Hornady LNL beam scale

Ohaus?

HORNADY, does not know or wont say??

Hornady does make the claim "Made In USA" on the LNL. Even the made in USA can get complicated but if not Ohaus I would guess Mettler Toledo or maybe a connection thereof? When all is said and done there are not too many US manufacturers of scales, especially the beam types. I can't even recall if Mettler Toledo manufactures now in the US or Canada?

Ron

This is guess and speculation. The large screw in the base on the Left is the Leveler. With the scale on a known level surface this is adjusted so the scale is level or each side equidistant along the base. The leveler should be center range. With this setup the two brass nuts are adjusted to zero the scale then jammed tight against each other.

The scale will then need checked with a decent set of calibration check weights. A "Good Set" of check weights is similar to these RCBS check weights. I would check several points like for example 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 100 grains. The areas where the scale is likely to be used.

If you have a good level use it! To get things right the scale needs to be level. That should be about the center of the leveling screw adjust when the scale is on a level surface. If this is done correctly once the nuts are adjusted the scale should be accurate across its entire range. If there is an error use the brass nuts to correct it.

That is speculation and guess on my part but should get you where you want to go.

Ron

Give it a shot and see what happens. Sort of a generic calibration and setup procedure for a beam scale. I hope it works out and if it does don't hesitate to share the results.

Ron

Oil? I would run with a very light machine oil like 3 in 1 for sewing machines or any high quality sewing machine oil for the knife edges and only a fraction of a drop. You don't want a dust and dirt collector.

Ron

I would clean bearing surface with a clean lint free Q.tip type cleaner ... I would not use any oil except to faintly touch the knife edges with a very light oil on a finger ... it will gather dust and grit and become a cutting fluid ... no drops of any oil ... I have never used any oil ...

Ron has already gave the setup process ... follow it and check with the check weights.

Once you have the scale body leveled out ... you will need very little adjustment of the leveling screw ... unless you plane to move the scale around ... my RCBS 5-10 has only had to be releveled very little over the forty years I've owned it ... except for two moves...

Flitz. There are assorted polishing compounds and grits but for what you are looking to do I would say Flitz or equivalent.

Ron

I bought one as a cheap back up to my Redding scale . I hate the Hornady scale !!! It sticks when trickling powder . This lets you trickle way past your intended weight then it lets go and bounces off the top because you went past your intended charge . I tried multiple fixes and only found one that worked .

The only thing that fixed the issue was to shim up the tip off the arm/beam so it rested higher before powder was used . I'm assuming the knife edges were binding up on something and this took some sort of pressure off of them allowing the beam to move freely .

I did polish the edges and clean everything but that was as much as I was willing to do . I had planned on returning it but never did . It now just sits in the box never being used . It never was used to load a round . It never got past my test faze . :banghead:

Sorry I was having a hard time articulating what I wanted to say as well so I understand why you did not understand



Here's a pick of the shim I placed on the base notch area . It is the end of a zip tie epoxied in place . By doing this I believe the knife edges sit at less of an angle in those grooves creating less friction when the beam first starts to actuate . Before adding the shim , I've been able to set the scale to 40gr then set a pre-measured pan of powder on the scale and it did not move . I then could just lightly tap my bench and the scale would break free of it's stuck position and weigh the charge correctly .

There are two important things to know about doing that with this scale .

1) That shim is not tall enough and the scale sticks once and awhile but MUCH less then it did . I just did not want to keep screwing around with my brand new scale to get it to work .

2) Make sure if you ever do feel the need to shim this scale or any other . Make sure the shim ( once in place ) sits square and flat to the tab that protrudes into that area . Be sure when the scale is at rest it sits on the shim squarely . If the shim is not square/flat to the bottom edge of that tab . When the beam rest on it , the beam will cant slightly possibly lifting one of the knife edges off the base . IMHO this could cause slight variations in measured weights do to the knife blade resting in a slightly different spot each time it's actuated .

Metal God, real nice mod there. Your modification and other mods done by end users should not be necessary but unfortunately they are. Among my better scales is my old Lyman M5. Try as I will I can't find and buy a new scale of that quality, they have managed to cheapen everything down to where when we buy it we need to go through some process to get it to work correctly. When I see any of the older scales be it a swap meet, flea market or small gun shop I look to buy them, this way my kids and grand kids will have good equipment. Finding a good quality beam scale is a feat anymore.

Ron

Reeferman said:

This guy has done some neat things with beam scales. However I'm to the point that I'm going to start looking for a high quality digital no matter if it is several hundred to buy. I've been a Hornady fan and have gotten really good things from them but this beam scale is a fail. When you compare this new one with the old Hornady M scale it is not very good.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A2PF2xv_OPs

And it looks like it would stop the trickling issue with the Hornady maybe!!!

Click to expand...

Pleased you liked my video Reeferman. Here's another I made about the new Hornady scale.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buRAm2aL6ik

Reeferman said:

This guy has done some neat things with beam scales. However I'm to the point that I'm going to start looking for a high quality digital no matter if it is several hundred to buy. I've been a Hornady fan and have gotten really good things from them but this beam scale is a fail. When you compare this new one with the old Hornady M scale it is not very good.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A2PF2xv_OPs

And it looks like it would stop the trickling issue with the Hornady maybe!!!

Click to expand...

There are several really cool things that have been done. I have seen those videos before. We had a member here I believe who used a beam scale they configured with a few optical sensors and a small motor driven trickler. That was a pretty nice setup.

In the digital world I have an RCBS Chargemaster and no complaints but it was not a cheap setup. Works extremely well and does what it is supposed to do. I want to get around to trying a software hack on it, just haven't yet. I also have an old (about maybe 20 years) RCBS basic digital which still works fine, does require a good 30 min on time for stability. I also have a Gem Pro which for a cheapie digital is OK, not great but OK.

RCBS as well as a few others have the fully automated systems out, I can only speak for RCBS since that is what I have. I like it.
<EDIT> 1066 great job on the video and of course the scale. You put some serious time and effort in and it shows. </EDIT>
Ron

Reeferman said:

I ended up with this scale and is fairly new. The brass nuts on the beam are loose and moved. The body adjuster bolt sticks through about 3/4 of the way through to zero the beam. I want to know how to set up like the factory.
Hornady says it must be sent in to repair.
I don't want to do this and I just can't believe it is that hard to do. I think I got the answer on how to calibrate it like the factory does but would like to talk to them if possible on this.

Click to expand...

Reeferman
It was about the same thing with the one I received from midway. Rather send it back to midway I sent it in to Hornady. I got it back from Hornady
it was not fixed. Needless to say I was POed. Just to make a long story short this scale is junk and I would return it to were you got it.

Larry
Northern Minnesota