The standard mannual Elemendorf Tearing Tester consists of a frame and pedestal, mounted on a rigid base, carrying a pendulum and pointer assembly. There are two clamps to hold the test sample, a fixed one on the pedestal part of the instrument and one on the pendulum. The dimensions of the clamping surfaces are at least 25 mm wide and 15 mm deep. The pedestal is fitted with a low friction bearing having a horizontal axis upon which the pendulum is allowed to swing. The pointer fits on the same axial spindle as the pendulum, its friction is enough to stop it at the highest point reached by the pendulum when it swings. The pointer stop is adjustable to allow the instrument zero to be set. The base of the instrument is fitted with the pendulum release and pointer stop mechanisms. The pendulum is held in the initial position and the test is started by the release mechanism. The release mechanism is designed to let the pendulum swing freely without imparting any sh