r i c a n p r a v d a

    Be a Patriot . . . expose their lies!

    “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” G. Orwell

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master fredj338's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    kalif.
    Posts
    7,245
    If you are adding lino, 50-50 mix should get you there Or just water drop the clip ww alloy, pretty close. Adding antimony is the hard way to alloy IMO. Just buy lino, mono or harball alloy & mix that.
    EVERY GOOD SHOOTER NEEDS TO BE A HANDLOADER.
    NRA Cert. Inst. Met. Reloading & Basic Pistol

  4. #4
    Boolit Master Yodogsandman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    2,948
    The easy way is to water drop boolits right from the mold into a bucket of water. You might not get 18 BHN but, it will be close.
    A deplorable that votes!

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy dimaprok's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Evergreen state
    Posts
    425
    Quote Originally Posted by OS OK View Post
    Good riddle...(@ 10 BHN, I'm figuring you basically have range scrap Pb)
    + .5 lb. Sb
    + .2 lb. Sn

    = 10.7 lb. Pb blend of ( 5.61% Sb, 2.02% Sn, 92.4% Pb ) @ 14.3 BHN <(which is basically Hardball)

    Cast and water drop for +18 BHN or better?

    Interesting question, can't wait to see all the answers...c h a r l i e
    He said wheel weights in the second line!

    Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy dimaprok's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Evergreen state
    Posts
    425
    Quote Originally Posted by vrh View Post
    Hello everyone.

    I have 10 lbs of wheel weights with a BHN of 10. Would like to increase this to a BHN of 18.
    Percentage formulas are not understandable by me. (call me a dummy)
    So how many lbs or ounces of antimony and tin should I put with the 10 lbs of the wheel weights to go from a bhn of 10 to a bhn of 18?
    When you cast water drop and keep the temperature higher while casting. 18 is easy i get as high as 26.

    Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Boolit Master quail4jake's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    The North Woods of Pennsylvania
    Posts
    544
    BHN 10 doesn't sound like COWW. How are you testing? I have rendered COWW that is BHN 14 as cast and lands @ BHN 17 after 1 week aging and quenches to BHN 25. I test with a calibrated SAECO tester. I think you may have an unknown scrap alloy, not COWW.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    3,401
    Quote Originally Posted by vrh View Post
    Hello everyone.

    I have 10 lbs of wheel weights with a BHN of 10. Would like to increase this to a BHN of 18.
    Percentage formulas are not understandable by me. (call me a dummy)
    So how many lbs or ounces of antimony and tin should I put with the 10 lbs of the wheel weights to go from a bhn of 10 to a bhn of 18?
    Why the arbitrary number 18?

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master OS OK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    El Dorado County, N. Ca.
    Posts
    6,234
    Quote Originally Posted by dimaprok View Post
    He said wheel weights in the second line!

    Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk
    He also said BHN 10...I don't have/never had any COWW's less than 12.
    When I ran the numbers on Bumbo's calculator COWW's are 12 BHN also...range scrap on the other hand is 10...which one should I choose for the numbers he ask for?

    So how many lbs or ounces of antimony and tin should I put with the 10 lbs of the wheel weights to go from a bhn of 10 to a bhn of 18?

    I think I'm the only one who's answered his question so far.
    a m e r i c a n p r a v d a

    Be a Patriot . . . expose their lies!

    “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” G. Orwell

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy parkerhale1200's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    The Netherlands Europa
    Posts
    209
    Water drop your castings right after filling your mold!!!!!
    Get a bucket, cast normal, watch the spreu frezes over, open your mold and drop your boolits directly into the water!!!!
    You will end up with ~16-18 BHN after curing for 3 weeks.
    Make sure you get a good bucket, 20 liters is very good, i thought that was ~5 gallons??????

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy parkerhale1200's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    The Netherlands Europa
    Posts
    209
    one other thing......
    Shift your WW clip on and stick on.
    Throw away the zinc, and only use the clip on, not the stick on.

    There is a thread somewhere around here on: how to shift your WW.
    Maybe someone can help me with the link?

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    3,401
    The older clip on wheelweights, if properly WQed will go way past 20 in the hardness scale.
    They will reach close to maximum hardness after 72 hours. Waiting longer gains very little but, it does gain a small amount. Once a WQed bullet will mash a Linotype bullet it should be hard enough for just about anything.
    Plus it won't be brittle like Linotype. You have to keep the mold hot. Just as soon as the S-P-R-U-E solidifies enough to cut without smearing drop the bullets, without dilly dallying, directly into a 5 gallon bucket of water.
    The idea is to keep the bullets as hot as you possibly can getting into the water.
    This is simple and not hard to do.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master reloader28's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    nw wyoming
    Posts
    1,538
    If you already have bullets made you can oven heat treat. You can control the hardness with the amount of heat. Try about 475* for an hour then drop in water and see what you get. It might be close. Works good for boolits already made

  14. #14
    Boolit Master pls1911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    CowTown... PantherCity... Texas
    Posts
    1,107
    With a base alloy of 10, you're not far from pure lead...
    HEAT TREAT, but only use 450 degrees for an hour, then a ice water bath.

    Hotter and you may get little flat-sided football shapes for boolits.
    You'll cry after you stoop laughing....I know...
    Salvaging old Marlins is not a pasttime...it's a passion

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    3,401
    To control slump. Put sample bullets in oven with an oven thermometer and start at 420 degrees. Leave bullets in the oven until they are throughly heat soaked. Tap pan. If no slump bump the temp 10 to 15 degrees at a time repeating the process until the bullets slump. Then back off 20 to 25 degrees and then heat the bullets then water drop.
    Keep temp in mind for future.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master Oklahoma Rebel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    outside of Sand Springs, N.E. OK
    Posts
    2,353
    I was thinking 425-450 as well, it would suck to look in the oven to find either slumped boolits, or a bunch of round puddles!lol
    An armed man in a citizen.
    An unarmed man is a subject.
    A disarmed man is a slave.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check