Analytical balance

[Tempest]

Thought some might enjoy this on this forum. Disclaimer: This is just for entertainment and historical purposes and by no means comparing digital to beam type scales.

This history on this is interesting. My father started his career as a chemical engineer. Prior to that when in school, he worked at the R&D lab at BF Goodrich in Akron OH during WWII. Only the women were allowed to handle the balances in the lab (gentle touch) and he wanted to use one badly. He wrote this all down for me before his passing and glad he did.

Years later his old boss contacted him and asked if he still wanted to use one of these balances. If so, bring $25 and one of them is yours. He got this balance around 1948-49 and used it in his personal lab until 2001 or so. From what I have been able to research, its a Satorius made anywhere from 1875 until late 1920's. I've had it on display in my man cave for years.

I was hand loading one day and wanted to compare this old balance to a really nice RCBS/Ohuas 10-10 I have. So for the heck of it put one kernal of Varget on the 10-10 and one on the balance. I had it level and zeroed well. I worked in labs for years as well with 1980's technology. Was amazing to me the sensitivity of this balance from this period in time.

The calibration date and tag is interesting as well. Hope some found this of interest.

 

[Bc'z]

That's cool!!
Have you tried to load with it?

 

[Tempest]

Unfortunately, when we moved my elderly dad, I lost the weights for the scale. I would need accurate weights for a reference. However, yes I have thought about it. If I can find some period correct ones, I would try it.

 

[tvaught]

Wow!

 

[caihlen]

That is smashing. Well done.

 

[dolek]

Great story, thank you for sharing .

 

[rogn]

You could get a couple of sets of Lymans or RCBS weights. The riders might be a different story. But Weight divisions or units would be that of a grain of powder.

Or is that a rider on the upper left of the picture?

 

[rogn]

Ebay does have weights listed currently for 113$ for a 100 gm set. Not inexspensive.

 

[HillBillyPirate]

Extremely cool. Thanks for sharing picture and story. I love old things. Our fathers and grandfathers knew how to make quality items.

 

[MarkG]

We used balances similar to this in analytical chemistry lab when I was studying Chemical Engineering in the mid 1970s. Ultra sensitive but a real pain to use.

 

[noylj]

If you have an analytical balance, use only analytic weights.
That thing is older than I am and should be retired to the museum of metrology.