New Lyman Scale

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GJeffB

GJeffB

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A while back I tried to enter the 21st century with a digital scale. Never one to go overboard the first time around, I bought a National Metallic scale [https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019558826 ] as an entry level (misspelled "cheap") digital. That was August 2020. It has a 1 year warranty. For 12 months and 2 weeks I was satisfied. Then the zero drift. This month I had to reset zero about every 3rd charge, and double weigh every charge to verify. Clearly a poor solution. So I went back to old school, the Lyman 500 Brass Smith. I've been a Lyman fan boy for a while.

It (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/102072587) showed up today, $90, no shipping. I set it up on the dining room table, and zeroed it easily. Then to verify. The existing digital came with a 20 *gram* check weight, so I used that. Goggle [<-- intentional] is your friend showed a conversion of 20 grams to 308.647 ... grains. So I placed the weight check in the pan and weighed. Lo and behold it scored 308.6 grains. Winner winner, balance beam winner. To confirm, i redialed the adjustment screw off and back on balance, and tested on another flat top. "DNO"!

Now I'm back in my old days comfort zone, for less than a C-note.

-jb, Old is the new New :rofl:
 
GJeffB said:
A while back I tried to enter the 21st century with a digital scale. Never one to go overboard the first time around, I bought a National Metallic scale [https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019558826 ] as an entry level (misspelled "cheap") digital. That was August 2020. It has a 1 year warranty. For 12 months and 2 weeks I was satisfied. Then the zero drift. This month I had to reset zero about every 3rd charge, and double weigh every charge to verify. Clearly a poor solution. So I went back to old school, the Lyman 500 Brass Smith. I've been a Lyman fan boy for a while.

It (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/102072587) showed up today, $90, no shipping. I set it up on the dining room table, and zeroed it easily. Then to verify. The existing digital came with a 20 *gram* check weight, so I used that. Goggle [<-- intentional] is your friend showed a conversion of 20 grams to 308.647 ... grains. So I placed the weight check in the pan and weighed. Lo and behold it scored 308.6 grains. Winner winner, balance beam winner. To confirm, i redialed the adjustment screw off and back on balance, and tested on another flat top. "DNO"!

Now I'm back in my old days comfort zone, for less than a C-note.

-jb, Old is the new New :rofl:
Click to expand...
I bought two of these a while back, also free shipping. My wife uses one in the kitchen for her baking. I use the digital for quick-n-dirty checks to see if my dipper throws are consistent. Have to get in the rhythm at the start of each loading session. Then the analog scale to verify every tenth or twelfth throw. The digital is fast but harder to read; the analog bounces so it's slower but I can see clearly when it's "off."
 
Every digital scale I've purchased has eventually acted the same. Also all three have been very difficult for trickling up, many times jumping +.003 grain. Whenever I set my powder measure I use my RCBS or Lyman beamscale, then check the weighed charge on my digital and use that reading, even when it does not match the beam scale. Zeroing often and noticing "zero" each time the empty pan is replaced...

Odd question; In the Midway pic there is a "left handed" and a "right handed" scale. Real or a pic faux pas?
 
Last edited:
GJeffB said:
A while back I tried to enter the 21st century with a digital scale. Never one to go overboard the first time around, I bought a National Metallic scale [https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019558826 ] as an entry level (misspelled "cheap") digital. That was August 2020. It has a 1 year warranty. For 12 months and 2 weeks I was satisfied. Then the zero drift. This month I had to reset zero about every 3rd charge, and double weigh every charge to verify. Clearly a poor solution. So I went back to old school, the Lyman 500 Brass Smith. I've been a Lyman fan boy for a while.

It (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/102072587) showed up today, $90, no shipping. I set it up on the dining room table, and zeroed it easily. Then to verify. The existing digital came with a 20 *gram* check weight, so I used that. Goggle [<-- intentional] is your friend showed a conversion of 20 grams to 308.647 ... grains. So I placed the weight check in the pan and weighed. Lo and behold it scored 308.6 grains. Winner winner, balance beam winner. To confirm, i redialed the adjustment screw off and back on balance, and tested on another flat top. "DNO"!

Now I'm back in my old days comfort zone, for less than a C-note.

-jb, Old is the new New :rofl:
Click to expand...

Neither Lyman, RCBS, nor Redding ever made scales. Their primary supplier was Ohaus, and I am glad to see, Ohaus has introduced a couple of mechanical scales back into production. Get them while you can, in 2018 I was able to buy a new Ohaus 10-10, which in green paint, was sold as an RCBS.

41tlBU7PcdL.jpg

This is my favorite scale for loading rifle in the winter, as digital scales drift, and I don't trust them in the cold.

N6ixH7V.jpg

Amazon has this Ohaus in stock

71FS3WRxLwL._SL1500_.jpg


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VY8ZY...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
 
Slamfire said:
Neither Lyman, RCBS, nor Redding ever made scales. Their primary supplier was Ohaus, and I am glad to see, Ohaus has introduced a couple of mechanical scales back into production. Get them while you can, in 2018 I was able to buy a new Ohaus 10-10, which in green paint, was sold as an RCBS.

View attachment 1027165

This is my favorite scale for loading rifle in the winter, as digital scales drift, and I don't trust them in the cold.

View attachment 1027161

Amazon has this Ohaus in stock

View attachment 1027166


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VY8ZY...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
Click to expand...


Thought I already mentioned that?;)
 
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mdi:
Odd question; In the Midway pic there is a "left handed" and a "right handed" scale. Real or a pic faux pas?
Click to expand...

No faux pas, it is indeed ambidextrous. The beam has markings on both sides, and the dump pan has handles on either side. For instance, I'm right handed and like to manipulate the pan on the right side. I could reverse it with the pan on the left and still be able to see the markings and manipulate the pan with the left hand.

-jb, ambidextrous means speaking 2 languages, right?
 
Ranger99 said:
^ ^ ^ :rofl:
Maybe I'm not the only one left that
uses vernier calipers and micrometers
in addition to beam scales ;)
Click to expand...

I use an RCBS 505. I do use digital calipers, but I occasionally check them against my Starrett dial calipers and against my Mitutoyo micrometers and a 1” standard. They’re always right on.
 
Lifelong machinist/mechanic here. Not "old school" or anti-technology but I only use analog measuring tools (one vernier calipers, one dial calipers, 2 vernier micrometers, 3 beam scales). All the digital tools I tried have died early deaths; 2 digital calipers, one digital mic, 2 digital scales.
 
mdi said:
Lifelong machinist/mechanic here. Not "old school" or anti-technology but I only use analog measuring tools (one vernier calipers, one dial calipers, 2 vernier micrometers, 3 beam scales). All the digital tools I tried have died early deaths; 2 digital calipers, one digital mic, 2 digital scales.
Click to expand...


Machinist, industrial mechanic, fabricator here as well.
 
Every digital scale I've purchased seems to drift over time! Is it the florescent lights? is it the bench level? Don't really care!

I always check with analog measuring tools. I just have a greater degree of confidence in their readings and didn't want to keep checking to be sure.
 
mdi said:
Lifelong machinist/mechanic here. Not "old school" or anti-technology but I only use analog measuring tools (one vernier calipers, one dial calipers, 2 vernier micrometers, 3 beam scales). All the digital tools I tried have died early deaths; 2 digital calipers, one digital mic, 2 digital scales.
Click to expand...
Aerospace machinist, radio/radar tech, programmer, network engineer... and I use analog. If digital is the future, the future is dim. :(
 
RashQuestion said:
Every digital scale I've purchased seems to drift over time! Is it the florescent lights? is it the bench level? Don't really care!

I always check with analog measuring tools. I just have a greater degree of confidence in their readings and didn't want to keep checking to be sure.
Click to expand...
It's the migrating magnetic zero. Also responsible for global climate change. As the global magnetic zero moves across the Canadian Tundra into the Russian Steppes, so move the Van Allen Belts. The belts are magnetic, not geographic - and they are also the only thing between Earth's exosphere and galactic emissions. If you think the sun, Sol, is a massive furnace, take a look at what the galactic winds blow at us! Graviton waves are dark energy particles. Every time the Belts change position, some parts of the planet are exposed to higher - intensity and levels of exposure - radiation and others which were exposed are protected... and vice-versa... but I digress. Digital scale drift is a great topic. :)
 
The Ohaus pictured above is same as RCBS 505, which I have used for years and years. Yeah, several of you have already mentioned that....forgive me. I started out with an olde Bonanza scale that did not have dampening.....gawd that was tedious waiting for the beam to settle....
 
I'd love to find a RCBS 304 (Ohaus Dial-O-Grain) but they're rare and when they do turn up they are BIG $$$$$ expensive! Still like to have one. I used a Dial-O-Gram in one of the labs at school decades ago. Easiest, most precise scale around.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
I'd love to find a RCBS 304 (Ohaus Dial-O-Grain) but they're rare and when they do turn up they are BIG $$$$$ expensive! Still like to have one. I used a Dial-O-Gram in one of the labs at school decades ago. Easiest, most precise scale around.
Click to expand...


I have the Ronco on as seen on TV:)
 
OP, can you tell me what the bearing surfaces for the knife edges of the scale are? Did they use agate bearings or is it just a V notch in the casting?
 
MonkTx said:
OP, can you tell me what the bearing surfaces for the knife edges of the scale are? Did they use agate bearings or is it just a V notch in the casting?
Click to expand...

The bearings on both the RCBS M500 and the Lyman Brass Smith scale are Agate - In general I've found these scales to work well, certainly better quality control that the Chinese made RCBS 505 and 10/10 scales of recent years.

In my opinion, these two relatively new scales have two minor problems. Because the beam is printed on both sides it is necessarily some way behind the zero plate pointer, this can lead to parallax error unless the scale is viewed from exactly the same angle every time. - Easily corrected if a USB camera or smart phone is used to view the scale. This leads to the second problem. Although the scale body is cast metal it is very light and quite narrow so adding even a light camera bracket makes the scale unstable, again easy corrected by adding a little weight (hot glue gun and some old bullets) to the base.

Here's my M500 in action:
 
Pretty much as 1066 commented. When I first zeroed on a table I had to get down almost to the tabletop level to avoid the parallax issue. I toyed with the idea of an eye level wall shelf, but that'd be a PITA with a trickler and simpler is better. Then (picture cartoon character light bulb) I realized the scale arrived in a nice, sturdy box with thick reinforcing cardboard separators. Set said scale on said box and it's just fine viewing balance point with minimal squinting. Certainly one could use different boxes to "adjust" height. The current RCBS trickler comes with a vertically adjustable base that's pretty helpful, too.

-jb, gotta be an easier solution
 
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