10-10, webcam, saeco measure, trickler, 133 30 gr., 18 seconds

[BoydAllen]

Intrigued by a recent Daily Bulletin piece combined with a similar video on You Tube, I set up my SAECO powder measure to throw just under 30 grains of 133 with the scale turned ninety degrees so that the pan was near me, to the right of the measure and to the left of the trickler. With the web cam giving me a large picture of the pointer and scale on my computer screen, I was able to start with the pan on the scale, throw and trickle a charge, to a quarter of a tenth in 18 seconds, repeatedly. If someone can come up with an angled drop tub that will allow throwing directly into the empty pan, on the scale, without powder bouncing out I can cut a couple of seconds off of that. You have to hustle at the beginning and slow down a lot at the end, but it can be done...consistently. The other part of this was learning how to work over my scale. I got lucky and it made a huge difference. (I timed by counting with the beats of a free metronome program set for one beat per second.)

 

[1066]

That sounds as if your system is working well Boyd - What about posting a photo or video so we can see how it works. What did yoy do to your 10/10 to improve it?

 

[BoydAllen]

Inspired by your work, and finding this video as well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCs0Y7HH2zA I did a similar equipment positioning on my desk top. Actually, it worked out with my drop tube closer to my scale pan than his. My 10-10 had knife edges that were seriously off angle to the main beam. If you held the beam so that you were looking at it from the side, and it was horizontal, the line that bisected the angle of the knife edge (viewed from its end) was well off of plumb. Guessing that the piece that the knife edges are part of was a press fit, I managed to get a hold of it on the round portion and turn it. This required major recalibration of the scale, involving changing the weight of the scale pan holder, and the sliding weight as well. Due to the potential for getting in over one's head on the recalibration and damaging the scale I do not recommend this. On the other hand, I was not happy with the scale as is was, and it had already been back to Ohaus. Rotating the knife edge piece changes the whole geometry of the beam. I got lucky and was able to figure out how to readjust the scale but it is entirely possible that someone else who tried this could "paint himself into a corner".

 

[BoydAllen]

Here is a still picture. The screen is showing .1 gr. high.