Another check weight wonder

Sometimes people just misread the indicators ... similar to writing "30+ decades" which would be 300+ years of wondering ...

/Bryan

Moses, is that you?

Only problem I've had was leaving the scale uncovered for an extended period. A little bit of dust in the wrong place made my scale act up. When I trickled a charge up to level, I could give the beam a little nudge and when it settled back it was substantially over the line.

I've had my beam scale at least 25 years and it was used when I got it from a friend. It doesn't have a brand name on it, it's black wrinkle and looks kinda like an RCBS, anyway I've thought about replaceing it several times but every time I've checked it it's right on the money. Kinda wish I new who made it and where it originally came from.

When driving down the road and you pass a speed radar and your speed is posted do you look at your actual speed and compare it? Do you clean your brass even though you know it will shoot as well if it is tarnished? I do on occasion check calibration of my scales because I am cautious, also when buying a new or especially, a used scale. I sometimes also will teach new reloaders how to read my scales with check weights, bullets, and coins if they have a hard time with measurements/adjustments. I feel one more step in assuring things are safe and accurate will assure me that I have done all I can to put forth my best effort whether reloading or teaching. Your choice to check your scale or not, some will see this as unnecessary no doubt. YMMV

FWIW I ALWAYS count my change myself when getting it back at stores. Many clerks can't figure out how to count and make change correctly.:banghead:

Check the scales with check weights, then, check the check weights, I have enough scales and enough check weights to do just that. Check weights are not certified, I have one box of check weights that cost $1,000 +, no guarantee, from the company that sells both check weights and scales “If the check weights are brass, do not count on them being accurate”. They claim aluminum and stainless are the most stable weights. I checked a 3 beam Ohaus with 4 check weights of the same weight, the scale disagreed with the check weights, all four weight had a different weight.

I was going to divide up some powder with two other reloaders. we decided on the wife's kitchen scales, we zeroed the scale for their powder cans. Static electricity: The funnel clogged because of the cling, first we used a straw to push the powder through, then, like magic the funnel took on the appearance of a dust coated funnel then no more cling.

F. Guffey

Canuck-IL said:

Sometimes people just misread the indicators ... similar to writing "30+ decades" which would be 300+ years of wondering ...

/Bryan

Click to expand...

Doh! that was pretty dang funny.. and I think it's Methuselah

Maybe some of them are possesed.I had one I think that was.I like RCBS 5-10 scales. I load handgun at different place on the bench so I decided to get another scale.I won on e-bay a like new 5-10 looked like never used.I don't care if you zeroed it with check weights or on zero with nothing in the pan.Take the pan off put it back on it would not go to zero.It was in the beam. put the beam from the other 5-10 on and would work fine.Put the new beam on the old 5-10 base do the same thing.Wasn't air currents or anything you could set the old scale beside it and the old scale would work fine.Everything was clean and sharp.Send it back to RCBS since it wasn't a current model had to pay some money and upgrade to a 10-10.Before anyone says I'am nuts and it just a simple balance and has to work. That what I thought and still think.Since it was used I don't know if somebody did something to it or not.

If you're talking about beam type balance scales, the biggest enemy to accuracy is dust and/or debris. Keeping the scale covered, and clean, keeps it more consistent.

I have an old Bonanza "D" scale that I bought in about 1980 and it is still dead on. It is actually my "go to" scale when I question a reading on one of the digital scales I use. It can be a little frustrating when my slow fat fingers bump things around but it is accurate.