Portable Hardness Tester

[Harry Babb]

Our shop is in the market for a Portable Hardness Tester. A local metalurgist uses Equotip and highly recommends them but also says that there are many other brands that will also give excellent results.

My reason for posting is to ask if any of you guys are already using Portable Hardness Testers.

We will be checking steel and stainless steel in hardness ranges from Brinell of 180 +/- to 500 Brinell +/-

Harry

[jspiezio]

Harry- I have two Ames portables and my quality guys love them. I would highly recommend. I bought them both surplus from Joe at Sag Supply, 631-586-1768. Brand new these can be very pricey, surplus they were relatively inexpensive, both arrived in their original cases with all the goddies.

[Harry Babb]

Those testers are expensive......but so is everything else in our industry....I priced an Equitip 3 and the retail is $6500 and change.

Just last night I discovered that Leebs brand is the same a Equitip and they are a little less expensive.

I have always trusted that a "Certified Mill Test Report" would be true and accurate......but I have a situation right now that really bit me in the ass.
Material came in over 100 points harder than the MTR indicates.

Thanks for the lead.......I will check them out shortly.....

Harry

[Carl]

We use a simple Scleroscope for our inhouse needs, everything else our heat treater deals with and certifies...I prefer to stay out of the loop.

[Harry Babb]

I prefer to stay out of the loop

That was my mind set and has been for a lot of years.......I am a "Dimensional" guy......give me your flavor of mateial and I will cut it to any dimension that you choose.....and we are very good at it.....

But right now I have one pissed off customer. The situation is that I purchased material heat treated to very specific hardness.......its a casting and the casting has hard spots in it.

We have egg on our face, in that I did not verify the accuracy of the CMTR before proceeding to manufacture the part.........My supplier has one pissed off custormer (Me)....it will be a long time before I will be able to put my trust in them again.......

This material thing is getting more and more out of hand everyday. 2 weeks ago we were setting up to make a run of parts out of a 3/4" dia 304 SS round bar......faced off the end and discovered a crack that ran from the centerline all the way out to the OD.....get this.....the full length of the bar (120")

Harry

[jspiezio]

That was my mind set and has been for a lot of years.......I am a "Dimensional" guy......give me your flavor of mateial and I will cut it to any dimension that you choose.....and we are very good at it.....

But right now I have one pissed off customer. The situation is that I purchased material heat treated to very specific hardness.......its a casting and the casting has hard spots in it.

We have egg on our face, in that I did not verify the accuracy of the CMTR before proceeding to manufacture the part.........My supplier has one pissed off custormer (Me)....it will be a long time before I will be able to put my trust in them again.......

This material thing is getting more and more out of hand everyday. 2 weeks ago we were setting up to make a run of parts out of a 3/4" dia 304 SS round bar......faced off the end and discovered a crack that ran from the centerline all the way out to the OD.....get this.....the full length of the bar (120")

Harry

Because all our work is erospace and military, a lot of it flightsafety/essential, we have to provide "objective evidence" of all characteristics, including hardness, conductivity, etc.

Harry, your castings could very well have surface hardening. Does the customer want you to normalize them? Or will that spoil dimensions. I know some excellent heat treat house, a few great ones in texas, that can help you if you need them.

Also- Harry if this is a one time need I can send you down one of mine and you can return it when you are done.

John

[Harry Babb]

John
That is mighty nice of you to offer the use of your portable hardness tester. I really need to purchase a tester so that I can keep tabs on my suppliers.

I called Sag supply today, Joe was not in the office but the guy in the office (Rocky I think??) told me that they do not currently have in stock the type of tester that I am looking for.

I found an Equitip in Louisiana and as soon as Mardi Gras is over and everybody comes back to work I can talk turkey to the salesman.

Again I thank you and Carl for responding to my post here. As soon as I make my purchase and get it going I will report back to you guys.

Harry