Scales

[Johnw...ski]

I posted a thread here awhile back asking about scales and the Lyman 1000XP scale in particular.

I received my new Lyman scale yesterday and have mixed emotions about it.

Lyman recomends that the scale be allowed to acclimate to it's new home for 24 hours before use. I tried it this morning so it more like 12 hours its been here, so maybe it's not used to me yet.

Lyman also recomends that it not be used on a reloading bench, well damit, that what it's for so that's were it will live.

Other recomendations are that it be calibrated with every use, no problem there.
Also that it be rezeroed approximently every ten weighings, OK.

Well I have been useing intermittently for the last three hours, calibration every time it's turned on is a must but not a problem. I have been able to realize + or -
1/10 gr. repeatibility if I rezero after every 3 or 4 weighs. It seems that if the scale is rezeroed often it will maintain adaquite consistancy, but seems to wander to higher weights over time if not rezeroed.

I plan to try it with the same two boolits for the rest of the day and see if it repeats those weights consistantly, if so I guess it will be a keeper although I was hoping for more. So far I would rate this scale as OK but not great.

Anyone out there with the same scale have any comments?

Thanks,

John

[montana_charlie]

Lyman also recomends that it not be used on a reloading bench,
That is to isolate the scale (any kind of scale) from the bumps, bangs, and vibrations caused by reloading. The best way is to have the scale at eye level, but sitting on a wall-mounted shelf which is not connected to the bench.

Even if loading bumps don't cause the scale to get out of calibration, the constant wear on the pivots (or whatever supports the weighing surface) will degrade the sensitivity over time.
CM

[Pepe Ray]

Johnw--ski;
Scale acclimitazation is standard for all. There should be a "warm-up time" also but that will vary.
The work surface that you use should be granite steady. I doubt that occasional vibration/bump will injure the scale but WILL interfere with your measurement. If you must use it on a free standing bench, DON'T be having your grandson using the press on the other end while your trying to get powder measured :-?
When you get it zeroed, weigh your pan and mark the wgt. on the bottom. Makes a quick reference point. Keep in mind that they are all warranted to be accurate to a degree. A variance is easily seen in many cases when a charge just doesn't want to settle down to " 3.3 or 3.4".
I find that most guys expect too much from any electronic scale. They're no more accurate than a balance beam but one heck of a lot faster and easier.
Hope you learn to enjoy your Lyman as much as I with my Pact.
Pepe Ray

P.S. Don't toss out your balance beam.

[Johnw...ski]

I actually like my balance beam scale, I am using the digital scale to weigh boolits, it's faster and my beam scale only goes to 500 gr. so I would be out of luck weighing my 535 gr. Postells.

John


Johnw--ski;
Scale acclimitazation is standard for all. There should be a "warm-up time" also but that will vary.
The work surface that you use should be granite steady. I doubt that occasional vibration/bump will injure the scale but WILL interfere with your measurement. If you must use it on a free standing bench, DON'T be having your grandson using the press on the other end while your trying to get powder measured :-?
When you get it zeroed, weigh your pan and mark the wgt. on the bottom. Makes a quick reference point. Keep in mind that they are all warranted to be accurate to a degree. A variance is easily seen in many cases when a charge just doesn't want to settle down to " 3.3 or 3.4".
I find that most guys expect too much from any electronic scale. They're no more accurate than a balance beam but one heck of a lot faster and easier.
Hope you learn to enjoy your Lyman as much as I with my Pact.
Pepe Ray

P.S. Don't toss out your balance beam.

[Johnw...ski]

I have been using this Lyman 1000XP scale off and on all day, it's ok but doesn't give me any confidence that I am getting accurate weights. The last time I calibrated it it was over a grain off and needed to be recalibrated 4 times before it settled down, and to top that off it wouldn't shut off or give a weight or switch modes I had to remove the battery to shut it off. I also called Lyman earlier today and the responce from the customer rep was "it sounds like you will never be happy with the scale, you should return it to where you bought it."

I just got off the phone with Midsouth and it's going back, not their fault but I will do more research and spend my money somewhere else.

John

[Ricochet]

I'm pretty fond of the minor pentatonic scale.

[PatMarlin]

Dorian.

For me, these electronic scales are fine for weighing boolits, but I trust a beam scale for powder. At least it will be totally consistant. No way I will use it for reloading.

I bought the RCBS which is a very good electronic scale, but again for boolit weights only.

I very fond of the Lee Safety scale as it cannot be bumped out without a grossly obvious 20 grains;. It locks on to your weight. I've got Redding beams and others with the little tenth grain tab and if you're not looking, you can bump it out easily.

LEE has got my respect for an accurate safe scale at any price consideration. Dead accurate as any I've tried.

[Johnw...ski]

Would you play me a tune while I weigh boolits?

John


I'm pretty fond of the minor pentatonic scale.

[Ricochet]

How about the .32-20 Blues?

[dominicfortune00]

Try putting the scale on a piece of marble.

Labratory scales are usually mounted on tables made of marble because marble absorbs vibrations.

[Johnw...ski]

Maybe some 38-55 jazz?


How about the .32-20 Blues?

[pdawg_shooter]

I have used a Pact for years now. Complete satisfaction. Would never go back to a balance beam scale..way to slow!

[Johnw...ski]

I am looking at the Pact scale with the 1500 grain capacity, but not before I contact someone at the company.

Does anyone else have any scale suggestions.

John


I have used a Pact for years now. Complete satisfaction. Would never go back to a balance beam scale..way to slow!

[montana_charlie]

Does anyone else have any scale suggestions.
This is a scale I have often thought about buying. I see the price has not gone up a bit since the last time I looked for it.
http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/my-weigh-ibalance-201.aspx

CM

[jawjaboy]

I am looking at the Pact scale with the 1500 grain capacity, but not before I contact someone at the company.

Does anyone else have any scale suggestions.

John

Other than sharing ~5 happy years with my Pact, nossir, I reckon I don't.

No complaint's from me on the Pact.

YMMV.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g194/jawjaboy/IM000246.jpg

[Jon K]

Breezees, bumps, vibration all affect the scale.
Climatize the scale...........I took the advise of a friend, leave the scale on for 24-72 hrs, come back and calibrate every now and again. Mine was rather touchy in the begining before I did that and moved it over to the corner of the room( on my desk).

Maybe you didn't give it a fair chance.

I had RCBS 105 Beam/RCBS 10-10/RCBS 505 scales. Now I only have the Lyman 1000XP. I have sold the balance scales........they're slower than dirt. I don't plan on relacing, and as posted before it got deleted, I will probably get a RCBS 1500 Chargemaster Combo- mainly to do stick powders.

Just my $.02,

Jon

Jon

[Johnw...ski]

Lyman used to be a good name now it means take what you get, enough, I'll spend my money elsewhere.

John


Breezees, bumps, vibration all affect the scale.
Climatize the scale...........I took the advise of a friend, leave the scale on for 24-72 hrs, come back and calibrate every now and again. Mine was rather touchy in the begining before I did that and moved it over to the corner of the room( on my desk).

Maybe you didn't give it a fair chance.

I had RCBS 105 Beam/RCBS 10-10/RCBS 505 scales. Now I only have the Lyman 1000XP. I have sold the balance scales........they're slower than dirt. I don't plan on relacing, and as posted before it got deleted, I will probably get a RCBS 1500 Chargemaster Combo- mainly to do stick powders.

Just my $.02,

Jon

Jon

[beagle]

Flourescent lights can affect them someway as well as any drafts on the reloading bench and vibrations cause by bullet seating, etc.

You experiences reflect mine with a RCBS E-scale. I never did develop any confidence in them so I went back to two identical Lyman beam scales and use them to check each other occasionally. When I had the e-scale, I checked them and both weighed an object about .1 grain light from the e-scales and that was good enough for me.

I agree, weighing bullets, yes. Standard reloading, give me a beam balance scale./beagle

[floodgate]

Actually, you can make a very fine and effective damper to put a scale on by using a stack of paper 2-3" high. Best would be that stack you have next to the computer printer of duplicates, mis-prints, etc.; but a couple of 500-sheet reams of el-cheapo copy paper will work fine if you fluff them up a bit. I learned this in a high-tech physics lab where we were using an oil-damped pendulum monster rig to quiet down a sensitive ballistic galvanometer; a friend from a make-do institution showed me his galvanometer set up on a stack of old test papers - and it was even quieter. I'm glad this topic came up, because I had long forgotten that stunt; I'll try it next time Iset up my scales.

Fg

[AZ-Stew]

My electronic scale is part of a Lyman DPS 1200 powder dispenser. I'm very satisfied with it. A lot of folks complain about the 30 minute warmup that Lyman strongly recommends. Since I don't have to tear down my handloading setup each time I use it, I simply leave my DPS 1200 plugged in all the time so it's always warmed up. All I have to do is run a calibration on it before use, which takes about 15 seconds. If I want to check it during a loading session, all I have to do is put a bullet on the scale and check the weight. As long as the displayed weight hasn't changed, I'm good to go. No need to recalibrate. A set of check weights would do the same thing, but I already have the bullets. My VERY heavy bench is also bolted to the wall studs top and bottom, so the DPS 1200 stays on the bench. No vibration problems.

I still have and use the two Lyman balance beam scales I've bought over the years, but they don't have any advantage over the digital. As long as a check weight gives consistent readings, there's no difference, except that the digital is a LOT faster for checking boolit weights, and the DPS 1200 can't be beat for producing long strings of precisely trickled powder charges. Dump the weighed charge into a case, put the pan back on the scale and hit "Go" on the dispenser, then seat a bullet on the charged case while the next charge is being dispensed. Both processes take about the same amount of time, so one can quickly turn out a BUNCH of weighed-charge ammo in a very short period of time.

By the way, unless you check your scale using a set of accurate calibration weights, regardless of whether it's digital or balance, you'll NEVER know whether the scale is "accurate". It may be consistent, but that's not the same as accurate. We all assume that when our scale says we're dispensing an 8.5 grain charge of Unique that we're really getting exactly 8.5 grains of powder. Unless we check and calibrate our scales, we're only guessing.

Thanks, I'll keep my digital, but I'll also keep the balance beam scales in case the digital needs to visit the repair man.

Regards,

Stew

[Southern Son]

I have a Dillon D-Terminator. It has been great. Very consistent, easy to set up. I can't tell you what the new ones are like, this one is more than six years old and still going strong. I had one of the previous Dillon D-Terminator scales, used it for about three or four years and one day it just would not turn on. I took it to the shop and told them what had happened. They sent it away and Dillon sent me a brand new scale to replace it, no questions asked.

[randyrat]

You would be tickled pink if you can find an old RCBS 304 made by OHAUS...Mine goes up to 1100 grns and never needs warming up, no plug in, no batteries and no warm up time. I was very lucky and purchased it for about $20, It had a little smoke damage, but no damage and is very accurate and fast. I do test it once in a while with a known weight, its always right on. After reading these threads, i am going to seperate the scale from the bench to prevent premature wear.

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Bought this Ohaus Mod. 314 over forty years ago. Haven't had to plug it in, or change the batteries yet! :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:
Morgan

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa159/pgfaini/scale.jpg