Electronic Scale/Static Electricity

[jds holler]

I just bought this little Lyman Pocket Scale for my grandsons outfit I'm putting together. I'm including a beam scale also, so this is kind of a back-up/ check weight deal.

I kind of like the design of that plastic pan/funnel gizmo, but -- when I approached the scale with it, the scale started drifting it's reading as high as six grains above zero. I've never seen this phenomena with my own digital scale, but I've never used a plastic pan.

I played around with the thing for awhile, and eventually did the dryer fluff thing which completely did away with the static effect. -- but I've gotta say that I was pretty amazed that the static pressure on the scale was easily as much as a load of 38 special powder from an inch away. jd

 

[itchyTF]

How about a metal pan?

 

[jds holler]

How about a metal pan?

Yeah, he'll have a metal pan with the beam scale -- but get this; after using the drier fluff to disperse the static, I have been unable to "cause" the effect again.

I wanted to mess around and learn a little more about this, but so far, I haven't been able to create the static build-up or repeat the problem. It blows me away, because it was PROFOUND last night when I opened the scale from it's original packaging. Now -- nuthin.

This little scale actually seems pretty good, at least for the under thirty bucks that it cost. I like the plastic pan/funnel as long is it doesn't pose a problem. I think I've seen them listed alone. jd

 

[itchyTF]

Maybe to recreate try rubbing the pan vigorously across a fleece jacket. Might have to wash off the drier fluff stuff first.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Seems like when I got a Forster powder funnel they recommended washing it in Dawn dish water to get rid of the static.

 

[D-4297]

If you really want to build up the static on the pan , put it in a larger plastic bag and shake it . let it sit , and do it some more every hour or so , for a few times . It should re-do the static build-up .

 

[jds holler]

Anybody care to explain what kind of magic they impregnate a drier fluff with to excommunicate static spirits??

 

[itchyTF]

Here you go -
How does……

 

[Rocketvapor]

I use medicine cups (like the dose cup on a bottle of NyQuil) .
The unvarnished board the scale sits on is covered in a thin sheet of aluminum.
Unfinished wood is a little more conductive than varnished wood, or granite.
The platform your scale sits on might allow a static charge to build up on your scale and charge up the plastic shield.
The cups are washed with dish soap then treated with graphite from the gunpowder. After it starts to collect and discolor the cup no more static. Over time you pick up maybe 0.005 grains but it is stable.
An untreated cup will hold several little grains (StaBall 6.5) when dumped.

The only drift I get is during temperature swings. Once the temp has stabilized so does the scale.
I have the auto zero turned OFF in the menu.
The Calibration factor, calibrated low range@ 10 grams, seems to be less than 10ppm per degree F.
Can't see a calibration shift @ 10 grams over a few degrees F.
Scale is in Grains mode, low range with 0.005 gr resolution.