Wolpert Testor HT2a Hardness Tester

[@surmetall5596]

nice to see that wolpi has a lot of work now and is in good hands. :) *rüttelplattaway

[@runklestiltskin_2407]

I miss this old toni, too

[@StefanGotteswinter]

I am sure he will be back when time is right.

[@DavidLindes]

@@StefanGotteswinter nice to hear you saying so. I’m guessing that means you know more than me, though even if it’s hopeful speculation, it’s good to hear. :)

[@danielpirone8028]

Is he ok ? Hoping it was just be busy or burned out and not Illnesses

[@runklestiltskin_2407]

@@danielpirone8028 you can read, why there are no new videos right now on the "this old tony" channel in tony's latest community post, lost the father in law, who took care of tony's children a bunch, if I remember correctly

[@halyenwe]

@@danielpirone8028 He lost his father in law which was a unexpected shock to the family. They're devastated to say the least. We just have to be patient while the family heals.

[@SamEEE12]

I am a simple man, I see a Stefan Gotteswinter video -- I smash the like button.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

:-D

[@stumccabe]

Thanks Stefan. I learned a few things about hardness testing - very well done. I'm sure your comments about Starrett tools will have upset some of our American friends!

[@George-bb9yi]

Nope: things are as they are, and with all the crap being manufactured in a certain nation - even reputable firms are selling that crap.

[@stumccabe]

George . I was just jesting - I didn't think anyone would be really offended. I completely agree with you about the quality of "tools" coming out of China. I bought a 24" ruler made in China, not as a precision instrument, but just for some woodworking I was doing - the piece of rubbish turned out to be nowhere near straight, not even straight enough for carpentry!

[@highpwr]

The only thing Americans are upset about is the fact that Starrett quality started going downhill several years ago when the company was sold off to new owners. Starrett has already moved some production to China quite some time ago. Stefan isn't saying anything about Starrett that we don't already know. Producing quality tools is no longer their top priority - making a _profit_ is all that matters to them now.

[@George-bb9yi]

@@stumccabe Hey Stu - no worries! I took no issue with either Stefan's comments or your post. I *am* sad that so many great American brands have either moved overseas or gone in the toilet and no one seems to care. I buy mostly second hand tools now, so I get the old stuff. I note that even Germany is playing in the the 'build it in China' game. Altendorf, the Rolls Royce of sliding panel saws,started making equipment in China a decade+ ago.

[@EmyrDerfel]

There's nothing inherently bad about Chinese manufacturing. You can get crap from sources in your own country. Quality of product comes from the tolerance you spec, the quality of the tools and process, and the thoroughness of the quality assurance, both in-factory and on receipt. Your American-branded Chinese-made products may be crap because your American brand isn't performing its own checks on import, or is prioritizing its own profit margin rather than paying for better manufacturing, replacing dies often enough etc. IPhones are made in China, people complain about the price but rarely the quality.

[@mrtnsnp]

That 20-40-80 block is like Swiss cheese. You can tell from all the holes in it.

[@nanobrad]

It looks like Swiss cheese, but Tom says it cuts like cream cheese.

[@vincei4252]

Hi Stefan, thanks for the upload. Something to watch while I wait for the hurricane/tropical storm forecast for today thru tomorrow to start and blow thru here. Black 100% cloudy skies. Cheers!

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Yikes, Stay safe, and thanks for watching :)

[@TheEvertw]

Loved your comments about Starrett: practical and to the point.

[@donteeple6124]

As always, precision, precision, precision, attention to detail, and understanding the inner workings of both machine and function. Thanks for sharing, and allowing us to learn from your vast expertise. Just wish I had the availability to find the array of quality tooling and parts (German and Swiss) that you do.

[@richardoleson7934]

I learned something new today. Thank you. I always enjoy watching your videos and your sense of humor just makes me smile.

[@VeraTR909]

Love this kind of specialized machinery. Spared no expense.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

John Hammond would be so happy.

[@mftmachining]

Gutes video, Stefan. Das Innenleben ist wirklich interessant. Danke fürs zeigen.

[@a.bakker64]

Long time ago (40 years) I learned this in der Schule (Machinenbau). Thank you for refreshing my mind.

[@ddburdette]

Forty plus years ago I worked as a shipping clerk in a machine job shop. One of my duties was to check the hardness, with a Rockwell hardness checker, parts that were returned from outsourced hardening. Interesting to see the workings of a hardness checker. My recollection is that the parts typically had a hardness specification of 60-63.

[@ActiveAtom]

Hi Stefan, nice to see we have added a heat treat oven and also had to add a hardness tester (they are heavy nd bigger then we remember them from our youth) as well to know precisely what results it is we have, yours fit there well looks great. Lance & Patrick.

[@brandontscheschlog]

Stefan I have a few of the diamonds for this tester. Which specific one do you need? I got them at a swap meet when looking for diamond for truing a surface grinder.

[@jazzyjay1150]

Rockwell C

[@littlejackalo5326]

@@jazzyjay1150 he has a Rockwell C diamond. He needs the other ones.

[@jazzyjay1150]

@@littlejackalo5326 You didn’t actually feel like you were helping did you? How did you think that you understood that, but others didn’t? It’s a joke you goof, use your critical thinking skills.

[@jazzyjay1150]

@@VeraTR909 Wow that’s ironic! Reread the exchange, you daft buffoon. That’s literally what this person did to me. Clowntown around here I swear..

[@jazzyjay1150]

@@VeraTR909 Well..I’m calm enough. It’s all relative. In comparison I am at a mild 3 and have no plans to go past a 5. This derelict however is running amok slinging indian hotdog water like it’s high octane. Not today, NOT TODAY.

[@melgross]

If a hardness file just barely scratches a surface, it’s an indicator that the file is just barely harder than the surface. No need to go to a harder file. The fact that the tester confirmed that is good to see.

[@samcoote9653]

AN HOUR LONG STEFAN VIDEO! I've booked this in for straight after work! excited!

[@phillipyannone3195]

Very nice description and demonstration of Rockwell and Vickers. Enjoyed.

[@matttradie1341]

Stephan, you dont need those 300 euro calibration plates. I shall send you a tin of my wifes biscuits. They start at 55HRC.

[@CapeCodCNC]

What a beautifully simple machine. Great shop addition!

[@ickipoo]

For good reason - he hasn't made a dud video yet!

[@outsidescrewball]

Enjoyed…great discussion/lesson…recently purchased the same “forklift”…great shop addition

[@brucewilliams6292]

That was pretty neat. I love learning so much by watching your channel.

[@MaxWattage]

21:00 With those googly eyes, Wolpert looks shocked that he has been given a new lease of life. 😲

[@robertdebusk6157]

Very interesting subject, which I think you covered very well, while keeping this viewer's attention. Thank you for sharing your shop, and your tools and methods. You do a good job explaining the theory, and then proving the findings with the proper calculations. Your shop is coming together nicely since the move to the upstairs. Take Care and Stay Safe. Bob

[@MrYukon2010]

I totally agree with you about the tools from Starret. Generally spoken I think (my experience) that "made in the USA" means mediocre quality for a high price. For calipers I prefer Mitutoyo.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

There are other calipers than Mitutoyo Digimatic? :D To be fair, the combination square is dead accurate, but the overall finish is just not nice.

[@highpwr]

I recently purchased a new toolmakers flat and storage/carry case from Starrett. The toolmakers flat has a Starrett label on it. The carry case is not labeled in any way. No Starrett badge, no "made in the USA" stamp.... nothing. WHY? Because it was made off shore, and so cheaply put together that even Starrett didn't want to their name to be seen on it. Still had the high price attached to it though.

[@littlejackalo5326]

@@highpwr are you taking about the Starrett No.81804 case? Assuming you're going by Starrett's nomenclature, they have one model of Toolmakers' Flat, with 2 variations. A pink granite No.81803 ($200) and a black granite one No.81802 ($185) that are 2" x 8" x 12", and one case that fits them for the same price as the flats. It says it's made in the USA. But I don't get how that tiny case can be $185. Maybe the flats are a loss leader, and they make their money on the case?

[@TomChame]

Excellent from start to finish. Thank you.

[@gasparini76]

Hardness Tester matching your glass frame, very fancy! :)

[@joell439]

Thank you for the full description. I watched every minute and thoroughly enjoyed the presentation 👍😎👍

[@jasonh3109]

Absolute gem!!! Thanks Stefan. So cool to see how that works. And your teaching as always is so so good (and funny as hell). Thanks for the great content! Oh... and I’ve never felt so justified in my distaste of Starrett tools. Amen. 😊👍🏾

[@BruceBoschek]

Thank you. I have heard of Wolpertinger for years, but never saw one outside of Bayern.

[@spitefulwar]

That one "whoops" cracked me up and I spilled my drink. You almost owe me a keyboard! :D

[@TomZelickman]

I always wondered how those worked - thanks for the deep dive! Hope all is well there, sir.

[@gerardobelink2568]

Nice Hardness Testing Machine. Thanks for sharing and explain.

[@stevespra1]

Very cool. On most machines, the weights stack outside the machine on the back. You will find that a whole will be needed in the table top to allow the anvil to be lowered more than about 50 mm...

[@otherbasis8505]

I think that if HRC55 Tsubosan does not bite, but HRC60 starts to, then that would mean that hardness is between 55 and 60, not 60 and 65.

[@theshannonlimit1114]

As an American who works in a machine shop, I can sadly agree about the Starret tooling. all the stuff we have is razor sharp and rusts like crazy. most of the new replacements end up being Mitutoyo

[@donmittlestaedt1117]

Thank you. That is a better explanation of a hardness tester than any I have had before.

[@bigwave_dave8468]

Far more interesting than I anticipated Stefan..great video! thanks for sharing.

[@MattysWorkshop]

Gday Stefan, very interesting machine, throughly enjoyed watching mate, Cheers

[@benjamingirard339]

Thank you! Your videos are always full of interesting information. You do a lot of research and I appreciate that!! I used to live in Hemau when I was stationed at Hohenfels.

[@jeremylastname873]

You’re correct about the Starett finish.

[@poprawa]

This bosch cordless drill model did some crazy jobs in car workshop i work in, like hours of drilling in 10.9 screws at low rpm

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Agree! We have the same ones at my dayjob and we beat the crap out of them when doing onsite work. They just dont die :D

[@poprawa]

@@StefanGotteswinter i was exhausted faster, than this thing. Vent holes are completely optional too, covered or not it barely seems to get hot. Battery life has been getting short, but no failure in few years would make us buy the same set again

[@romo4301]

Tolles Gerät! Danke für das Video!

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Danke!

[@AJR2208]

You're like a kid at Christmas time aren't you Stefan. I'm imagining the next time we see your workshop, everything will have a little hardness tag stuck to it. I hope all is well on your side of the world. Stay safe and well :)

[@bcbloc02]

That is a nice piece of equipment. :-)

[@SteveSummers]

That tester has a neat design. Very different than my Wilson. Although they work under the exact same idea.👍 thanks for sharing

[@erikisberg3886]

Interesting video, You got a very nice universal tester there. I got a Swedish SPV unit a few Years ago that I have used only for HRC. I find it very useful in the shop, and I had a deja vue moment when You started testing everything interesting in sight. Many of my tools got a small indent as well back then... The preload on mine is a spring loaded fork type instead of the threaded ring around the diamond on Yours. This means that it is possible to test round specimens as well. I use that feature a lot. There is a conversion table for compensating the indicated value to correct HRC for a certain radius.

[@ReubenSchoots]

Thanks for the educational video, Stefan. Much enjoyed and appreciated.

[@patheron7812]

Interesting video. I'm worried about your files. Are you damaging them by starting on the soft file end of the spectrum? I seem to remember that you should start hard work down.

[@RookieLock]

Perfect timing.. Breakfast, Stefan video! Win win..

[@eviltreechop]

I am picturing a "The Price is Right" show where contestants are shown various items and must guess the hardness (without going over of course!)

[@billbaggins]

Very interesting and useful Stefan👍 I must hassle Emma some more about getting my little tester repaired. 1938 Asahi benchtop model.

[@artmckay6704]

As always, thank you Stefan! :)

[@lohikarhu734]

Hi there! Quite "interesting" to hear your comments about Starret tools, compared to the unalloyed adoration of many US American channels... I've been having a lot of health problems this year, so my lovely Lorch sits, unfinished in my shop, but, hopefully soon, I shall run some threads on it :-). Keep well, Maestro!

[@melgross]

As much as I love Stephan, other than for Mitutoyo, he’s a bit nationalistic about his equipment. If it German, it’s the best, even when it’s not. And then, everything else is mediocre.

[@lohikarhu734]

@@melgross ah, well, he may have a point, from time to time, too, and I can appreciate when real, definable differences are shown... certainly there are lots of happy Starret users. AND, he does give credit to Moore, even if they are US.American. ; -) keep well, Mel!

[@littlejackalo5326]

@@melgross he also buys the stuff in the extreme high end of German stuff. Like the very top ends. He has a tiny shop, makes very few parts, has no one working for him that will break stuff, so he doesn't have to worry about spending a ton of money on the most expensive stuff. Yeah, you buy a boring bar that is the size of a toothpick for $400, it better be good. Starrett makes good medium quality stuff. It's not the best, it's not the worst. There are a ton of niche manufacturers in the US, that are comparable in size and reach to the German companies he buys from, that make ultra high end stuff. Without companies like Starrett serving the mid grade, you'll be stuck buying either harbor freight or Wohlhaupter, and nothing in the middle range. You spend $60 on a Starrett combination square, and you can't expect it to be the highest quality. They're medium precision instruments, not usually used by machinists (at least not usually and not for precision work), but rather by carpenters/contractors/cabinet makers, in a much more unforgiving environment. So they get beat up and replaced. A square of the quality he's looking for would cost $250, and carpenters aren't going to pay that. Buy a Starrett solid square if you're looking for better quality. It'll cost you 2-3x as much as the combination square, but they're used in different industries, have a different application and use, and they are produced and finished differently.

[@OstapHelDesigns]

Very interesting series! Thank you, I've learned so much and watched with pleasure 👍😊

[@KeenanTims]

Can you explain the theory of operation? I gather that while the weight is applied, the scale measures the depth of the indentation? What, then, is measured when the weight is removed?

[@tomeyssen9674]

Edifying...enjoyed. Thanks Stefan

[@DudleyToolwright]

Very nicely done. I am curious about the sleeve on top that threads down to the test piece. I am assuming that the diamond is free to move inside this protective sleeve?

[@lesmaybury793]

That was very enjoyable Stefan, thank you. Brings back memories of my days as an Apprentice in the 1960s driving a Vickers hardness tester while working in the inspection dept. From a foggy memory the testers we had (Thornycroft, Basingstoke) had the microscopes built in.

[@2dividedby3equals666]

Thanks for the video Stefan, it is always a pleasure!! May I ask if the uvex are just regular safety goggles or are they prescription as well? And if you allow me, is that Brockhaus Heuer the same one you restored a few year back or is it a new one? Thanks again and take care!!

[@StefanGotteswinter]

prescription glasses. I started to wear them as everyday glasses. Very comfortable to wear.

[@djizomdjinn]

Ooh nice! I just got a set of tsubosan files myself, I was wondering how proper hardness testing was done in a shop when better than within 5 HRc hardness specifications are required. And now I know!

[@stanervin6108]

47:50 thought that fly was on my screen. Lol !

[@klaasbloem]

Me too haha

[@richardbradley961]

THANK YOU FOR SHAIRING STEFAN,. REGARDS RICHARD.

[@zuthalsoraniz6764]

"Why don't we just hardness test some things?" The universal reaction to getting a new kind of measuring device: Measure all the things you can with it

[@kannznichkaufen]

Interesting as usual. Thanks for the video. You left me thinking about a lame remark concerning wolpertinger beasts but I didn't come up with a good one yet. I am seriously thinking about getting a miniature forklift too.

[@zukjeff]

@9:24 " ahh..ouch" Stefan is human ( not a robot ;-). very good explanatory video, thank you.

[@EmmaRitson]

really enjoyed this and learnt so much.

[@bluedeath996]

The start gave me Norm Abram vibes. "Hi and welcome back this old hou... hardness tester"

[@StefanGotteswinter]

"And remember this: there is no more important safety rule than to wear these - safety glasses."

[@bluedeath996]

@@StefanGotteswinter He is more international than I realised. Though I'm British so I should have guessed if I know him then his work travelled elsewhere.

[@trebushett2079]

Also to mention that there is a direct relationship between hardness and tensile strength, with steel.

[@anthonyjones657]

I totally agree with Starrett quality not being great. I have a tap handle from 1980's and it's smooth as glass. I bought one 1 year ago and the thing had burrs every where. The threads where so burned that it would lock up during adjusting

[@anthonyjones657]

Burred*

[@bruceanderson9461]

Great video on hardness testing and a much better tester than my Chinese one. 80-20 is great for constructing frameworks. However, in our small shops might it be better to put a cabinet with drawers under it? Just a thought.

[@toddcumberland132]

As usual, it is a pleasure to see your methodology. My question may be boring, however , what is the tap you are using. The ones I find that can be run in a drill are horrid. As I do a fair bit of 80/20 I would love to know which tap you are using. I use a glass of alcohol with a brush clamped to the inside of it to clean the tap and act as a lubricant. After each hole I simply give a quick run in the glass and the bristles clean it. I find compressed are send the shaving everywhere. This is not a criticism of your technique. I just suffer from OCD. Keep up the fantastic work.

[@mqL49J]

34:45 They were using tetrahedrons before, very difficult to line up.

[@rodneykiemele4721]

Always love one of your videos, Thanks

[@samcoote9653]

I also am not impressed by Starrett tooling either Stefan, so you're not alone!! German and Japanese tooling all the way if i can help it! and some older British stuff too haha

[@bobweiram6321]

Oh my god! Stefan is rocking a Festool! I guess the YT income is good!

[@MladenFilipan]

@StefanGotteswinter ,hello friend, I have a wolpert tester ht 1e, I need to calibrate it because it doesn't work well for me. can you give me some advice

[@hughmac13]

That indicator has "Testor" branding on the dial, but I suspect it was made for Wolpert by Käfer, or perhaps Rambold.

[@stevelamperta865]

Question , Can you get quality hss blanks from Amazon ? Or do you get them else where ?

[@glennstasse5698]

Wow! That was a great lesson! We’re lucky Stefan created it. It got me wondering, though, what benefit you can get out of it. Obviously some job might specify a hardness but it’s unlikely you would harden the material yourself, no? If something is too hard or soft, what can you do about it? Surely it might be nice to know the value but then what?

[@StefanGotteswinter]

I do a fair bit of heat treat myself - either hardening or annealing to get parts in a softer condition. Last week I did parts with an air hardening steel, that i never heat threated myself, so I cut a small test coupon, did the hardening and checked it, and the hardness came out +-1HRC to what it should have had according to the data sheet. So, thats a powerful tool for me. Also, when modifying existing parts, its nice to know if they are just "hardish" (Like...45HRC), "hard" (like 50...55HRC) or "dont even think about it" (like 65HRC).

[@glennstasse5698]

@@StefanGotteswinter thank you for making it clearer to me. At first it seemed like knowing the hardness just satisfying curiosity. I knew it had to be more.

[@petermurphy3354]

Hi Stefan, very interesting seeing how these units work. What is missing off the top[ of the tester?

[@ROBRENZ]

Ok I am jealous :) ATB, Robin

[@neilh2150]

Excellent explanation of the tester Stefan, would it be possible to measure a cylindrical object in the tester if it was held in a vee block or would the vee block cause problems by deformation? Thankyou Neil

[@littlejackalo5326]

No. You would risk the diamond slipping off the side. You almost never test the hardness of your actual part. You send a flat piece of scrap steel from the stock you used to make your parts, along to the heat treat company, and have it all heat treated at once. Then you test that scrap piece. If that piece is in spec, you can be fairly certain your parts are too.

[@TheKnacklersWorkshop]

Hello Stefan, Interesting information on the Wolpert Testor... also, how useful the aluminum extrusion is you used for the stand, it worked well for this application. Take care. Paul,,

[@stanervin6108]

It's always fun to play with new toys. Wish I had the money for new toys. Hell, I wish I had the money for used toys!

[@TomChame]

Beautiful machine. Thanks

[@corythomas4427]

Uhh so, did I miss the video where we were introduced to the mini forklift?

[@Joelsfilmer]

Hi Stefan! Are you planning on tiling the floor in the new shop? I would think the OSB sheet is hard to keep clean.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

i don't do any oily or greasy work in that side of the shop, for now OSB will be fine. Only drawback is, it is a bit bouncy :D

[@Joelsfilmer]

@@StefanGotteswinter So not exactly a jig grinder foundation? You haven't dragged anything horribly heavy into there so it wouldn't be that hard to redo if you felt like it. :)

[@bigalremington]

Nicely done. Thank you!

[@nanobrad]

I imagine at home: "Stefan! Why are there diamond indentations on the cat!?"

[@tinker5349]

Hi, a good day to you, thanks for sharing your intersting video.

[@wktodd]

Wonder if you still had a little preload while doing the HV test?

[@littlejackalo5326]

Even though that test sample is way off the Vickers scale (which is more analogous to the HRB scale), the difference between the 0.44 mm and 0.46 mm diagonal measurements in the formula is 73.4 on the Vickers scale. That's almost 3 points on the HRC scale (at that range in the scale). To get the exact 61.7 HRC that the sample was, you only needed to be off by 2.6 μm. So 0.4626 mm, instead of the 0.46 you got on one side, was what the actual diagonal measurement should have been. Are you sure you measured it accurately enough in your μscope? Because the 63.5 HRC you got is a bit off of 61.7 HRC. Just trying to point out how the process of measuring that indentation is inherently inaccurate, and how far of you can get if you're using that particular method you measure the indentation.

[@melgross]

If those rules are stainless, which the British rule definitely is, then 45 C is about right for a hardened rule. I don’t know what that Starrett is made from, but most of their modern rules for squares are also stainless, something in the 400 series.

[@randomdude1786]

Hey cool I was wondering about " the detail's in there

[@reidkiser6845]

How critical is it to have the main dial dead on the stopping point of preload? Because the old heads at work told me to hit the dot on the travel dial(small inner dial) and zero the bezel to the large needle. Which seemed inaccurate to me because that just makes it a judgement call. @StefanGotteswinter

[@StefanGotteswinter]

The manual states that you can overtravel until the small needle hits the red dot.

[@EAwert42]

From what I leanrnt 2 hrc off is acceptible at 30hrc but not really at over 60 since it is not a linear scale (though I know nothing about it I just read it from expert)

[@keefjunior4061]

Why does Starrett rust so easily?

[@Engineerd3d]

I have to say my import 1-2-3 blocks have the files skip across them. I'm surprised the metric blocks were basically mild steel.

[@grantlockridge9354]

If the calibration was out, how do you adjust the reading so it’s within spec?

[@StefanGotteswinter]

There is a procedure described in the manual, basicaly you change the ratios on the linkages inside the machine to get it back in spec. (In Reality the machine can only go out of spec if something on the linkage shifts, the weights loose/gain weight or the diamond is damaged)

[@njaln]

@@StefanGotteswinter You mention the weight changing. Do you believe that there would be a measurable difference in hardness measurements of a person on the north pole and another one at the equator? (Given that the same hardness tester and blanks used ate the same) Thank you for the very interresting video!