Alloy analyzer

[bisontuba]

Hi-
Yesterday, I went to a jewelry store to pick up a restored old pocket watch. The store deals in gold/silver & buying/selling buying also. I saw a jeweler use what looked like a radar gun. I asked him what it was and it was an alloy analyzer made by Nikon. You just aim it at an object, and it has a digital readout of what metals and % of metals are in an object. Their analyzer cost $20,000. Similar to this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-XRF-ALLOY-a ... SwBahVI~p8" target="_blank

These days, you could use something like this to see what the composition is of an old horn/mouthpiece (ex. Chicago York bell) and not take a piece of metal from it for a chemical analysis. Not a cheap tool by any means, but really amazing technology...
Mark

[PaulMaybery]

It would be very interesting also to have a way to measure the amount of hardness in the metal due to age or work-hardening, or conversely the softening results of annealing. We can always strike the bell with our fingernail to listen for that "certain ping" but that is really not at all that scientific. Mark, thanks for sharing about that device. You lead somewhat of a "charmed" life and come across some amazing things.

[MikeW]

I saw a similar looking device on television a few weeks ago, being used to analyse the paint on a picture without having to scrape off a sample (a program about real high-tech art authentication, not star trek). I didn't make the connection to alloys, but if jewellers are already using them they must be more nearly commonplce than I realised.

[Dan Schultz]

It would be very interesting also to have a way to measure the amount of hardness in the metal due to age or work-hardening, or conversely the softening results of annealing. We can always strike the bell with our fingernail to listen for that "certain ping" but that is really not at all that scientific. Mark, thanks for sharing about that device. You lead somewhat of a "charmed" life and come across some amazing things.

There are various pieces of equipment for measuring hardness of about anything. The most common being Brinell and Rockwell hardness testers that measure by seeing how far a ball will imbed in material under known pressure.

[bigtubby]

Hi-
Yesterday, I went to a jewelry store to pick up a restored old pocket watch. The store deals in gold/silver & buying/selling buying also. I saw a jeweler use what looked like a radar gun. I asked him what it was and it was an alloy analyzer made by Nikon. You just aim it at an object, and it has a digital readout of what metals and % of metals are in an object. Their analyzer cost $20,000. Similar to this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-XRF-ALLOY-a ... SwBahVI~p8" target="_blank" target="_blank

These days, you could use something like this to see what the composition is of an old horn/mouthpiece (ex. Chicago York bell) and not take a piece of metal from it for a chemical analysis. Not a cheap tool by any means, but really amazing technology...
Mark

Is it able to "see" through silver plating?

[bisontuba]

Hi-
Yesterday, I went to a jewelry store to pick up a restored old pocket watch. The store deals in gold/silver & buying/selling buying also. I saw a jeweler use what looked like a radar gun. I asked him what it was and it was an alloy analyzer made by Nikon. You just aim it at an object, and it has a digital readout of what metals and % of metals are in an object. Their analyzer cost $20,000. Similar to this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-XRF-ALLOY-a ... SwBahVI~p8" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

These days, you could use something like this to see what the composition is of an old horn/mouthpiece (ex. Chicago York bell) and not take a piece of metal from it for a chemical analysis. Not a cheap tool by any means, but really amazing technology...
Mark

Is it able to "see" through silver plating?

Yes--silver or gold plating

[Daniel Mitchell]

Ask if they would be willing to scan a tuba then scan one that you know the alloys for to see if it would work, if they're down of course

[bisontuba]

Ask if they would be willing to scan a tuba then scan one that you know the alloys for to see if it would work, if they're down of course

I have--it works.