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largom
12-08-2017, 10:22 AM
As stated in another post, due to age and health, I am disposing of a lot of my boolit casting items. While going through my linotype supply I was testing ingots and lino spacers on my Lee tester to be sure they were what I had marked the container to be. Guess I had a "brain-lock" that linotype was 22 BHN.
Well I had a quantity of spacers that tested 19.3 BHN on my tester. The ingots smelted from lino letters tested 22BHN. Could not determine what the spacers were made of. Visited the LASC site and there the answer was, 5 different compositions of linotype with percentage of tin/antimony/lead with BHN ratings of 18 to 22 with a tin percentage of 2 to 6 %. Got my brain unlocked!

Larry
bangerjim
12-08-2017, 10:53 PM
Lino is generally ~22 if made from fresh factory pigs. Lino shops tended to let is "dilute" over time and hardness went down.

Spacers and "leading" strips can be just about any hardness (generally much less)! Never mix them or you dilute your lino metal.
derrickman
12-11-2017, 06:18 AM
Does anybody know of a source for linotype in the Houston or east Texas area?
I'd sure like to stock up on some.
Thanks.
Lloyd Smale
12-11-2017, 07:42 AM
Ive had spacers test anywhere between 16bhn and 22bhn. Ive had even linotype pigs (not factory new) that tested as low as 18
lightman
12-14-2017, 07:56 AM
Does anybody know of a source for linotype in the Houston or east Texas area?
I'd sure like to stock up on some.
Thanks.

Now days you probably won't find a steady source for it. It just pops up from time to time. Some times you find some at scrap yards or see it advertised in the paper or on Craigslist. I bought some last spring from an older shooter that decided that it was time to start thinning out his stash. You just have to keep your eyes and ears open and ask around. I missed out on 2 opportunities last year by being too late.
largom
12-14-2017, 09:15 AM
Does anybody know of a source for linotype in the Houston or east Texas area?
I'd sure like to stock up on some.
Thanks.

I will be offering the lino from the 1st post for sale here after the holidays. Will have two batches, 1 at 22 BHN and 1 at 19.3 BHN.