Hardness tester

[slasher]

I've been looking into hardness testers lately and it appears that the top names are the Lee Hardness Tester, Cabine Tree Tester, and the LBT.
The LBT seems to be a favorite and I can find posts about it up until a year ago or so but their domain has expired, www.lbtmolds.com, so I'm wondering if they just disappeared.
The Lee tester has good reviews and is not too expensive but would require the current press be removed from the mount to put the turret press back up to test. I've also read that if you wear glasses, which I do, that the little magnifying glass is difficult to use but there are mods you can do to make it easier to use.
The Carbine Tree seems to have good reviews too and seems to be a little more user friendly and would also be easier to use to test ingots, which I'd like to have the ability to do.
What's your opinion on these and am I leaving a tester out that I should be looking into?
Thanks

[poppy42]

If ya get the Lee at lot of people make a stand for the magnifier or use a child’s microscope for a stand. I just use a jewelers loop. I find it quicker and easier to use a loop, set of calipers, in the chart that Lee provides.

[Mike W1]

He seems to change addresses on occasion. I got some lube from him a couple months ago so try this approach.

I have and like the LBT tester.

Veral SmithLead Bullets Technology
A Division of
F.I.G. ENT. INC.
78592 Hwy 2
MOYIE SPRINGS, ID 83845
1 208 267 3588

LBTisAccuracy@localnet.com

[uscra112]

I have a Cabine Tree but I don't trust it. Having the penetrator rotate as it goes in doesn't seem to me to be a good design. Is it a boring tool? Shouldn't be.

The instrument I do trust is my SAECO. The only downside being that you can only test bullets. I made a "slug" mould that casts a simple flat-ended .45 caliber cylinder for easier handling. Extra work, but IMHO worth it.

The Cabine Tree tool I use on billets, to judge whether they should go in the pot or not.

[Bent Ramrod]

I have a LBT and a SAECO hardness tester.

I sometimes get slightly different readings on the same alloy between them, but the differences are close enough to assign to technique and/or sample shape.

I use the SAECO more than the LBT because I generally have a few culls after a casting session to check. The LBT requires more in the way of sample preparation than the SAECO; but it does read directly, whereas the SAECO gives a derivative reading that needs to be applied to a chart to get the actual BHN. This bothers some people, but not me.

[Dusty Bannister]

I have used the LBT and the Cabin Tree. Both are very good tools. I have the Cabin Tree and appreciate the fact that you can mark the indent reading on the ingot and not be too concerned about the actual hardness chart. I prepare the samples carefully and use a wide flat nosed bullet mold to make sample slugs when blending alloys. There may be some reading error between ingots and bullet samples and why introduce more variables.

I understand where some might be concerned about the indent point having an affect on the final reading. It is smooth, but a blunt point. If there is any "boring" affect, it would be consistent with every sample tested and be reflected on the final reading. I would look at that as a theory and not a factual issue. There is not likely a not of movement of that point against the sample with only one turn of the shaft to apply pressure to the sample.

Some have developed the ability to use the art pencils successfully to test hardness. I think that they all have some level of difficulty and do require practice to use well. Find which method serves your needs and then make your decision. Dusty

[GregLaROCHE]

I bought a Lee tester. I never really got the hang of it and wish I had spent more and gotten one of the other types.

[44magLeo]

I have the Lee. I use it on ingots a lot.
I just place the ingot on the ram insuch a way I can run it up without hitting anything. Run the ingot up against the frame of the press, thread the tester down till it hits the ingot. Then lower it a bit, screw in tester repeat till I can run the ingot up against the frame and have the plunger come flush. This way I don't have to try to hold the ram at just the right place to keep the plunger flush.
I can run through a bunch of ingots fairly quickly. Once I get them dimpled I just set the micro scope on the ingot. This holds it steady.
Leo

[10sandxs]

I have the LBT, Lee, and SAECO hardness testers... all work, but the LBT is the one that gets used 95% of the time...

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I like the Lee.
I have a tiny reloading press dedicated for hardness testing.
I did the Child's microscope mod (I bought the microscope at Goodwill for $1), I've found that this does require use of a flashlight or a well lit room, I have corrective lenses for an astigmatism, and don't have a problem, as long as there is enough light.

[bangerjim]

I used the Lee toy for a while and got tired of guestimating and squinting thru that stupid little scope. And getting the angle of the light just right so you could see the dimple.

Dumped it for the CabineTree tester. LOVE it! I replaced the mechanical dial indicator with a good digital dial indicator and it is now extremely accurate. I have calibrated/verified it against an NIST traceable hardness tester with know samples and it is far more accurate that we all need for simple casting purposes around here.

It is truly portable, so I can take it to the scrap yards and test any shape I find. The Lee will really only test boolits and is very difficult to test large shapes and works only at your loading bench in your press.

But buy and use what you can monetarily justify.

Any of the testers mentioned above are FAR better than pencils or your fingernail!!!!!!!

[6622729]

I've been looking into hardness testers lately and it appears that the top names are the Lee Hardness Tester, Cabine Tree Tester, and the LBT.
The LBT seems to be a favorite and I can find posts about it up until a year ago or so but their domain has expired, www.lbtmolds.com, so I'm wondering if they just disappeared.
The Lee tester has good reviews and is not too expensive but would require the current press be removed from the mount to put the turret press back up to test. I've also read that if you wear glasses, which I do, that the little magnifying glass is difficult to use but there are mods you can do to make it easier to use.
The Carbine Tree seems to have good reviews too and seems to be a little more user friendly and would also be easier to use to test ingots, which I'd like to have the ability to do.
What's your opinion on these and am I leaving a tester out that I should be looking into?
Thanks

I had the Lee tester and hated that thing. Got rid of it and switched to the artist pencils. SOOO easy to use. I never looked back.

[luky-dude]

I used the Lee toy for a while and got tired of guestimating and squinting thru that stupid little scope. And getting the angle of the light just right so you could see the dimple.

Dumped it for the CabineTree tester. LOVE it! I replaced the mechanical dial indicator with a good digital dial indicator and it is now extremely accurate. I have calibrated/verified it against an NIST traceable hardness tester with know samples and it is far more accurate that we all need for simple casting purposes around here.

It is truly portable, so I can take it to the scrap yards and test any shape I find. The Lee will really only test boolits and is very difficult to test large shapes and works only at your loading bench in your press.

But buy and use what you can monetarily justify.

Any of the testers mentioned above are FAR better than pencils or your fingernail!!!!!!!

What is and where can I get the digital dial indlicator?

[Conditor22]

the lee tester work fine with a stand and light source, that being said, I still reach for my pencils when I want to get an close estimate of lead hardness or I'm going out to buy lead.

[rcslotcar]

I use the Saeco. I cast a few wad cutter bullets as I'm making ingots then mark the hardness.

[John Boy]

Practice how to use it and the Lee is 100% accurate plus mounted on a Lee 3 hole turret it is instantly available to measure bullets and ingots up to 6 pounds which the other testers can’t do in all respects. Plus it is half the price of the other testers. My Lee has measured accurately in excess of over 2000 Lbs of Pb ingots and thousands of bullets

[Larry Gibson]

I mounted my Lee tester in a microscope. I have a small desk lamp on my loading bench that works well with it. The Lee, when held steady as in the microscope is easy to see through, quick to use and consistent in readings.

Attachment 269041Attachment 269042

[Conditor22]

One thing to notice is that Larry has the boolit stuck to a large sheet of something making aligning the boolit under the scope sooooooo much easier.

[Lloyd Smale]

i have a cabin tree and a seaco and had a lbt. The cabin tree is hands down the best and most repeatable tester. Id rate the seaco second and the lbt 3rd. When i parted with one it was a no brainer to dump the lbt.

[mvozz]

Interesting thread! I was in the same boat a couple of years ago and read all of the opinions and went with the Cabine Tree and I am glad I did. I have taken it with me to test lead before I buy it and I was lucky that I had it so I knew what I was getting. The ability to test ingots is what won me over. I don't think I will be buying anything else.