A big Thank You

[Jtarm]

To everyone who shares their hard-earned knowledge, thank you.

I received a set of Staedler pencils the other day and immediately tested against my known alloys. The chart posted in the stickie thread is spot on.

[Sig556r]

Nice to hear stories of giving & gratitude…

[slim1836]

The knowledge shared on this site is second to none.

Slim

[Land Owner]

Care to describe the comparison(s) and results? "Known hardness" - how? "Close to the pin" or dead-on with pencils? Does "knowing" the outcome taint the procedure and interpretation of result? Do you have a link to the chart or Stickie referenced (like a footnote)?

There is a strong "fellowship of faith" in hardness-of-alloy comparisons made with pencils, because pencils are inexpensive, because using them is easy, because they work(!), but (imo) the more supporting data in "known" comparisons the better. Let the overwhelming evidence prove the concept with no "shadow of doubt"...

[Jtarm]

Care to describe the comparison(s) and results? "Known hardness" - how? "Close to the pin" or dead-on with pencils? Does "knowing" the outcome taint the procedure and interpretation of result? Do you have a link to the chart or Stickie referenced (like a footnote)?

There is a strong "fellowship of faith" in hardness-of-alloy comparisons made with pencils, because pencils are inexpensive, because using them is easy, because they work(!), but (imo) the more supporting data in "known" comparisons the better. Let the overwhelming evidence prove the concept with no "shadow of doubt"...

COWW + 2%
Pure lead from Roto Metals
50/50 COWW+2/pure lead.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?75455-Testing-hardness-with-pencils&p=5226442#post5226442

Started at 6B and went in order until they created a grove I could detect with my fingernail.

Of course with the pure Pb, there was no need to go past 6B.

I’ll add that on ingots with rough surfaces, they wouldn’t mark a straight line until I hit the right hardness.

IDK what “close to the pin means.”

Applying exactly as if trying to draw a straight line on paper, I found:

Pure Pb: 6B
50 Pure Pb 50 COWW+2: 3b
COWW + 2%: B

That sticky has been up for many years. Knowing this forum, I trust that it would’ve been removed if it were not accurate.

Lacking the means to perform a full empirical scientific test (aka reinvent the wheel), I’ll take the word of trusted sources.