stimpylu32,
I put my boolits in an old oven that I have in my garage. But, what you first must do is see at what temperature the boolits begin to slump, i.e., the boolit begins to melt or soften...
Once you know what setting your oven takes to do this, you can turn it down 10 degrees or so (experimenting is necessary) and then you know the temperature setting...
I place my boolits in the oven when it is cold. I then turn the thermostat to the pre-designated temperature. (My oven is 450 degrees) I then set the timer for 45 minutes...
When the time has expired, they are dumped into iced water. I do most of mine in the winter as I can put snow in the bucket of water and when the boolits go through the snow that is floating on the top of the water, they are not distorted. Remember, these boolits are at or near their melting point and are very easily corrupted if they hit solid objects. I avoid ice for that reason...
I have achieved a SAECO hardness of 10+ with equates to BHN of 22-24+. This hardness is not immediate, but takes several weeks, at least, to get there. But they will be in the low 20's immediately...
The boolits must contain some arsenic and antimony to achieve this method of hardness with success. I add a good handful of magnum type shot to the melt in the beginning with an alloy of 2-1...Wheel weights to #2 Lyman...
Sizing these critters is another ball game! Not easy. And some say that the hardness is only "skin deep" and sizing it removes it--that I don't know...
And finally, do you really think you need to go through all of this effort to get a boolit that is greater than say BHN of 14 or so?...
Good-luck...BCB
