454PB
05-23-2008, 04:18 PM
I've seen lots of methods to solidify the microscope that is used to read the indention size of the Lee tester. Here's how I do it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/eddard49/Lee%20Hardness%20Tester/100_0555Small.jpg
The microscope is pushed into a .45 ACP resizing die. This is my old steel die, which is not used much anymore for sizing. The microscope fits snuggly and requires some force to move it up or down. You can see that the spring loaded indenter is mounted right next to the microscope.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/eddard49/Lee%20Hardness%20Tester/100_0556Small.jpg
Here the sample boolit is placed in a shell holder. This boolit is one Lance supplied for his hardness tester experiment.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/eddard49/Lee%20Hardness%20Tester/100_0558Small.jpg
I place a gooseneck lamp behind the press to illuminate the top of the sample boolit and make it easy to read the microscope calibrations. A flashlight works too, but this lamp frees up a hand.
I raise the press ram up to get the proper focus, hold it in place by pressing against the press handle with my right bicep, then turn the sample boolit in the shell holder with my right hand to get it perfectly positioned inside the microscope calibrations.
It's really handy to have this gear mounted in a dedicated turret, it takes just a few seconds to install or remove. The same methods would work in a single stage press, but you would have the added hassle of screwing the dies in and out.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/eddard49/Lee%20Hardness%20Tester/100_0555Small.jpg
The microscope is pushed into a .45 ACP resizing die. This is my old steel die, which is not used much anymore for sizing. The microscope fits snuggly and requires some force to move it up or down. You can see that the spring loaded indenter is mounted right next to the microscope.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/eddard49/Lee%20Hardness%20Tester/100_0556Small.jpg
Here the sample boolit is placed in a shell holder. This boolit is one Lance supplied for his hardness tester experiment.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/eddard49/Lee%20Hardness%20Tester/100_0558Small.jpg
I place a gooseneck lamp behind the press to illuminate the top of the sample boolit and make it easy to read the microscope calibrations. A flashlight works too, but this lamp frees up a hand.
I raise the press ram up to get the proper focus, hold it in place by pressing against the press handle with my right bicep, then turn the sample boolit in the shell holder with my right hand to get it perfectly positioned inside the microscope calibrations.
It's really handy to have this gear mounted in a dedicated turret, it takes just a few seconds to install or remove. The same methods would work in a single stage press, but you would have the added hassle of screwing the dies in and out.