Powder scale rcbs balance beam bad?

[rogerthat]

Anyone ever had a balance beam powder scale get out of whack? Recently realized when a buddy did some load development for me that my powder scale was measuring a grain heavy at 41 grains. Needless to say I was getting pressure so we weighed my charge on his scale. Now I’m doing some trouble shooting and it’s weighing one dime (35 gr) at 35.6 grains, two dimes at 69.5 grains, and a 107 tmk at 106.2 grains. Really got me scratching my head on this one. Any help is appreciated

 

[X13]

I had to adjust the counterweight in mine once, made a world of difference.

 

[rogerthat]

Thanks I think I’m at the step where I weight the dines and it’s not accurate

 

[X13]

Thanks I think I’m at the step where I weight the dines and it’s not accurate

I also use these instead of dimes. Obscenely overpriced but more precise than dimes, thankfully I got mine from a relative for free

 

[std7mag]

Yeah....
I'd definitely check with actual calibrated weight checks than dimes or any other such thing.

Especially against a 0.8gr difference in bullet weight!

 

[Caseknife]

I just use the screw foot to zero my scale with an empty pan every time I use it. Also have the RCBS test weight kit. Don't think I would use a dime that gets worn thin rattling around in many pockets over its life span.

 

[Dakotakid]

I check each reloading session with check weights but also use a digital scale to cross check each scale.
I adjust with the foot but there may be a couple bbs under the pan.

 

[cowboy]

Take a penny, nickel, dime and quarters to a fancy jewelry store and have them weigh them on their scales they use for diamonds. Right down the weights, put coins in a pill bottle with the written weights and never use them again except for calibration. You can’t get more accurate and you can use a combination of the coins to check different scale weights.

 

[44hunter45]

Reach out to RCBS tech support. Owned by Hodgdon now but the service is as good as it ever was.

 

[WapitiBob]

Buy set of RCBS check weights for $78. Zero the balance beam for the charge weight you'll use and you will have the most accurate weight system you can get.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

1 - buy known calibration weights
2 - clean pivot point and beam pivot of any potential buildup, clean consistently
3 - do not store beam in pivot point
4 - cover 100% to keep dust, pollen, foreign air floating crap out the pivot area
5 - clean pan regularly
6 - develop standard repeatable process on using the beam scale for best repeatable results. Beam scales are not bullet proof to inconsistency if the manner they are used is inconsistent.
7 - set scale in same location every time, zero the scale level every time, do not lean on bench.
8 - slowly use a trickler to allow beam to settle
9 - calibrate during load to double check, takes but a second to put known weight on it.

Beam scales can be reasonably accurate with a consistent process.

JM2¢

 

[std7mag]

Take a penny, nickel, dime and quarters to a fancy jewelry store and have them weigh them on their scales they use for diamonds. Right down the weights, put coins in a pill bottle with the written weights and never use them again except for calibration. You can’t get more accurate and you can use a combination of the coins to check different scale weights.

Depending upon how fine of a weight measurement the jeweler did, i'd be willing to bet that by the time you put them in the pill bottle, then your pocket, walked to your car turned around, walked back in, removed them from the pill bottle and reweighed them that they would be slightly different.

Do you really never wonder why check weights are packaged so they are not hitting into each other, or anything else?

 

[Redmt]

Interesting. I've used my RCBS scale for at least 50 years! I've never had it go out of calibration. I have a set of check weights and it's always been right on. One thing you can count on is gravity.

 

[rogerthat]

Interesting. I've used my RCBS scale for at least 50 years! I've never had it go out of calibration. I have a set of check weights and it's always been right on. One thing you can count on is gravity.

I agree. Really scratching my head how this scale got out of whack. Where I am now after some fiddling is that I can get it to balance at zero and all weights measured are consistently low. Around 2% low. 1 grain low at 50 and 2 at 100 per the scale markings.

 

[Redmt]

Has the pan holder ever come loose? There's calibration shot under/inside the pan holder. I had to recalibrate it when I switched to a different pan.

 

[Redmt]

Where are you located? Have someone close to you check some coins with a known scale, mark them and send them to you.

 

[brockel]

Had an rcbs beam scale go wonky on me. Ended up replacing with this electronic one because I could never trust it again. Would never go back. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101286312?pid=142513

 

[Redmt]

Had an rcbs beam scale go wonky on me. Ended up replacing with this electronic one because I could never trust it again. Would never go back. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101286312?pid=142513

How can a balance scale go wonky if it was accurate at one time? I'm definitely not disagreeing but I don't understand how a balance beam could fail?
BTW, I don't trust anything digital when measurements are critical. I have a digital protractor for measuring angles. It can vary a few degrees depending on what kind of mood it is in.

 

[rogerthat]

How can a balance scale go wonky if it was accurate at one time? I'm definitely not disagreeing but I don't understand how a balance beam could fail?
BTW, I don't trust anything digital when measurements are critical. I have a digital protractor for measuring angles. It can vary a few degrees depending on what kind of mood it is in.

I agree with your sentiments but it used to work great and somehow it got off. I had to add a little weight to the pan to even get it to be able to balance. But it’s now 2% low on its weights which makes sense as I was charging higher than I thought on my reloads

 

[brockel]

How can a balance scale go wonky if it was accurate at one time? I'm definitely not disagreeing but I don't understand how a balance beam could fail?
BTW, I don't trust anything digital when measurements are critical. I have a digital protractor for measuring angles. It can vary a few degrees depending on what kind of mood it is in.

Would be +- 2 grains or so.

Been using the digital scale for probably 15 years now. Never had a single issue for it but I do throw the weight on it every so often to check it.