Scale questions

[pdog2225]

Here's something else to try. Use a magnetic compass at your reloading bench and find magnetic north. Orient each test scale 90° to that direction and then parallel to that direction. Compare the readings.

Mine seem to work best at a 45° angle (Washington state).

Reason: the magnetic dampened scales may have varied strength magnets in them and the earths mag field may affect the scale readings slightly different.

 

[BoydAllen]

Just to be clear, the damping magnets have no influence if the beam is not moving, and the strength of the eddy currents that are generated is in proportion to the speed of the beam, so as its cycles decrease in amplitude and frequency the damping forces approach, and then become zero. With the beam at rest, the magnets have no effect.

 

[CatShooter]

Just to be clear, the damping magnets have no influence if the beam is not moving, and the strength of the eddy currents that are generated is in proportion to the speed of the beam, so as its cycles decrease in amplitude and frequency the damping forces approach, and then become zero. With the beam at rest, the magnets have no effect.

What he said....

I replaced the factory magnets with monsters - the beam will make no more than two swings past center before it stops, but will move from a stop with one piece of H-322.

 

[normmatzen]

I went through the same trials.

I have three different beam balances, from a cheapie LEE to an Ohaus with a 30 yr old from my dad in between. I could never get them to agree! Oddly, the LEE was the best of the lot!

So, I got a GemPro and thought I was in heaven. But, trickling was a chore as it wouldn't follow . And the tare had to be set VERY often.
So, I bought an older Ohaus TS 200 lab balance. This balance is readable to 0.015 gn on the gram scale and 0.02gn on the grain scale. And the linearity and accuracy is the same. Accuracy is really based on the calibration mass used.

Well, I am trying to shoot long range Bench Rest! So, I want my charges to be as close as possible. When I get the powder weight as close as possible, cases as close as possible, bullets as close as possible and seating force as close as possible, then I have no more excuses and it's up to me!

I can't see using a scale that I don't have faith in. With the best of my beam balances I never was any surer of 0.1gn accuracy, or repeatability. Now, I am completely sure I am within better than 0.02gn accuracy, or about one granule of Varget.

 

[bobinpa]

I just want to thank you guys for your input and advice with this....... It turns out that it was a VERY simple fix. I threw them all in the trash and bought a brand new 505 for all of my benchrest quality loading. Just kidding. It turns out that the spring on the 304 was out of place. I saw it while I was just visually inspecting the scale. I simply turned the scale around to see the area behind the dial better and when I looked in the back of the dial, I saw that 1 section or coil of the flat copper spring was sitting on top of the part that the end of the spring is attached to. I just reached in there with a straightened out paper clip and gently lifted it off and let the spring "bounce" back into position. I guess that this happened in shipping as I just recently bought that scale. Then I randomly weighed a few things to let the scale go through the motions and then I went back through my test. At the end of it all, I have 3 scales that read within .1 or .2 of each other while weighing items from 20 gr to 250 gr.
Thanks again for all the input.
Bob

 

[Edwin2]

I think some time due to placement of your scale on different place you get variation in measurement. So you must properly calibrate and place your floor scales so that you get accurate measurement.