Information on making a lead hardness tester.

[Grahame Collins]

I am a black powder muzzle loader shooter.
As such, I am constantly seeking pure lead to cast round balls.
It can be hard to tell at times with alloys about the place, the marking of pure lead with a thumbnail,not withstanding.
Therefore I seek a hardness tester.

Too hard to import a manufactured one at the moment, so I am hoping to make one.
If you have heard of a homemade one and can direct me to an internet article, I would be obliged.

I already have one from the Cast Boolits Forum using the drill press and bathroom scales but this type is not suitable when you are at the scrap dealers.

Thanks

Grahame

[droog]

Well here is the instructions for a commercial unit.
https://leeprecision.com/files/instruct/LT2140.pdf

From the instructions it gives you a reasonable reference for tip size and angle from there it should be a matter of determining a spring pressure needed for the indenter and having a reference source of pure lead to get the impression size.

Of course it won’t give you the BHN value unless you have a reference source to compare against but it will compare against a known product.

[Grahame Collins]

Thank you droog,

[NedsHead]

Shout out if you need something referenced, I have access to vickers, rockwell and brinell testing gear.

[Grahame Collins]

Shout out if you need something referenced,

Thanks Mate.