RCBS 10 10 Scale Accurizing

[SOTXLR]

I have recently purchased an RCBS 10 10 scale (made by Ohaus in NJ as stamped on the scale). I have read many forums and many threads on accurizing this scale. There is everything from cleaning the agates with alcohol, rubbing dryer sheets on the scale to remove static, sharpening blades, etc...

However no one has mentioned the position of the dampening magnets. The magnets can move up/down and in/out. This I have found has an effect on where the needle dampens.

Does anyone have any experience with this? What position is optimum? The effects of the magnets can be further illustrated by nearing another magnet to the back of the scale (this makes the pointer rise) or nearing it to the front of the scale (this makes the pointer drop).

When you remove the pan, the scale hits the bottom of the dial plate which may cause enogh vibration for the magnets to shift. Han anyone noticed this?

 

[fguffey]

I am at the end of the line when it comes to tools that can not be turned for a fast dollar; that is because there are old reloaders that did not keep there scale bases with the bean with the pans etc.. Meaning when they died and the family has no clue where the parts are and they have no clue what the parts are worth, so someone backs up to the shop and hauls everything off in boxes. And then someone calls me and wants to make a deal or they stack the boxes on a table at a gun show. That leaves me to digging for parts.


I have gone to gun shows and found enough parts to build 2 complete scales like the 10-10 and 5-10. I have never found a 10-10 scale that had a dampener alignment problem. I do have 2 sets of Ohaus 46 piece test weights.


Then there was that time when my wife decided she would help. She thought the beam required a thorough cleaning, we differed on how thorough; by the time she finished there were no markings on the beam. I called RCBS and informed them what she did, they suggested I send the scale to them but they could not promise they would not replace it with one of the newer scales. I found a beam at the next gun show for $5.00.


F. Guffey

 

[alb]

My 10-10 is about 20 years old, and, frankly, it seems to be a much better scale in nearly every respect to anything I've seen on the shelves today. Unless the one you have is acting squirrely, I wouldn't be in a rush to improve it based on things you read around; for example, words such as 'sharpening' should in my opinion not be uttered in haste with respect to a scale that's no longer manufactured. Parker might drop in here to give us some wisdom.

 

[ireload2]

The location of the dampening magnets are not critical as long as they don't rub the dampening vane.
The magnets only induce the dampening magnetic field when the beam is moving. The vane between the magnets is NOT magnetic so when the beam comes to a rest there is NO force acting on the blade. Without beam movement there is no dampening force present.

 

[BoydAllen]

Is your scale one of the new ones that were made in Mexico. I mention that because the fellow that tunes scales professionally mentioned that they are not suitable for his tuning. I have three scales that I have tuned. This involves several steps. The main one that affects the consistency of where the pointer stops is sharpening and deburring the knife edges, and cleaning the bearing pockets and agate bearings. I think that if you address these areas you will find that your problem will disappear. The part that the magnets act on are not magnetic, damping is achieved by the creation of eddy currents which depend on motion of a conductor within a magnetic field for their creation and continuity. When the motion stops they disappear.

 

[fguffey]

The part that the magnets act on are not magnetic, damping is achieved by the creation of eddy currents which depend on motion of a conductor within a magnetic field for their creation and continuity. When the motion stops they disappear.

Boyd Allen, I am sure you are correct, as sure as I am of you being correct I am convinced life is not fair. I have a huge magna-flux machine that is a permanent magnet, the force field is always there. I have a meter that measures the direction and current flow through a wire and I have compasses. The only flux field I can shut off is the one created when electrons flow through a wire or winding.

 

[dmoran]

^^^^^^^^
2 replies
4 paragraphs
300+ words
Nothing in response to the OP's questions

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Mine doesn't either.... lol

 

[hoz53]

^^^^^^^^
2 replies
4 paragraphs
300+ words
Nothing in response to the OP's questions
Mine don't either.... lol

View attachment 978183​

I just looked at the magnets on a 10-10 and an M5. The magnets will move on both a little if you push on them. You say this movement will cause pointer to settle differently. I haven't seen anybody recommend to mess with the magnets to help tune their scale. If you are convinced it makes a difference why not fasten them in place somehow. I really wonder what that strip of metal about 1/4 by 6" is for on the bottom of a 10/10?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Boyd Allen, I am sure you are correct, as sure as I am of you being correct I am convinced life is not fair. I have a huge magna-flux machine that is a permanent magnet, the force field is always there. I have a meter that measures the direction and current flow through a wire and I have compasses. The only flux field I can shut off is the one created when electrons flow through a wire or winding.

What does that huge magnaflux machine do?

 

[Dos XX]

What does that huge magnaflux machine do?

Perpetual motion machine, I'm betting.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Perpetual motion machine, I'm betting.

There are machines that create perpetual and then there are those machines that create motion.

 

[hoz53]

There are machines that create perpetual and then there are those machines that create motion.

Well at least he's got the part about life being unfair right. I think OP is trying to say the magnetic flux lines are always flowing in my reloading scale. I think so to but I don't care

 

[1066]

However no one has mentioned the position of the dampening magnets. The magnets can move up/down and in/out. This I have found has an effect on where the needle dampens.

Does anyone have any experience with this? What position is optimum? The effects of the magnets can be further illustrated by nearing another magnet to the back of the scale (this makes the pointer rise) or nearing it to the front of the scale (this makes the pointer drop).

When you remove the pan, the scale hits the bottom of the dial plate which may cause enogh vibration for the magnets to shift. Han anyone noticed this?

It's not too important exactly where the magnets are, as long as they're well clear of the damping blade. What is important is that they are not moving around, particularly on the 10/10.

Why on the 10/10 I hear you ask? The beam on the 10/10 scale is non magnetic, as with all modern scales, however, on the 10/10 the spigot where the auxiliary weight hangs IS magnetic, it's only an inch away from the damping magnets and I'm sure does have a slight effect. Probably not much of a problem if the magnets are fixed and the pull is consistent but, as with all delicate measurements, consistency is the key.

I believe it's this ferrous spigot causing the movement you observe when you place a magnet near the beam.

When I work on the 10/10 scales I usually place a small strip of felt where the beam crashes down, it makes the scales much nicer to use.

HOZ53
The thin spring strip on the 10/10 is an approach to weight indicator device. A scale without this device, say a 505, will only start to read when it's just a couple of grains off it's set weight, if you throw a charge and it's 2.5 or 5.5 grains light the scale will still be stuck on the bottom.
With the 10/10, the spring strip acts on the bottom of the damper blade and starts to lift the beam off the bottom stop at around 5 grains, this makes for a much smoother beam lift when trickling to weight.

This device is also found on the RCBS 5-10 and funnily enough on the Lee scale.

 

[fguffey]

Well at least he's got the part about life being unfair right. I think OP is trying to say the magnetic flux lines are always flowing in my reloading scale. I think so to but I don't care

I think so to but I don't care

For me it is not a matter of not caring; it is more about not being able to do anything about it. Anytime I want to know about a force field I use a compass. There is something about the left hand rule and polarity that I find interesting.


F. Guffey

 

[shoot4fun]

What does that huge magnaflux machine do?

Melts the polar ice cap.
That is where the dampening comes from.
Wondered why my compass always points toward fguffey's house. It's the magnaflux machine!

 

[earlcurtis67]

When I work on the 10/10 scales I usually place a small strip of felt where the beam crashes down, itmakes the scales muchnicer touse.
Thanks for that tip 1066! I'll give that a try. E

 

[hoz53]

For me it is not a matter of not caring; it is more about not being able to do anything about it. Anytime I want to know about a force field I use a compass. There is something about the left hand rule and polarity that I find interesting.


F. Guffey

Well I should not have said I don't care and I apologize for that. I should have said like you that I don't think it makes any difference in my applications

 

[hoz53]

It's not too important exactly where the magnets are, as long as they're well clear of the damping blade. What is important is that they are not moving around, particularly on the 10/10.

Why on the 10/10 I hear you ask? The beam on the 10/10 scale is non magnetic, as with all modern scales, however, on the 10/10 the spigot where the auxiliary weight hangs IS magnetic, it's only an inch away from the damping magnets and I'm sure does have a slight effect. Probably not much of a problem if the magnets are fixed and the pull is consistent but, as with all delicate measurements, consistency is the key.

I believe it's this ferrous spigot causing the movement you observe when you place a magnet near the beam.

When I work on the 10/10 scales I usually place a small strip of felt where the beam crashes down, it makes the scales much nicer to use.

HOZ53
The thin spring strip on the 10/10 is an approach to weight indicator device. A scale without this device, say a 505, will only start to read when it's just a couple of grains off it's set weight, if you throw a charge and it's 2.5 or 5.5 grains light the scale will still be stuck on the bottom.
With the 10/10, the spring strip acts on the bottom of the damper blade and starts to lift the beam off the bottom stop at around 5 grains, this makes for a much smoother beam lift when trickling to weight.

This device is also found on the RCBS 5-10 and funnily enough on the Lee scale.

Thank you 1066. That helped me but I hope the OP the most -I am away from home right now but when I get back I will look this over.

 

[hoz53]

Thank you 1066. That helped me but I hope the OP the most -I am away from home right now but when I get back I will look this over.

I'm glad this thread got started --if fastening the magnets so they don't move might help I will do it. And mabie I can put a non magnetic hook on them- (pointer end) if this might help I will do it to. Since the OP has gotten these answers I hope he does it to and it helps

 

[SOTXLR]

I just looked at the magnets on a 10-10 and an M5. The magnets will move on both a little if you push on them. You say this movement will cause pointer to settle differently. I haven't seen anybody recommend to mess with the magnets to help tune their scale. If you are convinced it makes a difference why not fasten them in place somehow. I really wonder what that strip of metal about 1/4 by 6" is for on the bottom of a 10/10?

The strip of metal helps you see the change created by a very small force on the empty pan (i.e. weight of say 1 kernel of powder)... Instead of fastening the magnets, since I don't know what the optimum place would be (assuming there is such a thing) I placed thin strips of foam on the top and bottom of the dial plate to keep the beam from "slamming" and absorb the shock when the weight is changed. I also removed the pan slowly to prevent the beam from "slamming" on the top or bottom of the dial plate.