woodsrunner1778
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I weigh my lead balls with a beam scale and was thinking about purchasing a digital one, any thoughts? :thumbsup:
Scale's Beam or digital, which one is most accurate?
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I would say that the better ones of either type are better than the cheaper ones of either. The cheap digitals are worse than the medium balance scales, and the medium balance scales are worse than the premium digitals, etc.
The best of the best are the top end digitals, but you don't need four decimal places when playing with blackpowder. The low ends of either will do 1/10ths of grains, and that's good enough.
The best of the best are the top end digitals, but you don't need four decimal places when playing with blackpowder. The low ends of either will do 1/10ths of grains, and that's good enough.
A couple things to consider; electronic scales are sensitive to vibration and drafts. This mens that unless you put them on a sturdy bench away from vents and open doors and avoid bumping the bench, you may have to re-zero/re-calibrate it fairly often. Digitals also require a warm-up period of at least 15 minutes to "settle in". That's fine if you have something else to do while it's warming up, but can be a pain if you want to do something quickly.
On the plus side, they are as accurate as a beam scale and once up to temp, they are very quick for doing comparison type work. For example, if you want to sort cast balls by weight, you can zero the scale with a ball on the platen and then the ones you put on afterwards will read deviation from that ones weight.
I have both and find they have their places, but I feel like all one needs is a good beam scale...a digital is a luxury item.
:thumbsup:
On the plus side, they are as accurate as a beam scale and once up to temp, they are very quick for doing comparison type work. For example, if you want to sort cast balls by weight, you can zero the scale with a ball on the platen and then the ones you put on afterwards will read deviation from that ones weight.
I have both and find they have their places, but I feel like all one needs is a good beam scale...a digital is a luxury item.
:thumbsup:
Okay, I will admmit I am old.
I took chemistry and used a triple beam balance. I inherited my fathers triple beam balance and used it for a long time for reloading and weighing MB balls. They are accuate, but they are slow.
My father finally took pity on me and bought me an electronic scale for XMAS.
Geeeeez, that thing was almost as good as sex. In fact, I still have it and my ex-wife is gone.
In all honesty, an elecronice scale speeds the process up a bunch when it comes to weighing things. If I had a choice I would have an electronic scale over a triple beam.
And at the same time, I would rather have an electonic scale over my ex-wife.
Does any one know why divorces are so expensive?
'cause they are worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RDE
I took chemistry and used a triple beam balance. I inherited my fathers triple beam balance and used it for a long time for reloading and weighing MB balls. They are accuate, but they are slow.
My father finally took pity on me and bought me an electronic scale for XMAS.
Geeeeez, that thing was almost as good as sex. In fact, I still have it and my ex-wife is gone.
In all honesty, an elecronice scale speeds the process up a bunch when it comes to weighing things. If I had a choice I would have an electronic scale over a triple beam.
And at the same time, I would rather have an electonic scale over my ex-wife.
Does any one know why divorces are so expensive?
'cause they are worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RDE
Mad Professor
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woodsrunner1778 said:
Depends on the quality of your beam scale. What is the accurracy of each? There are many things MANY people do not understand about accurate weights and measures. Digital does not nessarlily mean more accurate. I work with balances that weigh 0.0001g (grams) daily. We have beam balances that are more accurate and digital that are less.
What Swampman has stated is true for MOST purposes measure (I think thats what he meant?) for powder is true. Work up a load (with that powder) by consistent throws and all is fine.
Bullets may be another case as castings have cavities and even those without may vary in mass. Years ago I settled on a very good centerfire bullet manufacturer in part because I could not discriminate between bullets (or lots of bullets) by weight.
Anyway, if projectiles vary in mass they will very in accurracy. How much depends on your needs and desires.
For BP purposes a grain is ca. 0.065 grams. So ANY BALANCE properly used that can weigh 0.01 g (gram) is more/as much as you need. I teach chemistry so note PROPERLY USED in the above statement.
Let's not get into piddley things such as digital vs beam balances which are beyond what our hobby requires (sorry no offense intended).
P.S. Often the accuracy of a scale depends on that who has set up and/or is using it!
P.P.S. Many schools are "dsposing of" / "upgrading" to similar quality digital balances as the students think they are more facile to use (i.e. used = cheap!)
