What's wrong with my RCBS scale?
- Thread starter Rugdoc
- Start date
Rugdoc i had to chuckle when you mentioned the Redding oil dampening scale, i learned on the same thing 40+ years ago. The old fellow had his reloading bench out in the shop and one day the scale wouldn`t work, took a bit of fiddleing around to discover a fly in the oil bath. He made a cover for the scale after that. Hope things work out with your scale, i have used a Ohaus 505 for many years, same thing as RCBS.
So basically the instructions are for re-balancing a scale if the scale pan hanger assembly or pan have been replaced.
They sent me a pdf and it won't reproduce for me to copy.
Set poises for zero and if it doesn't balance, add or subtract weight from the shot cup.
You take the hanger assembly off, take the pan off and open up the shot cup. Put the shot in the pan and put the shot cup back together but don't over tighten the screw.
Hook the scale pan hanger into the stirrup.
Put the pan into the hanger and then remove shot one at a time until it balances.(they don't say this, but obviously if it's to light you'd add shot)
Put shot back into shot pan, tighten screw (not too tight) replace powder pan and check scale . If it balances now you're ready to go.
They sent me a pdf and it won't reproduce for me to copy.
Set poises for zero and if it doesn't balance, add or subtract weight from the shot cup.
You take the hanger assembly off, take the pan off and open up the shot cup. Put the shot in the pan and put the shot cup back together but don't over tighten the screw.
Hook the scale pan hanger into the stirrup.
Put the pan into the hanger and then remove shot one at a time until it balances.(they don't say this, but obviously if it's to light you'd add shot)
Put shot back into shot pan, tighten screw (not too tight) replace powder pan and check scale . If it balances now you're ready to go.
"Before you start messing with the shot, use the levelling foot. Don't play with shot weight until you have exhausted that possibility."
__________________
Thanks Atom. I have indeed tried that and will again before I do anything like open up the shot pan.
__________________
Thanks Atom. I have indeed tried that and will again before I do anything like open up the shot pan.
I am amazed at how complicated RCBS made it to adjust their scale.
My Redding is 50 years old and has been used a few times in that interval, as it is the only scale I have ever had! The oil dampening system works well, just use heavier or lighter oil, to suit your fancy.
On the end of the beam are a pair of small locking nuts. If the scale gets out of balance, which is rare and then very minor, just adjust the nuts to bring the beam level. You can't beat simplicity.
Any beam scale should always be very close to level, with the adjustable foot only used for minor leveling, and should not be used to give the scale an obvious slant from being level.
My Redding is 50 years old and has been used a few times in that interval, as it is the only scale I have ever had! The oil dampening system works well, just use heavier or lighter oil, to suit your fancy.
On the end of the beam are a pair of small locking nuts. If the scale gets out of balance, which is rare and then very minor, just adjust the nuts to bring the beam level. You can't beat simplicity.
Any beam scale should always be very close to level, with the adjustable foot only used for minor leveling, and should not be used to give the scale an obvious slant from being level.
I agree that the Redding has a certain charm, like I said I had borrowed one like yours prior to seeking my own, but as I don't have a permanent place to load, having to put oil into the scale and then dump it every time was a pain, to say the least.
I did look at them for sale at the gun show though, for sure. $25.00 each and quite a few for sale too.
I did look at them for sale at the gun show though, for sure. $25.00 each and quite a few for sale too.
If you look at the picture that the OP posted, the arm looks level, and the scale should be easy to zero, without resorting to playing with the weights in the pan holder.
Well sure it looks level. It's against the top stop!
Do you understand how a scale works? Did you download those instructions I posted?
That in itself might be a problem: if the pan is too heavy, adding shot will not help. Hopefully in that case there is some shot to take out.
You could be right,I can't tell for sure from the picture, if it's bottomed hard, or just sitting close to the limit. If he showed a picture with the screw backed way out until the arm was no longer close to level, we could be sure.
The picture blow looked the same with the zero screw in all the way.
But it zero'd
There is usually no need, unless the scale is damaged, as in something bent.
It makes a person wonder if the pan is the original pan? If the person replaced this scale with a digital scale, he might have got the pans mixed up. It wouldn't matter with the digital scale, as it would zero without issue, but the beam scale isn't as forgiving.
The thing is that the levelling foot in the OP's photos is screwed up all the way inside. Moreover, without the pan it's below zero and with the pan it's above zero. Looks like there's room for minor adjustment; could be wrong, but I always prefer to start with the simple options first.
I would clean the knife edges and v-blocks, then place the scale on a solid surface proven to be level, and then try screwing the leveling screw out. If it still can't be zeroed, I would look for obvious damage, as in bent linkages. Only them would I even consider playing with the shot in the pan holder. And if I did adjust the shot, I would be sure to get my hands on a check weight to verify that the scale weighs correctly. If it requires the shot being adjusted, it may have been damaged in a way that could effect it's accuracy.
