How to accurize your beam scale?

[Joel in Rust Central FL]

I'm a bit old school in the fact that I prefer a properly tuned beam scale over a digital scale. There's very little that can go wrong with a beam scale, where as a digital can have battery issues, ect..... Plus, top of the line, super accurate and consistent digital scales are outrageously expensive for my blood. I have better things to put that money towards. I've also seen where a properly tuned or accurized beam scale can literally measure single granules of powder. Usually these are done by Scott Parker or a guy in England. I'm not to a point where I need to measure single granules of powder, but it's nice to know that your scale is that sensitive, accurate, and consistent. I've made an extended pointer , added padded buffers, and in the near future I'm going to hook up a camera to make it easier to read as well.

So, have any of you guys accurized your 10-10, 5-10, or older rcbs, Lyman, and ohaus scales? If so, how did you go about doing it? How do you sharpen the blades and polish the bearing surfaces?

Thanks
Craig

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I have been using a good used RCBS beam scale and an old reloader and bench rest shooter
suggested that it was important to have the scale at eye level when sitting at the reloading bench to reduce neck strain and to be able to always see the scale from the same angle. I took his advice to heart and tried to improve things further.

To get the scale to eye level, I used a heavy plastic milk crate and placed an inexpensive 2" thick granite surface plate on top to reduce vibration. I leveled the thing in 2 directions using shims and a high quality machinists' level.

I used to run a machine shop, and I learned it's often better to use good tools where they'll do the most good and remember that the final product shows that you took the most care where it counts. Hope this is a useful suggestion...Joel

 

[7mmsavage]

I added some weight via gluing in an old railroad spike I had around. This doesn’t really accurize the scale per say, but it does keep it more stable while sitting on my loading bench.

 

[Chuck R.]

I've got an older 1975 RCBS 10-10 thart I bought when I was 15.

Couple years ago I cleaned it up and went the document camera route with a laptop. The only addition I made was a "leveling platform". I've thought about tuning it, but I can easily see the impact a kernel of Varget or H4831SC as it is. I use a combination of a Harrell's Culver and a Dandy powder trickler. The setup pretty quick and accurate:

 

[jmorris]

I did nothing except add a photo electric switch to a number of scales and they can detect a single kernel of powder.

Like the old 505 at the end of this video.



Add a switch, relay and gear motor an its hands free once I throw the base charge. If you already have the scale the photoelectric switch is the most expensive part (~ $15 shipped).



Works like this.

 

[jmorris]

This is the last one of them I threw together for my compact "farm" reloading setup.

 

[George P]

I added some weight via gluing in an old railroad spike I had around. This doesn’t really accurize the scale per say, but it does keep it more stable while sitting on my loading bench.
View attachment 915312

The best thing you can do is to get the scale OFF the bench away from any and all vibrations. Mine sits on a separate shelf to the left of my reloading bench at eye level

 

[PWC]

The best thing you can do is to get the scale OFF the bench away from any and all vibrations. Mine sits on a separate shelf to the left of my reloading bench at eye level

Yup! I have single stage press, and I have the Lyman 55 with baffle off the bench also. Vibration causes the powder to settle and will affect the "throw". After setting, I measure every 10th throw.

 

[71GTO]

Good job with the M500. This scale has exactly the same knife edge/floating agate bearings as used in nearly all the RCBS scales over the last 50 years, and I mean exactly the same, they're interchangeable. The M500, although being made in China (and maybe Mexico) is of better quality than the RCBS 10/10's and 505's I've come across made in the last few years of non-USA made RCBS scales. It's a simple two poise scale, a direct replacement for the RCBS 502 scale, the unique point is that the beam graduations are printed on both sides so can be used left handed.
The problem with this ambidextrous system is that, as CRM284 has discovered, the zero pointers are around 1/4" away from the face of the beam, this can easily lead to parallax error unless it's viewed from exactly the same angle every time. I cheap webcam or smartphone really helps get the best out of these scales.
Here's an experimental beam, using a replaceable razor knife-edge I made for the M500 scale:
View attachment 912330
Like this:
View attachment 912331

1066,

Could you possibly tell me what model camera you have mounted to the scale in your picture? I have been wanting to do something like this, but I'm not sure which camera to buy.
Thank you Sir

 

[rskent]

So, have any of you guys accurized your 10-10, 5-10, or older rcbs, Lyman, and ohaus scales? If so, how did you go about doing it? How do you sharpen the blades and polish the bearing surfaces?

This might be considered heresy but…

I believe consistency trumps extreme accuracy with a reloading scale every time. Assuming that you work up your loads in your gun using your common sense. If I tell you my .380 load is 4.8 grains of whatever powder under a 100-grain bullet and you take it on faith that your scale and my scale read the same. Or that your gun and my gun are the same. Or that the powder lots are the same. Or sun and moon alignments are the same. You get the idea.

Having said that. I currently use a 10-10 scale that I love (like a lot). I feel I get good consistent results.

Like others have mentioned. It sets on a level shelf that is made just for it, at eye level. I keep it clean; I blow the bearing setup out with canned air not compressed air. I just want to get any dust off, not blow it off the shelf and on to the floor. I also keep it covered when its not in use. I check its zero before I use to every time. I can’t remember the last time I had to change its zero.

I also feel that how you use it is important. I always try to center the powder in the tray and center the tray in the scale basket. Being consistent is key. And most importantly, remember to turn off the ceiling fan.