RCBS 505 Scale question

[KnotRight]

I have been using a 505 scale for the last year and a half and like it. Like it so much that I wanted a second one and heard that RCBS is not using the same supplier for their new scales so I bought one off the internet (E-bay). Price was OK after shipping for a backup. It came in today and would not balance. I called RCBS and told them the story and asked if I could send it back to them for repair. (That is when he confirmed about the new supplier) They said that they do not make the scale but they have them made for them. They are going to send me a set of bushing to replace on the frame.

My questions, if anyone ever had a scale that did not balance, was it usually the bushing?

I even weighted the pan for my scale to the new one and got them within .002 gn of each other.

[country gent]

How level is the surface you had it on this affects the foot setting also. It might be bushings or the knife edges on the beam also. Remeber the pan mount on the underside is a screw that holds a cup on to it this has fine lead shot to help with coarse adjustments also. After repacing the bushing or adjusting the shot use a set of check wieghts to verify the scales accuracy along it full range of wieght to be safe and sure.

[catgunguy]

Scott Parker Beam Scale Repair and upgrades: Email at vld223 [at] yahoo.com or call at (661) 364-1199.
He will make it a great scale.

[yancey]

After repacing the bushing or adjusting the shot use a set of check wieghts to verify the scales accuracy along it full range of wieght to be safe and sure.

I had the same issues as you did !! ( Try what country gent said) It worked for me about five years ago with a set 505's i purchased 2nd hand.

[mtgrs737]

I have two of the tan Ohaus 505 scales that I use for shot and powder they are great scales! The newer green RCBS ones I don't know much about except for the color they look like mine, but I have heard that some of them are made overseas.

[1066]

I'm not clear what you mean by "bushings". Are you talking about the small Agate bearings that the knife edges sit in?

I'm also not clear what you mean by not balancing. Are you saying that with the scale on a level surface, the poises set at zero and the pan in place there's not enough adjustment with the adjustable foot to bring the scale into a zero position, or, is it that the scale is reading inconsistently and won't return to the same zero position when you remove and replace the pan?

[hd09]

RCBS sent me new agate bearings for an old 5-10 and it cured the leveling problem it had. They are stone but do wear. That is normaly the problem with balancing, also clean the knife edges of the balance beam with alcohol and check for burrs.

[KnotRight]

1066, when I said "bushings" i was referring to agate bearings.

Yes the scale is on a level table. The scale that I just got, it would not come up to zero. I even checked the weight of the pan and pan holder against the one that I had.

After the cleaning of the agate bearing and using a little Mothers on the knife edges of the beam, the scale does a little better. Hoping when I get the new bearing it will work as smoothly as the original one that I have.

I also go an older Lyman d-7 coming in. Hope that one works out of the box.

[1066]

Ok, I understand. my guess is that you have been sent the wrong pan with your scale. I know all the RCBS powder pans look about the same but their weights are widely different.


Unfortunately, I don't think changing the agate bearing will help much. When you get the new ones make sure to give them a good clean with spirit of some sort, also properly clean the bearing housing, you can even polish the little bumps the bearings sit on. the bearing should be free to wobble about.

If the pan you have is too light you can easily add a little weight (stick a small washer on the base) or if you want to do a proper job then you will need to re-tare the scale by adding weight to the weight box under the pan.

In this video I show how to re-tare the scale when using a different pan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOKJxe0FUTk

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/allan1066/Targetmaster/th_505bearings.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/allan1066/media/Targetmaster/505bearings.jpg.html)
I

[EDG]

Get a magnifying glass or a 7X eye loupe and look at the knife edges that sit on the agate bearings. If they are flattened by wear the may need to be stoned sharp again.


1066, when I said "bushings" i was referring to agate bearings.

Yes the scale is on a level table. The scale that I just got, it would not come up to zero. I even checked the weight of the pan and pan holder against the one that I had.

After the cleaning of the agate bearing and using a little Mothers on the knife edges of the beam, the scale does a little better. Hoping when I get the new bearing it will work as smoothly as the original one that I have.

I also go an older Lyman d-7 coming in. Hope that one works out of the box.

[Tackleberry41]

I had to buy a new scale a couple years ago. My old RCBS, the balance beam got lost in a move, no they wont sell you one, said its a calibrated part. The old ones, I bought mine in the early 90s, were made by Ohaus. The newer one is obviously not made by the same people.

It sure looked the same, but the housing was way lighter and thinner than the old one. And it was not calibrated out of the box, my old one I never did anything but use it. The new one, I had to take the pan apart and remove shot to get it to work right. Something that should have been done when it was made. And obviously the beam isnt the calibrated part they claimed. Why sell me a 10$ beam when they can sell me a whole scale. The threads on the adjuster were poorly done, I had to chase them, a bit scary as thin as the aluminum is. A look at Ohaus scale prices and doubt RCBS sources from them anymore. Ohaus prices went up to keep the same quality you expect, RCBS cut corners to keep it down.

I was thinking of a bigger scale, but the reviews online did not instill much confidence. Hit or miss, and no where near the quality of their old stuff. Other companies are switching to plastic housings.

[KnotRight]

I have been looking around at beam scales and they are getting harder to find. Well the good ones are. Everything is going digital.

Might have to start a collection of the older models.

[tradbear55]

Seems like everything is going digital, I have a digital scale, but I still use my rcbs 5-0-5 scale. The rcbs doesn't jump around like the digital scale.

[varmintpopper]

Just a little something most folks didn't think about when their scale starts acting up,, The "Damper" on Your scale is Magnetic, and if there are any sort of ferris metal particles or shavings around,, and there always are,, They will migrate over to Your magnet and stand out like needles on a Cactus and begin rubbing on the little paddle that is attached to the balance arm. thus causing incorrect readings, etc. The particles are not your Friend, Get rid of them.

Good Shooting

Lindy