Tip hardness tester
- Thread starter desi2960
- Start date
+1 for this Chris. I try to tell that to all my customers, they all think they have made a secret discovery when they find tips rated on a durometer scale somewhere online.
Great point Chris; I’ve found Triangles (broken in) play softer than any soft or super soft tip when also broken in!! I wish someone could explain this. Could it be that the glue that holds the layers together gets harder over time? Or is it that the thin layers dry out and harden very quickly? You wouldn’t believe the number of times I have asked someone if they have cracked a ferrule when the sound was made by their soft tip. When I replaced the tip, it felt like I was cutting through a bowling ball. Remember, this was a “soft” tip!
I think it is the leather. Pigskin is very thin and each layer is going to harden as it is packed in with play. Sorry to have sent the thread in the wrong direction, so if anyone knows where to send Chuck for a durometer please post it up. It will probably help sell tips but I don`t feel the results really gives the player the info they need to decide how a tip will play.
Picked up both of mine (A scale and D scale) at machine shop auctions long before getting back into cues. Bought mostly because they were cheap/no one else bidding and "might come in useful sometime". I did have the purpose at the time of using them when making or testing urethane feed rolls and wheels for woodworking machinery.
If you just want to compare tips among the ones you use, a cheap one should be fine for comparison ("A is softer than B but harder than C"). You will get different readings depending whether on the glue side or face side, and whether the tip is flat or already slightly domed. You can calibrate it in small ranges by testing know hardness surfaces and correct readings of unknown materials accordingly.
If you want to check compared to published numbers, i guess you need a durometer that is calibrated over its complete range to a known standard = $$$$.
There isn't much in a durometer, but the market is so small they can keep the prices up, apparently. If you were a handy sort, it might be possible to rig up a cheap short range dial indicator with a set of ground points in a fixture, possibly with an auxilliary spring, and calibrate it yourself. A durometer is a needle with a spring behind it to penetrate a soft material, and a clock face indicator calibrated to turn the depth of penetration into a durometer number compared to a master scale, probably at the US Bureau of Standards.
A convenience of a commercial unit is the re-settable recording needle in the dial that shows the highest attained reading in any one test.
As others have noted, knowing a number may or may not be useful when it comes to playability of given brands of leather cue tips.
smt
If you just want to compare tips among the ones you use, a cheap one should be fine for comparison ("A is softer than B but harder than C"). You will get different readings depending whether on the glue side or face side, and whether the tip is flat or already slightly domed. You can calibrate it in small ranges by testing know hardness surfaces and correct readings of unknown materials accordingly.
If you want to check compared to published numbers, i guess you need a durometer that is calibrated over its complete range to a known standard = $$$$.
There isn't much in a durometer, but the market is so small they can keep the prices up, apparently. If you were a handy sort, it might be possible to rig up a cheap short range dial indicator with a set of ground points in a fixture, possibly with an auxilliary spring, and calibrate it yourself. A durometer is a needle with a spring behind it to penetrate a soft material, and a clock face indicator calibrated to turn the depth of penetration into a durometer number compared to a master scale, probably at the US Bureau of Standards.
A convenience of a commercial unit is the re-settable recording needle in the dial that shows the highest attained reading in any one test.
As others have noted, knowing a number may or may not be useful when it comes to playability of given brands of leather cue tips.
smt
That's a perfect start.
Using the tools will tell you if you ever need anything more.
If you ever "need" anything more, it will probably be because at that point, it will add value to your business model and hence make you a profit on the cost; whatever cost level is profitable.
:thumbup:
smt
Using the tools will tell you if you ever need anything more.
If you ever "need" anything more, it will probably be because at that point, it will add value to your business model and hence make you a profit on the cost; whatever cost level is profitable.
:thumbup:
smt
Shore D from Rex Gauges with a test stand. Don't bother testing holding the durometer by hand. You will get inconsistent results. I test all the tips I sell and after testing close to 10,000 tips so far I have a pretty good handle on how the tips I sell will play. I have an extra durometer I would sell if you are interested.
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SpotOn
Registered
I bought a $40 version that did not work. All my tips measured the same hardness. I would say it might cost hundreds of dollars to get one that actually works. Most tip sellers can tell you what their tips are and with experience I can now tell very close what a tip is by how it hits.