05-30-2015, 09:47 PM
I wasn't actively looking but one came up locally. A fellow in coastal southeast Massachusetts had bought the contents of a small gunsmith shop and was selling off things he felt he wouldn't need. I spotted a hardness tester in the group of tiny photos he posted so I replied immediately. It's a Chinese import, copy of a Wilson.
When I arrived he showed it to me and we attempted getting a measurement on a piece of annealed condition D2 tool steel. Nether of us could get anything. No manual was to be found. Opening the top I found a piece of string tied onto some parts inside, so we both agreed something is wrong with it, despite most of the accessories still being coated with preservative Cosmolene type goop.
His asking price was $500. With barter involving a couple boring bars, some DNMG and CNMG inserts, a few insert milling cutters (1" end mills, 1" ball end mill) and $300, it was in my car. And it's HEAVY.
When I got home I Googled and downloaded the manual, printed out the 7 page document. My son Brian helped me get it from the car to a workbench, here it is:
![[Image: IMG_20150530_214346787_zpsge0byxes.jpg]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/kenm10759/Dads%20shop/IMG_20150530_214346787_zpsge0byxes.jpg)
We took off the top and rear covers, read through the manual and found the problem right away. It's brand new and had never been used. The original packing blocks between the weights, rail clamps and other shipping stuff was still in place! I followed the instructions for unpacking and setting it up, but ran out of time to set the calibration to one of the 5 standards it came with. Amazing.
Here's what they go for new:
http://[url=http://www.mscdirect.com/pro...s/06534051[/url]
I've needed one just now & then. I still want to add a profilometer and optical comparator for inspection equipment, this just gets me closer. I've been looking to find or build and affordable heat treat oven, this was a required piece of equipment should I get an oven soon.
When I arrived he showed it to me and we attempted getting a measurement on a piece of annealed condition D2 tool steel. Nether of us could get anything. No manual was to be found. Opening the top I found a piece of string tied onto some parts inside, so we both agreed something is wrong with it, despite most of the accessories still being coated with preservative Cosmolene type goop.
His asking price was $500. With barter involving a couple boring bars, some DNMG and CNMG inserts, a few insert milling cutters (1" end mills, 1" ball end mill) and $300, it was in my car. And it's HEAVY.
When I got home I Googled and downloaded the manual, printed out the 7 page document. My son Brian helped me get it from the car to a workbench, here it is:
We took off the top and rear covers, read through the manual and found the problem right away. It's brand new and had never been used. The original packing blocks between the weights, rail clamps and other shipping stuff was still in place! I followed the instructions for unpacking and setting it up, but ran out of time to set the calibration to one of the 5 standards it came with. Amazing.
Here's what they go for new:
http://[url=http://www.mscdirect.com/pro...s/06534051[/url]
I've needed one just now & then. I still want to add a profilometer and optical comparator for inspection equipment, this just gets me closer. I've been looking to find or build and affordable heat treat oven, this was a required piece of equipment should I get an oven soon.