Beam scale zero

[BoydAllen]

If a scale repeats, and comes to zero reliably, no matter how the load is applied, if you stick with one scale for all of your charge weighing, minor lack of linearality, or accuracy is not a problem, but I would note it somewhere in my load notes, what scale, and what the issues are. One of the ways that I commonly test a scale, particularly a digital one, but also for balance beam, is to weigh the same thing repeatedly. If a scale passes this test, I can work with it. As long as a setting gives me the same thing every time, I am good to go. One think that I have noticed is that long range benchrest criteria for charge weights seems to have been picked up by people who seem to have much larger issues, or are shooting sports where that degree of resolution is not important.

 

[Tesoro]

If a scale repeats, and comes to zero reliably, no matter how the load is applied, if you stick with one scale for all of your charge weighing, minor lack of linearality, or accuracy is not a problem, but I would note it somewhere in my load notes, what scale, and what the issues are. One of the ways that I commonly test a scale, particularly a digital one, but also for balance beam, is to weigh the same thing repeatedly. If a scale passes this test, I can work with it. As long as a setting gives me the same thing every time, I am good to go. One think that I have noticed is that long range benchrest criteria for charge weights seems to have been picked up by people who seem to have much larger issues, or are shooting sports where that degree of resolution is not important.

exactly! but some of us just like to tinker, whether it helps us or not!

 

[justinp61]

exactly! but some of us just like to tinker, whether it helps us or not!

Guilty! LOL

 

[cwebster]

exactly! but some of us just like to tinker, whether it helps us or not!

OK, i've got it pretty much sorted out. I ended up adding 2 tenths weight to the large poise. Now instead of having a spread of 1 tenth spread, I've split the difference and now only have half a tenth error max. Put a certified weight on it now and wont be more than a half tenth off and only have to turn the base screw a turn or so to zero to that weight. I'm done with this one and going on to something else.

 

[justinp61]

OK, i've got it pretty much sorted out. I ended up adding 2 tenths weight to the large poise. Now instead of having a spread of 1 tenth spread, I've split the difference and now only have half a tenth error max. Put a certified weight on it now and wont be more than a half tenth off and only have to turn the base screw a turn or so to zero to that weight. I'm done with this one and going on to something else.

What brought you to decide to add weight to the large poise?

 

[cwebster]

What brought you to decide to add weight to the large poise?

I have not done away with the error, I just adjusted it to the middle . With the scale set at zero, the certified weights showed zero to one tenth heavy. I split the difference., It took 2 tenths added to the large poise to get the one tenth high reading to half a tenth high. Just kept messing with it.

 

[Tesoro]

I have not done away with the error, I just adjusted it to the middle . With the scale set at zero, the certified weights showed zero to one tenth heavy. I split the difference., It took 2 tenths added to the large poise to get the one tenth high reading to half a tenth high. Just kept messing with it.

Just unscrew the pan lid and remove a mini shot you will find in there. or take a large shot and shave off a slice with a utility blade.

 

[Tesoro]

Back to tinkering on a spare…here is proof of how nice (and simple) an M5 can be: After regular tweaking, I touched up the knives with a super fine diamond hone and it would register a varget kernel barely, and then I polished with 2.5 micron diamond lapping paste and relieved that cracking pressure. Dont need to get any better than this!

 

[1066]

Back to tinkering on a spare…here is proof of how nice (and simple) an M5 can be: After regular tweaking, I touched up the knives with a super fine diamond hone and it would register a varget kernel barely, and then I polished with 2.5 micron diamond lapping paste and relived that cracking pressure. Dont need to get any better than this!

I remember reading a post on here, quite recently, where some chap was saying no beam scales are accurate or repeatable enough to resolve to 10th grain. I really doesn't matter how many decimal places a scale
will resolve to unless you are going to cut kernels.

 

[Tesoro]

Nicely Done.

thanks to help years back from 1066 over in the land of bangers ‘n mash.

 

[BoydAllen]

Just unscrew the pan lid and remove a mini shot you will find in there. or take a large shot and shave off a slice with a utility blade.

Back in the day when I was working on my first scale I came up with something that has continued to work well. If I need to reduce the weight in the pan holder, I remove one piece of shot and use small sharp scissors to pare off small pieces from the corner of an expired credit card, putting them in the powder pan until the leveled scale reads perfect zero, then I transfer the pieces into the tuning weight chamber.

 

[Tesoro]

Back in the day when I was working on my first scale I came up with something that has continued to work well. If I need to reduce the weight in the pan holder, I remove one piece of shot and use small sharp scissors to pare off small pieces from the corner of an expired credit card, putting them in the powder pan until the leveled scale reads perfect zero, then I transfer the pieces into the tuning weight chamber.

I use my wife's active credit card for trim pieces to balance the pan reservoir. Much more precise than an expired one.

 

[1066]

thanks to help years back from 1066 over in the land of bangers ‘n mash.

You're welcome Chris - Looks like you have cracked it to me.

 

[justinp61]

Back to tinkering on a spare…here is proof of how nice (and simple) an M5 can be: After regular tweaking, I touched up the knives with a super fine diamond hone and it would register a varget kernel barely, and then I polished with 2.5 micron diamond lapping paste and relieved that cracking pressure. Dont need to get any better than this!

Did you just use super glue on the needle tip?

 

[Tesoro]

Did you just use super glue on the needle tip?

Yup

 

[foxguy]

Yup

Do you remember how much adding the needle tip changed the weights Zero ? Or, just a matter of zeroing the scale with the scale's Zero Adjustment??

Thanks

 

[Tesoro]

Do you remember how much adding the needle tip changed the weights Zero ? Or, just a matter of zeroing the scale with the scale's Zero Adjustment??

Thanks

It changes it quite a bit due to leverage. You need to undo the pan and remove/adjust the lead shot counter balance. You want the scale leveleled to the (approx) weight your are weighing with counter weights before you do this