Scale won't hold settings - update

[J Miller]

Some weeks ago I posted about my RCBS 5-0-5 scale that wouldn't hold it's adjustments. Each time I'd go to use it the pointer would be pointing way high. It's drove me nuts for quite some time.
I'd re zero it and it would work great. But let it sit for a week or even less and there it is, out of zero again.

Today I went to load some ammo. Looked at the scale and it was way off. The pointer was almost a half grain high. Somethings gotta be wrong I thought. I got my soft brush out and brushed off everything. As I did that I got the impression that something just wasn't right. It finally dawned on me that the scale body was way low on the left side. ??????? Huh.

The only way that could happen is if the adjuster screwed itself back up inside the scale. We live in a very porous area. We can feel vibrations from the neighbors and cars in the street through the entire house. So the only thing I can figure out is the adjuster screw is simply gradually turning as the house vibrates.

Either that or the cats are playing with it.

My wife says the ghost is doing it. I think it's her cats.


Joe

[El Chivo]

Funny but things like that do happen. I once went with an architect to take pictures inside an old abandoned building. In some rooms the overhead lights had no bulbs, and the bulbs were broken on the floor.

He told me that gravity and vibrations unscrewed the light bulbs gradually over a period of years until they finally fell out.

[TedH]

I'd go with the ghost theory.

[Ben_Rumson]

Time for a lock nut?

[J Miller]

Time for a lock nut?

A lock nut wouldn't work too good. The way the scale body is designed I'd have to turn it upside down to loosen it to adjust the scale.

I was thinking about putting some teflon tape on the screw stem. Just a bit to prevent the unwanted movements.

Joe

[meanc]

J,

I used some of my daughter's Elmers glue on the stem. I let it dry and put it back. It's not a solid lock and can be easily turned if need be, but it'll definitely stand up to any vibration I can think of.

[Ben_Rumson]

Yeah Joe..The tape should work perfect..

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Wow, good idea with the Teflon tape. I'm gonna tape mine when I get home. I hate how loose it is.

[Blaine]

Is it always high? I'm wondering is a half grain is within the possibility of a barometric change.....

[J Miller]

Is it always high? I'm wondering is a half grain is within the possibility of a barometric change.....

Yes, the pointer is always high. Usually just a needle width or so, but recently a lot more. Because it was a lot more I could actually see the body of the scale was lower to the platform it sits on than normal.
The adjuster is very easy to turn. Just bump it and it moves. So that's why I'm thinking the vibrations of the house and surrounding area are the primary causes.

I won't discount barometric changes as a potential cause too. Our basement runs from dry as bone, sometimes, to so humid the dehumidifier runs constantly.

Joe

[99savage308]

j miller and all others

re: scale won't hold settings

The loose adjustment screw would cause the change due to vibrations. Thread type will work so will the glue and perhaps you may try some of that blue lock tite. Just an added note for all to remember when working with scales. The key to it all is: plumb,square and level.
.

[Malamute]

I re-zero mine every time I use it. I also take the beam off and put something over the bearings to keep dust off of them. Any movement of the scale location on the loading bench will affect the zero too, unless your bench is perfectly level, and perfectly smooth. I rezero any time the scale gets moved for any reason. I guess I wouldnt notice if it changed by itself, since it gets re-zeroed every time.

[J Miller]

99savage308, Malamute, and others,

Nothing is level in this house, nothing. It is a home built house made from reused materials. Because of that I made a leveling platform for my scale. Here is a picture of it with my old Redding oil dampened scale:


I've since acquired a round bubble level and with the adjustable screws at the four corners I keep the platform level.

Until I switched from the Redding to the RCBS I'd never had trouble with the scale changing it's settings. One is light weight and the other cast iron.

Also not long ago on the suggestions of someone, maybe you Malamute, I've started taking the beam out of the scale and laying it aside.

I also rezero the scale each time I use it. But sometimes I don't load ammo for months at a time. I really don't need to, as I don't shoot near as much as I used to.

Joe

[Kansas Ed]

FYI, static electricity can mess with them. Any styrofoam or any other static attracting material...or a magnetic screwdriver etc. will throw them off. Make sure you aren't experiencing any of that...

Ed

[J Miller]

After the last post I went down and put the Teflon tape on the adjuster stem. It tightened it right up. And the strange thing is it's also steadier now. The entire scale seems to be much more stable. I think that adjusting screw was loose enough in it's hole to allow the entire scale to wobble.
It will be interesting to see how it works over a period of time.

Joe