Redding powder scale question

[songdog33]

Howdy all. I just aquired an older Redding hydraulic dampened beam scale. It did not come with the instructions. What kind of fluid did redding recommend for the dampening well, water or maybe a light weight oil? Thanks for the help.

[LatheRunner]

My father used to have one a long time ago. It was in a light green box. He always used 3 in one oil in it.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

The Redding powder scale was one of the better ones made and countless numbers of them are still in use after decades of reliable service. The important thing is to make sure that it is not "off" so it is a good idea to either buy a set of check weights or make a set using lengths of copper wire or coins. whatever you choose has to be calibrated with a reliable/accurate scale such as used by a pharmacist or a (school)lab. Redding recommended the use of oil. Light oil such as sewing machine oil will work as will gun oil. The oil slows the swing(ing) of the beam. Without it the beam will continue to swing for quite a while and folks don't like that. The oil however is a messy affair; it seems to get everywhere else and is a PITA to clean up. I have two Reddings and I've tried the oil route and gave it up. I keep an ordinary lead pencil (sharpened) and when the beam swings I put/place the point just under the middle/zero mark so that when the beam pointer comes down it is stopped by the pencil point. I take away the point and the beam is slowed down or stopped...or just swings a little and stops. This has worked for me for many years. I have a set of check weights and always use them when zero-ing my scales to make sure that everything is ok. Keep the knife edges in a soft clean protective surrounding and the pan dust free and the scale will last a lifetime...and accurately. Of course its your call with the use of the oil feature, but as I previously mentioned it is a sloppy process to empty the reservoir and clean up after. I keep both of my scales in small padded wooden boxes and treat them gently as safety and accuracy depend on it. LLS