Bullet hardness tester

[Stephen Borud]

What brand do you all recommend for a bullet hardness tester?


Thanks
SB

[Don McDowell]

My thumb nail.

[Stephen Borud]

My thumb nail.

Hahaha

[Shutinlead]

FWIW,
I have several methods, my first was I took an automatic center punch and silver brazed a ball bearing on a tip and use a small pocket scope to measure the diameter of the impression made - but you have to have known materials to establish a base line... over the years I've determined that. I prefer that the most and doesn't require a bullet to be cast, you can check any material and have an idea of what it is... My second tool I gathered up was a Saeco hardness tester - it's made to test a bullet size object which is all fine and dandy but not all of my lead is in bullet form. My most recent method, acquired about 5 years ago off eBay is a Shore Scleroscope - far more than one needs but with a little time working through it - there's no question "knowing" what the hardness of the material is- A little overkill for most- eveytime I use it I spend 30 minutes trying to figure out the operation and working through the details... Lee makes a tester that is similar to my first method and in my opinion if you really want to know your lead hardness and not have to learn and re-learn everytime, it's simple.
My 2 cents.
Greg

[Kurt]

For what we use for lead alloys we don't need testers that run from $800. and up for accuracy. The testers for less than $100. like the Sayco, Lee or cabin tree will do what we need. I would choose a Cabin tree for #1 and the Lee for #2 because I can get a comparison of a true know sample for comparison. The weight scale paper you get with all three of these testers really don't give you the true calibrated hardness of the alloy. Make a sample of known pure lead and tin ingot and save it for future comparisons. Using aged alloy ingots you need to remove the surface a little to get rid of the age hardening surface to get a reliable test as it was first cast.
The Saeco tester your limited to small cores like bullet sizes. I have two Saeco testers and they don't give you the same reading off the same core.
The Lee and Cabintree are calibrated by the maker and are spring tenchion with a indention ball or pin and there again springs get week or the eniticnal setting changes. I use a Lee but I just rely on comparison from a known pure mix, and again the Rotometal lead and tin that is sold as pure does not give me the same impression when I mix the alloy. Or even a sound drop test with a 10# ingot on concrete does not ring the same as pure vergin foundry lead has with a dull sound and not a ringing sound.

Kurt

[parkergunz]

I use the Cabine Tree. There is a short learning curve, but is quite repeatable once you master it.

[Stephen Borud]

Thanks everyone for replying to my question. Looks like the Cabin Tree is the way to go.

[Dan Cash]

Thanks everyone for replying to my question. Looks like the Cabin Tree is the way to go.

I have used the Cabine Tree for several years and would not be without it.

[Stephen Borud]

Thanks everyone for replying to my question. Looks like the Cabin Tree is the way to go.

I have used the Cabine Tree for several years and would not be without it.

That’s good to know! Thank You for your advice Dan.



Stephen

[Stephen Borud]

The Cabin Tree hardness tester is ordered. Thanks everyone!


SB