Cats....grrrrrrrr. Now my beam scale sticks. It used to be so accurate.

The cats roam the house and at least one of them likes my reloading bench. I found my beam scale "disassembled", beam askew, pan missing, and now the scale "sticks" rather than gently dampen to arrest pan movement.

Zero point one grain (0.10 gr.) trickling reliability has gone out of the window. I have trickled as much, or more, than half a grain before the scale over reacted. I no longer trust the scale.

Is there a fix for this? I have tried to softly and gently clean the "knife edge" fulcrum and its agate rest. There is no dust, no dirt, no noticeable ding, twist, or bend in any part. I do not understand why it "sticks" rather than gently settle into balance.

Is there a dry lube? I am stuck...and disappointed. Live with cats and happy wife, or...

Use the oil from rendered cat fat to lube the scale.
I have 4 cats and love them all. But they can get into trouble often.
If it is sticking, something has to be touching, or the knife edge has a small ding in it. Try looking at it with a strong magnifying glass.

If it's an RCBS scale they might repair it for free or replace it,give them a call what's the worst they can say other than "No".

Or your beam might be slightly sprung.

Don't feel to bad. A buddy of mines cat used his big Dillon tumbler as a litter box for about a week cause he didn't put the lid back on it.

THAT'S why they make those covers for scales. I always wondered.

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Originally Posted by 1Hawkeye

Don't feel to bad. A buddy of mines cat used his big Dillon tumbler as a litter box for about a week cause he didn't put the lid back on it.

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That is funny .
Does he get rude comments about how his ammo smells ?

A friend accidently closed one of their cat's in the ammo locker!
For about six weeks he had to shoot downwind at his trap club.
The cat had to go and sprayed all of his trap loads.

I'd aggressively but gently clean the pivot points with solvent then use a magnifying glass to inspect the knife edge. If it still sticks I'd second calling RCBS, they have outstanding customer support.

My Beam scale goes back in the boxes soon as the last bullet is seated.
46yrs going strong RCBS 10-10.

I used to keep my Hornady on the bench for years too....... until it trashed out like yours did.
Now I store the new one in a cabinet with the beam taken off.

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Originally Posted by Walks

My Beam scale goes back in the boxes soon as the last bullet is seated.
46yrs going strong RCBS 10-10.

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Ditto here. Probably 40 years though.

Not too-too long ago I bought a 10-10 from a member here at a "going rate" and not discounted. I had wanted one for a long-long time.
He must have damaged it and didn't say in the classified ad. I "fixed" the dinged part - the "zero line" at the fixed end of the beam - but that scale sticks too so as a "fall back" position, it sux.

I had not thought of RCBS Customer Service. I have needed them in the past, while reloading or in case prep, when I was deeply invested in it and something busted. they have rescued me a time or two. Honestly, I do not want to "abuse" them for something that I did (the cat or others that pawned it off on me). I know RCBS is no questions asked. I know if we gall it, mash it, ham hand it into oblivion, or for whatever reason that only God knows, it fails to function, RCBS will (ordinarily) fix or replace it - free.

OK, RCBS Customer Service praise over. I'll call them. going to be "down" for a little while in reloading, right when I wanted to get something done too...

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Originally Posted by Walks

My Beam scale goes back in the boxes soon as the last bullet is seated.
46yrs going strong RCBS 10-10.

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I do this too with my 10/10. I also have a small Redding Beam Scale I bought when I started Reloading in 1971 It sits atop my loading bench and I blow it off with the air hose occasionally. It works just fine but my cat has never gotten to it. He doesn't like my shop very much and stays out mostly. He comes into visit occasionally but never stays too long. If the air hose is shot he becomes a AA Fuel Dragster . He does like to knock stuff over on my desk and other places.

He's a pretty good cat.

Meet Taz:

Randy

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Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan

. He does like to knock stuff over on my desk and other places.

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That's how we know the earth is indeed round/sphere-ish.

If it was flat, cats would have pushed everything off the edge by now.

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Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan

I do this too with my 10/10. I also have a small Redding Beam Scale I bought when I started Reloading in 1971 It sits atop my loading bench and I blow it off with the air hose occasionally. It works just fine but my cat has never gotten to it. He doesn't like my shop very much and stays out mostly. He comes into visit occasionally but never stays too long. If the air hose is shot he becomes a AA Fuel Dragster . He does like to knock stuff over on my desk and other places.

He's a pretty good cat.

Meet Taz:

Randy

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Not to thread drift but I will. Have you seen the newest altered record? 4.92 with a zero at 304 mph.

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Originally Posted by Land Owner

Is there a fix for this? I have tried to softly and gently clean the "knife edge" fulcrum and its agate rest. There is no dust, no dirt, no noticeable ding, twist, or bend in any part. I do not understand why it "sticks" rather than gently settle into balance...

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Look again.

The only thing that can produce your problem is something that slightly interferes with beam movement; something is binding the pivot shaft in the bearing cuts. The only things which can produce that effect in a clean Ohaus scale is a dinged or badly dulled knife edge, a broken agate V block OR a bent pivot shaft.

Do not lubricate anything on the scale, all that will do is collect dust.

People have their own opinion about the value of cats. Mine is they make a great media for testing the terminal effects of varmint bullets.

My wife’s Himalayan decided that my old lee lead melter needed to be ‘marked’. Why in the world did he think that was a good spot? My wife thought it was funny. Next time I cast it was pretty rough for a while.

That ranks right up there with using used kitty litter for a barrier on top of the melt.

I hope you had your wife in the same room when you heated it up.

Robert

You don't want to know what they did to my model airplane workshop before I locked them out of it.

A shot of Brakleen on the agates might dislodge some bit of kitty litter the cat tracked in.