Shop Press Brinell test

[tonyfoale]

There is a simpler test method which is perhaps better suited to DIY manufacture. Known as a Scleroscope and its modern derivative the Leeb hardness tester. These are rebound testers. Basically you drop a ball or other type of "hammer" from a know height and measure how far it rebounds. The Leeb uses modern methods of measuring drop and rebound velocities. Some copper coil wire and an Arduino could easily take care of the measuring. I made a basic scleroscope using a glass tube, down which I drop a 6 mm ball bearing, I have a scale on the side so that I can measure the rebound height.



Here is a pic. of mine. I hold the ball up with an external magnet which I pull away to release the ball and then I note the rebound height. Not super sophisticated but simple to make and it works well. I sometimes think about replacing the magnet with an electromagnet and making a velocity transducer to measure drop and rebound velocities, but other tasks put that down the priority table.