I have lots of lead. anytime you have lots of something, it can be difficult to remember where it came from and what its hardness is. I am getting better at marking but I run across ingots from b4 I was more diligent in marking. Looked for hardness tester but have not found what I want. It turns out the Lee would probably not work very well as need to check ingots from 1# to 10# is size.
one way I have been checking hardness to position a 1/2" ball bearing between two samples, usually knowing the composition of one. striking hard with a dead blow hammer leaves indents on both which are fairly easy to see which is larger, therefore softer than the other material. My Linotype will have maybe 1/2 the diameter as wheel weight. Pure lead even larger still. only relative to that particular wack with the hammer as the strike is not consistent.
Placed an ad in WTB to see if I could buy or trade for 6 to 10 ball bearings. I have only one bearing and occasionally the strike will send it flying across the work bench. it would be Good to have a spares.
the other similar hardness test I did was I have made over 500# of 3.5% tin Linotype in the angle iron molds that I built. in another batch, I then mixed in an equal part "pure" lead into the pot and poured about 300# of #2 alloy. well, I had two piles of ingots and was not sure which was which. striking the V of one ingot against another ingot gave me the same type of rounded indentation as using the ball bearing. it was pretty easy to figure out which was Lino and which alloy. again only the strike on each ingot at the same time is used for the hard and soft. picture shows some of the strikes with connections to each strike. two at top L are Linotype 3.5% tin 13% antimony. two at bottom A are alloy at 1.8% / 6.5%. Lino to Lino has same size dent. Lino to alloy, the Lino dent is very small. Alloy to alloy has same size dent.
I do have a set of drafting pencils and that also works pretty well.
one way I have been checking hardness to position a 1/2" ball bearing between two samples, usually knowing the composition of one. striking hard with a dead blow hammer leaves indents on both which are fairly easy to see which is larger, therefore softer than the other material. My Linotype will have maybe 1/2 the diameter as wheel weight. Pure lead even larger still. only relative to that particular wack with the hammer as the strike is not consistent.
Placed an ad in WTB to see if I could buy or trade for 6 to 10 ball bearings. I have only one bearing and occasionally the strike will send it flying across the work bench. it would be Good to have a spares.
the other similar hardness test I did was I have made over 500# of 3.5% tin Linotype in the angle iron molds that I built. in another batch, I then mixed in an equal part "pure" lead into the pot and poured about 300# of #2 alloy. well, I had two piles of ingots and was not sure which was which. striking the V of one ingot against another ingot gave me the same type of rounded indentation as using the ball bearing. it was pretty easy to figure out which was Lino and which alloy. again only the strike on each ingot at the same time is used for the hard and soft. picture shows some of the strikes with connections to each strike. two at top L are Linotype 3.5% tin 13% antimony. two at bottom A are alloy at 1.8% / 6.5%. Lino to Lino has same size dent. Lino to alloy, the Lino dent is very small. Alloy to alloy has same size dent.
I do have a set of drafting pencils and that also works pretty well.
