Eagle66
04-29-2014, 01:20 PM
Like everyone else, I’ve sorted WW's using guesswork, bending, tapping, nippers, and dark-of-the-moon divination. I've even looked in the WW seller's websites so I'd know what they look like. A few weeks ago, while sorting through several buckets, I was wishing for a test that would be fast, easy, reasonably accurate, and above all, cheap.
The little light in my head came on :idea:, so I ran out and got an automatic center punch from HF for $3.
http://www.harborfreight.com/spring-loaded-center-punch-621.html
If I am unsure about what a weight is, I just give it a punch while it is on my steel workbench. The sound and size of the divot tells me all I need to know. FE & Zn make a “clank” sound and leave a tiny divot. Lead makes more of a “clunk” sound and leaves a divot that is much larger. SOWW divots are noticeably larger than COWW’s.
This way, I can test half a dozen pieces faster than I can pick up nippers & pinch one. It’s sort of a poor man’s quickie BHN test. It’s also very useful when checking scrap or identifying that unlabeled chunk of lead that “someone” left on your bench. With a little practice, you can even tell what type of lead it is by the size of the divot. The size of the divots in COWW’s, #2, 5%Sn, etc. are different enough to tell them apart. I just punch the stranger and compare it to divots in known alloys. Fast, easy, reasonably accurate, and above all, CHEAP.
The little light in my head came on :idea:, so I ran out and got an automatic center punch from HF for $3.
http://www.harborfreight.com/spring-loaded-center-punch-621.html
If I am unsure about what a weight is, I just give it a punch while it is on my steel workbench. The sound and size of the divot tells me all I need to know. FE & Zn make a “clank” sound and leave a tiny divot. Lead makes more of a “clunk” sound and leaves a divot that is much larger. SOWW divots are noticeably larger than COWW’s.
This way, I can test half a dozen pieces faster than I can pick up nippers & pinch one. It’s sort of a poor man’s quickie BHN test. It’s also very useful when checking scrap or identifying that unlabeled chunk of lead that “someone” left on your bench. With a little practice, you can even tell what type of lead it is by the size of the divot. The size of the divots in COWW’s, #2, 5%Sn, etc. are different enough to tell them apart. I just punch the stranger and compare it to divots in known alloys. Fast, easy, reasonably accurate, and above all, CHEAP.