lead hardness

[old benn]

I see two tools in the Midway Catalog to check lead hardness. One by Saeco and one by Lee. Any reason to go for the more expensive
Saeco over the Lee ?

[jmort]

Lee is more accurate. Modification by member here is most helpful. Cut top off sports drink bottle and put a hole in cap for the "microscope" and use the plastic "dome" as an observation chamber.

[Yodogsandman]

Welcome to the site!

Have you also considered a Cabinetree or LBT tester? The LBT being the easiest to use and doesn't require a comparison chart.

The cheapest method is the lead pencil tests. Accurate enough for most needs, straight forward and simple.

Check out the stickies on the subject over on the "lead and lead alloys" sub-forum.

[Mk42gunner]

I bought a Lee brand new, (back when I could still see without glasses) and it works okay. Not being totally satisfied with the Lee, I bought a Saeco at an auction (I missed out on the LBT at the same sale).

I played with the Saeco when I got home, did not like it at all and put it up for sale in the swapping and selling section the next morning.

If I ever buy another lead hardness tester, it will be the Cabintree.

Truthfully, you really don't need one to cast and shoot well. I would buy a thermometer before buying a hardness tester, and you don't really need one of those either.

Robert

[Gussy]

CabineTree testers are now at cowboybullets.com look under ST Maching products

[old benn]

Hey !!! you guys are on the ball. Thank you, . . . Thank you.
I will buy a thermometer . . . . any suggestions there ? After reading several posts I'm afraid I just may have gotten zinc into my ingots by way of wheelweights.
Always assumed "(lead) wheelweights" . . . were lead wheelweights. Seems I was wrong to assume, huh. I get a wide range of weight difference with each throw
of boolits. Two cavity Lyman 452423 Keith style 250 gr SWC. (No longer shown as available) Use Saeco 11 pound bottom spout furnace. The good looking boolits
"keepers" range from 240gr to 245gr with my melt. (Is that ok , . . or am I too fussy ?) Shooting Ruger 45 Colt, was getting lead in forcing cone, had cylinders
reamed to .452, doing better but use Lewis tool after every shooting. Best groups are 2 1/2" at 25 yds, with Unique 9.5 gr. Have been separating bullets by weight
for each target.

[old benn]

Trying to find the "lead and lead alloys" sub forum you mention. Sounds good !! old benn

[BNE]

http://www.rotometals.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=thermometers

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/595204/lyman-lead-bullet-casting-thermometer?cm_vc=ProductFinding

Here are some links to thermometers. I suspect they are all the same, just with different brand names.

You will be surprised how much your pot temp. will vary when adding alloy. Knowing your temperature when casting will go a long way to help you be consistent.

Welcome to the forum.

[old benn]

Thanks much !

[old benn]

Very helpfull, Thanks

[old benn]

Thank you.

[John Boy]

Tel-Tru makes their thermometer that the other vendors put their name on it and sell for more money. And casters are stupid thinking Lyman & RCBS are better :violin: ... http://www.teltru.com/p-272-big-green-egg-primo-grill-dome-kamado-replacement-thermometer-lt225r-5-inch-stem-2001000-degrees-f.aspx

Accuracy comparison for Lee Tester to other makes ...
http://www.lasc.us/Shay-BHN-Tester-Experiment.htm#Lee

[Bonz]

Love my Cabine Tree...

[white eagle]

I use a Lee but after a while you forget all about BHN

[bangerjim]

Cabine all the way! Easy, fast, repeatable, accurate, portable.

I have a Lee that I never used anymore due to tying up my press, squinting thru a teeny microscope, testing takes too long. It is accurate but you have to fiddle with the position light, looking up readings on a tiny chart, and so many other things, it was not what I wanted.

I use the Cabine tester regularly with no problmes on boolits, ingots, scrap, almost any shape or size! And I can take it with me to the scrap yard!!!!! Try that with a Lee.

But get what you can afford. Spend a little more now than later.

bangerjim

[craig61a]

I have a Saeco tester. It's pretty much worthless for oversize 30's, which since I own a number of milsurp rifles, I shoot quite often. Problem is the stepped bottom of the screw which I can never get the sample to be aligned just right, so I'm never sure if the readings are correct or not. 'm thinking of getting the cabine though.