Are you smelting raw WW and adding a source of tin at the same time? I try to clean my WW up during the smelting and flux many times. Whenever I need harder alloy, I then mix pure lead--from plumbers, roofers, etc.--and linotype. Supposed to come out like Lyman #2, but what I have been getting is 18-19 bhn after 2 week aging. I have tested the pure lead and it comes out at 8-10 bhn after aging. Which leads me to wonder, "Is there any pure lead left out there?" All recycled stuff? Using a Lee Lead tester, btw. An 98/02 mix of WW and solder gave me a bhn of around 16. Can't remember the exact solder I used, whether it was 60/40, 50/50 or what. Whoops, had to change that.