Beam Balance Height

Gone Hiking said:

When hand weighing charges, I get tired of kneeling down to eyeball my beam balance at waist height. Does anyone set their balance on a shelf or an elevated box to use at head height?

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Setting my scale on a shelf would work if I was standing, but I've always done my handloading sitting down. Is there some reason why you prefer to handload while standing?
Welcome to the forum anyway.
Edited to say: My loading bench is 34" high, so when I'm seated on a 17" tall chair, my scale is just about the right height for viewing. But I'm only 5'10"... a 34" high loading bench and a 17" chair might not work as well for a taller person.

Something which has become popular is the use of cheap PC type cameras and using them with an inexpensive tablet or similar. I know there are several threads on the subject. Just about any cheap webcam like this one will work. Some get fancy and use a USB microscope type. The overall scheme works pretty well for a small investment.

Ron

I you are talking about trickling up to weight, I use photo electric switches that power the trickler until the weight is reached.



Can repeat as close as +/- a single kernel of powder. Better than my eyes can see at any level.

I have always mounted a shelf above my bench at eye level for just that purpose.

Gone Hiking said:

Does anyone set their balance on a shelf or an elevated box to use at head height?

Click to expand...

I keep mine on its own shelf at eye level.

In my reloading "nook" (hard to call it a room ) I put in a small shelf so that when I'm sitting on the stool the scale is right at eye level.

Here's one on a Homer Depot shelf system, eye height, with optional $2 magnification system:

I got a small ikea shelf and mounted it to the wall at eye height. This does two things: 1. isolates the beam balance scale from vibrations created by the reloading process and 2. gives me a straight on non-skewed view.

I'm not worried about looking straight at it. I'm worried about looking at it from the angle that I did when I zeroed it.
I recently started using a digital scale and prefer it to the balance beam.

Jmorris has a pretty legit setup that beats an electronic scale.

Another one here with the Skgreen setup with a shelf and magnifying glass.

I have a purpose built shelf that is eye high, and very reachable.

Put it on a coffee can on the bench.

Yes I have mine at eye level while standing, it sits on a soft rubber pad so it doesn’t slip around and when I built the cabinet on top of the bench I pretty much made the shelf it is in specifically for it and to be used there.

I’ll get a picture later.

The whole reloading bench and the cabinet/shelf. I built it how I wanted but where the scale sits I purposely built that shelf for the scale.
The other bench where who knows what will get worked on The scale itself, it sits on a rubber mat that it has made an impression into so it doesn’t scoot around. Also the powder trickler sits there as well as a .458 Win mag case as it is used to transfer powder from a powder measure to the scale. Reason I use that is that it has a big mouth, powder never clogs up when dumping it out and it holds a lot of powder. My 7 Weatherby takes 80 grains so it works well for all amounts of charges. Now here is why my scale made an impression into a rubber pad and doesn’t scoot around. I filled the hollow plastic body with #8 shot, smeared silicone caulk into it and let it cure. The scale probably weighs a few pounds now and just as accurate as it ever was. It literally lives where it is in that photo and hasn’t been moved, except for this picture, in probably 4 years or more

I weigh 90% of rifle loads.... little shelf across the back of bench is home for the beam scale.

A scale should be set on a very stable, solid surface. A shelf is fine as long as it's a very sturdy shelf.

I don't use my balance beam scale much any more except to verify my digital scale every 50 loads, or so.
But, I keep it on a shelf, at eye level.

I have mine at eye level. I have stool I seat on and if I stand I have another shelve above beam scale and I'll move it up and it's eye level. I have digital below the shelves.

Eye level on shelf above bench for me as well.

Yep Eye level when standing saves my back.

I also use the SKgreen method, an old magnifier screwed to the "stool." I built a 12 inch "stool" to sit on top of my bench to make the whole thing eye level. Use it to verify what my digital scale says.

I use the tupper ware box I keep my scale and some odds and ends in.
Put the lid on and put the scale on top.

Gone Hiking said:

When hand weighing charges, I get tired of kneeling down to eyeball my beam balance at waist height. Does anyone set their balance on a shelf or an elevated box to use at head height?

Click to expand...

I felt the same way as you! Now my scale is at eye height and MUCH easier to align the bar and index mark