Using a Lee Harness Tester

[ohland]

Well, I grabbed the box and nipped down to the basement. Screwed the tester into the press, snapped in the anvil, filed a flat onto the bullet, ran it up til the stem was level with the top, waited 30 seconds, and lowered the ram.
Time to use the 20x scope, hoo-boy, I thought my hands were steady... What really helped was placing the bullet on the bench taking the anvil out, and using the anvil to steady my hand. Tested it a second time, it appeared to vary @ .0002 (from .0058 to .006). BH in the 15 range.
Yes, it is difficult free holding the scope and moving it backwards to the desired direction. A better way could be to clamp the scope in a stand, and move the bullet while it's on the anvil around the bench, lining it up.
Surprising on how controllable keeping the stem close to if not level with the tester's top surface.

[jim147]

I have problems with getting enough light in the right spot to read the size once I get it lined up.

I need to get a new swing arm lamp to mount by the vise.

jim

[markinalpine]

The microscope will fit nicely through a Lee .452 push through sizer, then use the ram on the press to raise/lower the test sample until it's in focus. I had an old Tensor high intensity lamp that I used for illumination, but it finally gave up the ghost, and I just haven't got around to finding a replacement.
Others have used kid's toy microscopes to hold the Lee viewer, or built their own holder. Another tip I read somewhere on this board was to wipe across the indent with a broad, flat tip marker to highlight the dimple.

[BulletFactory]

I attatched one of those mini maglite flashlights to it with a hose clamp.

[fryboy]

a couple of ingenious fellows did make a stand ( jon_b has a post somewhere about his IIRC ) i found for me that if i use a big flat nosed casting for testing i dont have to file ( the lee 310 grain 44 is what i use ) and i place a nickel over the anvil for this . a big flat spot does help hold it still , i found this out testing old ingots , i pinch the end of the tube between my finger and thumb and press against the surface at the same time and use my middle finger in conjunction to move either the tube or casting . jim is right about the light it can sure seem dark if the lil cutout window isnt facing a light , i also have to confess that i use it alot more than i thought i would
BTW ? those testing castings ? as long as i'm casting another caliber they're easy to find in the pile to test again in a few days or weeks !

[fishnbob]

Ya'll keep the ideas coming, I have a tough time reading mine before I have to stop and rest my aching back. I do lay a flashlight on the table to light up the area and that helps but it would really be nice to come up with a stand or holder to steady the scope.

[cajun shooter]

The Lee tool may give accurate readings if you are young enough to use it as it requires plenty of light and vision. I mounted mine to a small microscope and then the best day of my life came about. I sold a gun and bought my Cabin Tree tester from Gussy. It is fast and accurate and even a very old man may use it with no problem.

[ColColt]

I don't have any trouble seeing-my problem is holding it steady enough. It's like trying to hold a rifle standing on your own with a 12 power scope attached. I put the bullet or ingot in the vice, train a 75W light to one side and see good. It's just holding that magnifier...even steadying my hand on the vice it still could stand some improvement.

[theinfamouselguapo]

I don't cast anything big enough to use a sizing die that large but that idea got me to thinking -

http://www.race-mart.com/Aeroquip-FBM3658.html

These come 12 to a pack for $4.50. The aluminum should be fairly easy to work without the need to buy any high dollar drill bits or reamers. I figure drill the plug out slightly oversize the outter diameter of the scope. A couple of o-rings above and below where it passes through the plug to keep it from slipping around. Whole rig can thread right into the Lee press.

[fishnbob]

theinfamouselguapo,
My biggest problem is getting the scope to align the zero on the edge of the hole so I can get an accurate reading. If you can get the scope set solid in the press, how do you set the boolit to line up with the scope. I like your method of affixing the scope but can't figure out how to set the boolit on the ram to properly align. Any suggestions?

[Swindler1]

Cut a plastic pop bottle about a 3rd down from the top and drill a hole in the lid that the scope will fit in snug. Set if over the bullet, adj the scope up or down, shine a light on it.

[theinfamouselguapo]

Use the v-block that came with the tester. If you bore the plug on centerline and plumb if you need to shift it at all there is plenty of side to side and front to back right there.

I'm thinking of taking some scrap bar stock and boring it so I can dump the boolit to be measured in upside down with the base flush with the top. Chuck it in a vise and now you have a stable non-moving platform (With half a ton of lead mine is definitely not going anywhere). No reason the same piece of stock can't handle more than one boolit either.

[cajun shooter]

If you take time to do a search on the Lee tester you will find pics and descriptions on how to make some first class holders. The one that I mounted onto the child's microscope worked great and came from doing a search. It has also been mounted into some wood boxes with light bulbs and that was only two of several. You do have to spend the time to search the files.

[pdawg_shooter]

I slip mine in a 45ACP size die and put in the press. Run the bullet up to it in the v-block. Use a goose neck lamp bent down to the right angle for lighting. Makes things easy.

[Centaur 1]

It's been twenty years since I've done this type of trigonometry, but it's possible to calculate the width of the indentation by measuring it's depth. The Lee tester uses a .156" ball to indent the lead. It's easy to measure the depth by measuring the diameter of the bullet, then placing a ball bearing with a smaller diameter in the dimple then measure from the bottom of the bullet to the top of the ball with a micrometer. For example, lets say you started with a bullet with a .452" diameter. Then you place a .125" ball bearing in the dimple and you get a measurement of .567". You then subtract .125" from .567" which equals .442" so you know that the ball indented the bullet 0.010".

Someone here at Cast Boolits must be an engineer who knows of an online calculator that can tell us the width of the indentation by entering the depth.

[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"

[Echo]

Cut a plastic pop bottle about a 3rd down from the top and drill a hole in the lid that the scope will fit in snug. Set if over the bullet, adj the scope up or down, shine a light on it.

+1 - I use this method, when I use the Lee. I also have an LBT, that I love.