Lee Metal hardness tester

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  • Last Post 16 June 2016
JPnewhampshire posted this 15 June 2016

I am looking at a Lee hardness tester on Amazon ($65.00 Can some one explain how they function and are they any good ??? Perry

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OU812 posted this 16 June 2016

You must have good vision to measure ball indentation.

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Brodie posted this 16 June 2016

JP, Basically the tester has a spring loaded  ball in a die that you install in your loading press. You press the unknown  alloy against the ball until it just recedes into the holder, and hold it there for maybe 30 seconds.  Then you use the little magnifier to measure the diameter of the indentation, consult a chart and get the BHN of the alloy.  The Lee tester works with bullets , blocks, muffins or any other flat (you have to file the bullets) lead alloy surface.

Hope this has helped. Brodie

B.E.Brickey

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onondaga posted this 16 June 2016

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=9530>JPnewhampshire

I have been very happy with my Lee Hardness Test Kit, The certified alloys I get from Rotometals test as specified. The magnifier works fine with extra light from a small lamp. Here is a link to the instructions of this Lee tool, it is a 2 page pdf:

http://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/90924.pdf

The instructions are very helpful to understand and use the tool. I always time the 30 second hold specified and that is very important for consistency of results.

You can also easily read the indent size accurately with a caliper using a 6X eyeglass loupe and some find that easy. I use both the Lee magnifier and the loupe with caliper method.

Many new to testing bullet alloy hardness fail to understand how dramatically  the effect of cooling has on alloys with Antimony. Even ingots from the same batch will test widely different if some were put in a puddle to cool or on a wet towel. Naturally air cooled will test the most accurately for ingots and bullets. That is very important to understand for use of the kit.

Gary

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Larry Gibson posted this 16 June 2016

The Lee Hardness Tester is as accurate as any of the other readily available BHN testers.  I use the Lee.   However, the biggest problem and complaint of many is the inability to hold the Lee microscope still enough and at the right focal length for an accurate measurement of the indentation in the bullet, alloy sample or ingot.  There are numerous solutions to this problem from the simplest to extravagant homemade apparatus.   I solved the problem by simply adapting the Lee microscope to a kids microscope stand.  I found the kids microscope in a second hand store and got it for about $13.  I removed the lens from the body tube and wrapped duct tape around the Lee microscope so it was a friction fit inside the stand's body tube.    With the scopes up/down adjustment in its middle range I can slide the Lee scope up and down inside the tube for a rough adjustment with different sized bullets or ingots.  The actual up/down adjustment of the stand then gives a precise focus of the scale and indentation making for accurate and repeatable measurements.  A piece of card cut from a soda pop 12 pack case is used with a wad of modeling clay on it to hold the bullet solidly in any position desired so the indentation is correctly positioned for measurement.  The card is then moved to align the indentation to the scale in the Lee microscope.   I have found this to be an excellent set up to accurately measure the BHN of cast bullets, ingots and other samples of alloys.     

Concealment is not cover.........

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Larry Gibson posted this 16 June 2016

Lee scope wrapped with duct tape inside stand body tube.    

Concealment is not cover.........

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Larry Gibson posted this 16 June 2016

Bullet held on card/modeling clay.    

Concealment is not cover.........

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JPnewhampshire posted this 16 June 2016

LMG Great post I have a machine shop of sorts so I hope I could build something as fine as yours. I sold 40# WW so have 2/3 cost of the Lee tester--perry

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onondaga posted this 16 June 2016

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=9530>JPnewhampshire

Here is what it looks like when I don't use the Lee magnifier:

Gary

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