Bair 317-100 Scale adjustment instructions?

[DonMountain]

I have just acquired a Bair 317-100 powder/bullet scale from one of our favorite auction sites, and need to adjust the balance point of the scale. My antique Pacific scales have an almost identical balance bar on them, and are adjusted by loosening two nuts on the pan end of the scale and moving them to balance and tighten them back together. On the Bair 317-100 there is a brass cylindrical piece in place of the nut carrying screw on the Pacific. There is a threaded hole coming in from the end of the brass end piece, which I think may have a small Allen headed screw down inside of it. Is this the adjustment? :shock:

[Pressman]

Don, this is going to take some time for me to sort out. I have just looked at my scale and it won't zero either. Mine has two rubber o rings on the brass part you mention. What the threads are for I am not sure other than thread that part onto the beam, but mine is locked tight.

The scale is made by Webster, so it is possible I can get more information by looking at their scales or the identical model with the Texan name on it.
Gotta run to a meeting right now, more later this evening.
Ken

OK, back and looking at the various Webster scales the RW and RS have a 1/2" long thread rod with a brass thumb wheel threaded into that hole. Turn the wheel to adjust zero.
So, a solution would be to get a #6 screw, I think that is the correct size and screw it in with a nut to balance the beam. You could trim the head off the svrew to give a more authentic appearance.
Ken

[DonMountain]

Thank you very much Pressman. I finally found a small screw (3/16x32 threads per inch) and about 1/2" long that screwed into that hole in the end of the balance bar brass cylinder on the right. But it made the bar immediately fall to the bottom like it was way too heavy. So I removed the screw and tried putting things in the pan to make it balance. I finally got down to a 3/4" square piece of masking tape which I just attached to the bottom of the scale pan. And I could use the leveling screw on the opposite end of the scale base to do the final adjustment by leveling it. I adjusted the size of the piece of tape so that the scale looks to have the same space under it all the way from the cast feet on the right to the balance screw on the left. So, it took very little adjustment to actually make the scale work correctly. It appears like the factory had adjusted the scale by filing or sanding off the end of the plate on the left end of the balance bar that serves as the magnet damper. But I didn't want to damage the scale so I was reluctant to do any filing on it.

[Pressman]

Another way to zero that scale is making a new pan hanger wire out of #6 aluminum wire. Getting it shaped with no kinks takes some thought and effort, then slowly trim the wire till the beam balances.

[DonMountain]

Thanks for your help Pressman. The tape on the bottom of the scale pan seems to be at much a temporary solution. I like your idea of making a new pan hanger and adjusting it to a correct balance. Maybe I should try one of those off of one of my antique Pacific scales, which can be adjusted if I swap the hangers.