"Billy Bob" lead Hardness Tester

[LAGS]

This is a hardness tester that I made from simple things I had laying around the garage.
It is nothing more than a Bathroom scale set on a drill press, with a piece of steel plate for a anvil, and a Plunger made out of a 5/32" ball bearing soldered or Glued to the Allen head end of a 10/32x1" set screw and a 10/32 nut to keep the set screw from walking up into the drill ckuck if the chuck isn't tight.

You put the Plunger down on the lead and lower the arbor of the drill press like a press ( not running ) and put enough pressure down untill the scale reads 60 Pounds.
Hold 60 pounds pressure for 20 seconds, then measure the diameter of the dent in the lead.
Dent diameters go as follows.
.095 or more = BHN of 5
.070 = BHN 0f 10
.065 = BHN of 12
.060 = BHN of 15
.053 = BHN of 19
.048 = BHN of 23

[LAGS]

For those of you who do not have a drill press, You can make the plunger fit into the end of a 12" metal rod with a
"T " handle, and just Push the Plunger ball down with hand pressure to get the 60 lb reading
Just push straight down with a steady pressure, and hold for 20 seconds without rocking the ball as it presses into the lead.
You can find old Bath Scales at second hand stores for $5.00 or at Garage sales for less.
The Digital ones will work too, if they will read as low as 30 lb.

[LAGS]

These are ingot that I tested to show you how they looked.
You can see the dent on the Lead "L " ingot is larger than the one in the Wheel Weight "WW" Ingot

[bangerjim]

I would hope everyone on here at least has a drill press! This could also be done in an arbor press.

Your jig-up is a very good way to get a SWAG (that's all we really need!) on hardness. Low cost seems to always be a BIG major concern on here and your's does that. Just make sure one's press table and head are locked down so they will not move or shift.

I have found thru much testing and comparing my CabineTree tester to my Lee thingy to known standards I have in my company that the recommended "hold time" is not really needed. With the Lee, a simple easy bump-n-go (in your case reaching a solid steady 60#) gives excellent readings as compared to the Cabine. From my many tests, holding 20-30 seconds was not really needed.

Thanks for posting your ideas!

banger

[JASON4X4]

Good cheap tester I am going to try that

[LAGS]

I am the Master of finding ways to do things on the "CHEAP"
I was not always rolling in money, so I had to find a better way to build many a mouse trap.
Plus, many of you do not have a Shop Full of equipment, ( and Neither Do I ) or the skills to weld up, or even do all the Engineering or Math needed for many of the contraptions we could build.
My hat goes off to those guys.
But this is one heck of a lot more accurate and consistant than using Pencil Lead to Guess the hardness.
So far, all of my smelted lead blends are right in line with the harddess shown on Roto Metals Lead Calculator.
But some of my blends come out a little harder because they base their alloys using PURE Lead.
My lead is a mix of different lead, like Range Scrap, Lead Flashings, Fishing weights, Plumbers Pipe Joints Etc. and starts off with a BHN of about 6 to 8 rather than pure lead of BHN 5
But Harder is Better, But now you have a cheap way to test yours.

[merlin101]

Great idea! I have the makings and the need and it's a rainy day!

[Yodogsandman]

This is how I check alloy hardness, also. About any size steel ball or constant pressure can be used with the following plug in hardness calculator...

http://www.ajdesigner.com/phphardness/brinell_hardness_number.php#ajscroll

[bangerjim]

This is how I check alloy hardness, also. About any size steel ball or constant pressure can be used with the following plug in hardness calculator...

http://www.ajdesigner.com/phphardness/brinell_hardness_number.php#ajscroll



WOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!

That site had calcs for just about everything you can dream up!

Thanks for sharing!

[303Guy]

Good one LAGS. It should be possible to get quite good accuracy with that method. One can use higher loads for harder alloys to get more accurate results.


http://www.ajdesigner.com/phphardness/brinell_hardness_number.php#ajscroll

I created a spread sheet calculator using that same BHN formula. I've set up mine to use kilograms and millimeters since it's hard to find scales that use Newtons. Using the calculator in the link or for me, my own calculator, makes changing ball sizes or loads easy.

One day I will set up a system that measures the indent depth using a digital caliper. One day.[smilie=1:

[LAGS]

I have a Depth Micrometer that has a point on the spindle, that will allow me to check the depth.
But as you push into the lead, a small ridge does form around the dent on some materials as the metal is displaced.
Sort of like the ridge around letters when you stamp into steel, or use a center punch.

[303Guy]

What I have in mind is to set the caliper so as to measure the movement of the indentor. Measuring the indent with a depth gauge one would need a spacer to fit around the crater but even then, if the surface isn't perfectly flat to start with, accuracy would go south.

[LAGS]

I just look at the dang dent, then sort them out.Small dents go here, the big dents go over there
It is rare that I want a Perticular hardness that it really matters, especially since I started Powder coating almost all of my bullets.