Scale repair

[Lively Boy]

I have a Pacific M scale(beam type) that someone has adjusted the adjustment nuts on it now it doesn't read correctly. Ya i could just buy a new scale but this one is like new and i have a hard time junking stuff. I can't remember exactly how it's off cus i haven't messed with it in a year or two. just remember that it doesn't match my redding or my digital scales. does anyone know of a place i could send it to for repairs or do i have a pretty red paper weight? any help would be appreciated!

[deltaenterprizes]

Call Hornady.

[WILCO]

Isn't there some type of weight set that goes with it?

[C.F.Plinker]

I have a C-H that has two adjusting nuts on the threaded portion of the end of the beam as well as the leveling screw on the base. to set the adjusting nuts I level the base in both directions using the leveling screw for left to right and paper shims for front to back. Then I clean the pan and set all the poises to zero. Weighing only the empty pan, I use the adjusting nuts to zero the scale with the nuts tight against each other.

When I am actually weighing powder I set the poises to my desired weight, put that amount of check weights in the pan, and , if necessary, adjust the scale to zero USING THE LEVELING SCREW. If you don't have check weights, epoxy a level onto the base so you start out with the base level all the time. Your readings will be off (i.e. inconsistant) if the base tilts differently each time you load.

[Lively Boy]

ok looks like i'll need some check weights and get me a level i've heard of that before. so i'll give that a shot. This scale does have the threaded portion.I do have the real old pacific that requires the weights but i leave it on the shelf (looks cool) thank you for the help

[Doc Highwall]

Lively Boy, remember you can us the scale weights to set and check your scale with the powder charge that you are using when reloading. Say you are using 10.5 grains of powder, just take out the 10gr and .5gr weights and set the scale, and then you can recheck it again part way through again.

[scrapcan]

Also calibrate it and check the calibration across the range of the scale if you have a set of weights.

[Lively Boy]

unfortunatly the old scale doesn't have the weights anymore. but xmas is coming so i'll have to sweet talk the wife into getting me some. any brand better than the other? I like to be safe with my powder measurements so as soon as i can i'll get some. getting a new mold for my 30-06 so i'll cast some while waiting for the weights. thanks again!

[Doc Highwall]

Both Lyman and RCBS make them and even offer a deluxe set with more weights.

[buck1]

The old timers used to say "you can set your scales with Sierra bullets".

[dnepr]

The old timers used to say "you can set your scales with Sierra bullets".

I believe that I torn down some czech milsurp 7.62x39 ammo to see how good the stuff was ( not great) bullet weights were varying over about a 5 grain range , so for comparison I weighed some 125 gr sierra's all were dead on except 2 out of 10 that varied a part of a tenth of a grain , they were closer to 124.9 than 125 . I was impressed

[Lively Boy]

HMMM... I have some of those Sierra bullets might have to check that! I contacted Hornady and they recommended hat i could send it in or use the method recommended by C.F Plinker. BUT they didn't mention the leveling (wich makes alot of sence to me) so i'm going with c.f.'s recommendation. would be nice to have another scale to use. thanks again for the help!

[olgandalf]

I have the pacific scale with the adjusting nuts and no weights. In loading 32S&W long, I set it to zero using the nuts, poured on a 3cc Lee dipper of BullsEye or 2.8 grains by the Lee chart. Turning the leftmost nut flat by flat, it took 9 flat changes or 1 1/2 turns to return to zero. Ergo, each turn to the next flat will come to zero with .31 additional grain of BullsEye. I know, I know. I need to buy the checkweights.

[Fishman]

I have the pacific scale with the adjusting nuts and no weights. In loading 32S&W long, I set it to zero using the nuts, poured on a 3cc Lee dipper of BullsEye or 2.8 grains by the Lee chart. Turning the leftmost nut flat by flat, it took 9 flat changes or 1 1/2 turns to return to zero. Ergo, each turn to the next flat will come to zero with .31 additional grain of BullsEye. I know, I know. I need to buy the checkweights.

I agree. In my experience, charge weight can vary quite a bit from the estimate on the lee chart. Sources of variation that I have measured include both the method used to level the powder charge and whether or not you double dip. Consistency is key and I suggest you find a better way to check your weights particularly if you are loading small charges of bullseye. If you want, I can send you a boolet of known weight checked by my two scales, both calibrated. Just send me a pm with your address.

Edit--- I redead your post and I think I read more into your assumption on charge weight than I should. Anyway my offer for a boolet check weight is still good. :)

[fourarmed]

One thing to watch out for: If you loosen the threaded rod that holds the adjusting nuts, it can let the fulcrum that supports the powder pan rotate. If that happens, it can make your scale behave very strangely. You want the knife edge of that fulcrum pointing up.

[1hole]

What those nuts do is balance the beam itself at or close to horizontal. The adjustments to the base is only to match the base to the beam for zero. None of them are or are intended to 'calibarate' the scale for anything but zero. The notches cut in the beam for the poise weights are how the scale is calibrated for weight and that's fixed by the maker.

Using a bullet, or anything else for checking a reloading scale is quite sufficient for our needs. Labratory scales need precision but that's because other people are weighting the same things and the results need to match. IF we develop a load with one scale and them switch scales later all we need do is find out how the new scale records the old charge and use that as the new reference. But a reloader who develops a safe load and can precisely duplicate that load on that scale every time he uses it and for as long as he needs to use it has all the accuracy he needs. There is no cause for worry if a repeatable scale is off by a few tenths in terms of absolute precision at some points.

I understand that our manufactors have incentive to produce anything that will sell but, since we cannot adjust or caliberate a scale, I feel that dorking around with a set of costly 'check weights' wastes money - and time - for no effective gain. If you wonder, put a Sierra bullet on your scale; if it reads close, you're good to go.

[olgandalf]

Some of you have way more modern pacifics than mine. To see a picture, google "pacific reloading scale 1957," which will lead you to the 1957 issue of Guns magazine. No poise weights. No beam. No notches. No base adjustment screws. Just a threaded rod with a pointer and aluminum hex nuts and on the other side of the fulcrum a pan. It came with a flat can with aluminum squares in .1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, and 20 grains. Mine didn't come with the weights, so yesterday I went a lab at my university and trimmed squares of clean pepsi can wall to give me two each of 1, 2, 3, and 5 and trimmed a piece of aluminum wire to give me a 10, weighing on the lab scale as I trimmed.

It's got to be that you move the hex nuts till the pointer zeros, put the desired weight in the pan, move the nuts till you get zero again and lock them. Then remove the weights and trickle powder in the pan. At least, as far as I can work it out.