Inaccuracy of Beginner Scales

[JRS]

I have a piece of foam sitting under the pan cradle that keeps the beam from swinging to and past zero. That way when I do a dump or set something in the pan, I then slip the foam out and the beam never swings over zero and comes back down. I'm always "settling" up toward zero, never down to zero.

The foam is an great idea as long as it doesn't introduce static electricity. What type of foam is it?

I don't know what kind of foam it is, Brian. I really wouldn't know one foam from another. It's what's left over after cutting the shape of a rifle out of the inside of a gun case. But now that you have brought this up, I might have to rethink this. You remind me of something I was going to bring up earlier but forgot. Now would be a perfect time to bring it up. Would grounding the frame of a metal beam scale subdue any static problems?

Regards,

Grounding the frame will do nothing. Something that will work is to use a piece of cork tile, or find a piece of conveyor belt rubber for a base. Once I have completed my loading room, the entire bench top will be covered with cork tile, and also a cork tile floor.

 

[CatShooter]

First let me explain that when my beams are set up, I have a piece of foam sitting under the pan cradle that keeps the beam from swinging to and past zero. That way when I do a dump or set something in the pan, I then slip the foam out and the beam never swings over zero and comes back down. I'm always "settling" up toward zero, never down to zero.

I replaced the magnets in my M-5 and put in much stronger ones. If I put the pan onto the scale, it will come to rest in one pass. The pointer will go from the bottom of the scale, swing past "0" to 1/10th, then slowly drop down to rest on "0", to the same place every time.

If I put one granule of H-322 in the pan, the pointer will move.

 

[Brians356]

I have a piece of foam sitting under the pan cradle that keeps the beam from swinging to and past zero. That way when I do a dump or set something in the pan, I then slip the foam out and the beam never swings over zero and comes back down. I'm always "settling" up toward zero, never down to zero.

The foam is an great idea as long as it doesn't introduce static electricity. What type of foam is it?

I don't know what kind of foam it is, Brian. I really wouldn't know one foam from another. It's what's left over after cutting the shape of a rifle out of the inside of a gun case. But now that you have brought this up, I might have to rethink this. You remind me of something I was going to bring up earlier but forgot. Now would be a perfect time to bring it up. Would grounding the frame of a metal beam scale subdue any static problems?

Regards,

Grounding the frame will do nothing. Something that will work is to use a piece of cork tile, or find a piece of conveyor belt rubber for a base. Once I have completed my loading room, the entire bench top will be covered with cork tile, and also a cork tile floor.

Wow, is that so? I have a partial cork pad on my bench, but I have not been putting the scale on it all these years. I'm surprised that cork will mitigate static. Might even give it a light misting of water just before weighting powder - what do you think?

 

[JRS]

You would be surprised just how well it works. I'm not talking about the cork from your empty wine bottles : Rub your feet on carpet, or anywhere else that would normally cause the static shock when you touch something, then do the same, and touch a piece of cork. Ya learn something new every day skippy ;D

 

[Brians356]

You would be surprised just how well it works. I'm not talking about the cork from your empty wine bottles : Rub your feet on carpet, or anywhere else that would normally cause the static shock when you touch something, then do the same, and touch a piece of cork. Ya learn something new every day skippy ;D

Mine's just have a cork pad, about 3/8" thick, maybe 1 ft x 2 ft. It seems to be pure cork, at is does disintegrate at the edges over time. I don't recall where I got it. Maybe there are cork pads designed for anti-static, which may have a rubber binder or something, which are more durable.

 

[JRS]

I'm referencing cork tile Brian. Go to the Lumber Liquidators site. The tile is finished with an aluminum oxide clear coat, which makes it extremely hard and durable. Good stuff

 

[Brians356]

I'm referencing cork tile Brian. Go to the Lumber Liquidators site. The tile is finished with an aluminum oxide clear coat, which makes it extremely hard and durable. Good stuff

Oh. Then it seems to me that the Al2O3 coating could be the key to the antistatic properties, as opposed to plain cork.