SOWW - Pencil Hardness

[Cast10]

My first melt with SOWW yielded a clean 4B/BNH 9; 4B smeared some and 3B was better.

Tested a number of the 45lb. Ingots and they all were the same.

[Conditor22]

That seems a little hard for straight lead SOWW. IF the pencil (with the tip sanded flat) will make a groove/curl the lead, the lead is softer than that.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?378866-Lead-hardness-pencil-testing-trick

[Cast10]

That seems a little hard for straight lead SOWW. IF the pencil (with the tip sanded flat) will make a groove/curl the lead, the lead is softer than that.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?378866-Lead-hardness-pencil-testing-trick

OK! I”ll give that a try and report back......

[rmark]

My SOWW ingots are about bhn 8, a softer alloy but not pure. I think the fact they are thin gives the impression they are softer than they really are.

[Cast10]

OK! I”ll give that a try and report back......

Pencils prepared as close as I could get them.......

I’ll hold with my original numbers. 4B makes a mark, but the 3B engraves.