Repairing Lyman 500 scale
clu...@lycos.com
scale with my winter coat and it tumbled to the floor.
The agate bearing on one side broke out, the hanger for the pan needed tweeking and the
pivot pin was off center.
I *thought* I was okay until I couldn't zero it. The pivot pin which has a knife edge was
rotating and putting the balance point forward or backward as I tried to trouble shoot it.
Right now I'm thinking that I need to zero the weights, measure the beam height forward
and backwards of the pivot to a level surface and tweek the angular relationship of the
pivot until I can reach a level beam.
So when the beam is level I have the pivot pin adjusted properly.
Now how to lock it. I'm thinking loctite wick and lock atm.
I cross posted it to rec.crafts.metalworking, I hope it is okay with the moderators. If
not I'll start a separate thread there.
Thanks,
Wes
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Flash60601
with the beam, in every way. That is both the pivots for the beam AND for
the pan.
The agates must sit level, parallel, and straight with each other and
(generallly) square to the frame, though they are free to "self-center"
within their cages on top of the posts.
The wire hanger for the pan will not matter, as it will be "self-centering"
by gravity. It only needs to have the loops at right angles to the pivots.
* STRICTLY* Do not mess with the weights in the pan-platform (the hanger).
They are properly matched (calibrated) to the beam and pan combination.
If the pivots on the beam are damaged or out of exact square, it is a good
candidate for replacement, or barring that, send it back to Lyman for them
to fix. Home-brew fixes of some precision equipment without the proper EXACT
tools to do the job and the proper equipment to verify the work is not a
process that has a high degree of probability of success.
Face it - :) Some things can be damaged beyond one's ability to fix with
common sense and duct tape.
Flash
Walter Martindale
The folks at Redding say to send their scale back if it needs repair -
I wonder what the Lyman folks say?
Walter
D. Staples
# Today, was hopefully the third in trouble comes in threes. I somehow brushed my Lyman
# scale with my winter coat and it tumbled to the floor.
#
# The agate bearing on one side broke out, the hanger for the pan needed tweeking and the
# pivot pin was off center.
#
With the nature of reloading, replace the scale.
nord...@yahoo.com
those you shoot with.
Rubaiyat of Omar Bradley
justification for getting an electronic reloading scale, which will
probably be more convenient to use anyway. Midway has one on sale for
$25 - see
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=713372
sta...@prolynx.com
repaired. Even a new one isn't that expensive, Midway, $45. You're
liable to end up with something that almost works most of the time if
you try to fix it yourself. Chip a knife edge or a bearing and your
accuracy goes away. If your knife edges are loose, you've got
nothing.
Stan
clu...@lycos.com
#It's still a current item with Lyman, talk to them about getting it
#repaired. Even a new one isn't that expensive, Midway, $45. You're
#liable to end up with something that almost works most of the time if
#you try to fix it yourself. Chip a knife edge or a bearing and your
#accuracy goes away. If your knife edges are loose, you've got
#nothing.
#
#Stan
I looked at the reviews on the new Lyman 500's. Plastic base, lots of complaints on the
Midway site.
I'm not against buying a new one but I don't want to buy crap and I fear much of current
production stuff is plastic.
Has anyone bought a new balance scale in the last year and would like to comment on yours?
I won't consider an electronic scale unless I have a reliable balance scale to cross check
it so save your reviews on the electronic stuff.
I'm not a big fan of electronic stuff, at least my current busted up scale works on
physics I can see and understand.
Btw, I was able to align things so that I can measure a 5g test weight using either the
..1g poise @ 5.0 or the 5 g poise @ 5 with the other poise on zero. I have not permanently
fixed the pivot so the scale is still a paperweight. Solder, expecially small gage solder
is very nice to use as a test weight. Very easy to trim to exact weights.
For those with the dire warnings. I understand where you are coming from.
Wes
Ralph
sync. I lost the pan for my Hornady scale some years ago. I phoned
Hornady for a replacement and they told me that I needed to send the scale
back to them for the new scale. I thought I was getting a run-around and
consulted with an engineer friend of mine. He confirmed, in words and
terms I couldn't begin to understand, why it was absolutely necessary to
match the pan with the scale and that I absolutely had to return the scale
to Hornady for the replacement. So, I did. Works fine. Wasn't all that
expensive.
Ralph
Walter Martindale
You're stuck on Lyman, then? My Redding does just fine - I don't
think they've gone to too much plastic (mine's been going for more
than 15 years so I don't worry about scales at the moment)
Had a Lee, didn't like it.
Shop around - get a good new scale. If your budget is constrained
then you may need to wait a bit and shoot off existing ammo, or shoot
a little less while you make up in non-bought bullets, primers, and
powder while you pay off the scale, but if you're shooting a lot, the
price of a new scale shouldn't be that hard to deal with.
Get a good one and you won't have to get another one - kinda like when
I bought my Meindl hiking/hunting boots - the sales guy said "that's
the last pair of boots you'll buy" - so far, 10 years later, they're
hardly showing any wear..
W
clu...@lycos.com
#
#You're stuck on Lyman, then?
I'm not stuck on anything. The problem is what is sold today isn't what we bought 10-30
years ago. Lyman wouldn't give me a price to fix other than send it in and we will tell
you later. At least they are willing to repair it.
#My Redding does just fine - I don't
#think they've gone to too much plastic (mine's been going for more
#than 15 years so I don't worry about scales at the moment)
#Had a Lee, didn't like it.
I'll run Lee molds and dies. I don't even plan to consider them for a scale.
#Shop around - get a good new scale. If your budget is constrained
#then you may need to wait a bit and shoot off existing ammo, or shoot
#a little less while you make up in non-bought bullets, primers, and
#powder while you pay off the scale, but if you're shooting a lot, the
#price of a new scale shouldn't be that hard to deal with.
#Get a good one and you won't have to get another one - kinda like when
#I bought my Meindl hiking/hunting boots - the sales guy said "that's
#the last pair of boots you'll buy" - so far, 10 years later, they're
#hardly showing any wear..
#W
A number of acceptable scales seem to be out of stock at this moment. Uncle will loan me
his even older Lyman scale so I can keep loading with something that can be trusted. My
powder measure has been stuck on my .40 sw load for 3 months now but I just don't feel
right unless I measure the first and last throw before seating bullets.
I was planning on running off 1000 rounds of .40 over the holidays, I'll be using a known
good scale or I'll just do the brass prep and wait.
This little bump in the road is making me an advocate for owning test weights. I wonder
how many reponders have them? I don't yet but they are on my shopping list. The nice
thing about Christmas is I always buy me what I want ;)
Wes
Flash60601
metal-based. Goes to 1000 grains. Has its own 500-gr checkweight, which
doubles as an additional (fixed) poise.
Flash
Objekt
# Today, was hopefully the third in trouble comes in threes. I somehow brushed my Lyman
# scale with my winter coat and it tumbled to the floor.
#
# The agate bearing on one side broke out, the hanger for the pan needed tweeking and the
# pivot pin was off center.
I'm going to jump on the "send it to Lyman" bandwagon.
Yes, you'll be without a scale for a couple of weeks. But it beats
using a scale you can't really be sure about, which only "mostly" works.
Objekt
GeoW
I believe I'd rather run Lee Dippers as run a damaged scale. As was
said earlier, to repair a precision instrument, one needs use of a
precision tool.
Good luck what ever route you take but it would be nice to get the
number three, (trouble comes in threes), in the past :)
Geo
Objekt
# It will probably never be as good as new. Seems like a perfect
# justification for getting an electronic reloading scale, which will
# probably be more convenient to use anyway. Midway has one on sale for
# $25 - see
# http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=713372
May I also recommend the Hornady GS-1500?
https://www.midwayusa.com/Search/#hornady%20gs-1500____-_1-2-4_8-16-32
I paid a hair over $30 for mine, and it's been a fine replacement for my
old electronic scale (RCBS/PACT Digital Powder Pro), which was no longer
reliable.
The accuracy is nothing to get excited about, but adequate, typical for
electronic scales in its price range. It weighs within 0.1 gr. of my
Redding mechanical balance (verified w/RCBS check weights). It's also
less jumpy than my RCBS/PACT scale was, while having about the same
accuracy. So the GS-1500 has been a good replacement.
Objekt
Martin Eastburn
even two points but fail others.
Don't bet your hand, gun, friend, life on such a silly push to fix your
own. I have a professional lathe, large hobby mill and tons of tools.
I have cal standards, thousands in precision tools and would not
consider it myself.
I don't fix stuff that is safety or life dependent. I can but don't
make brackets that a life hangs upon. Professionals do that.
Martin
Gunner Asch
<flash...@embarqmail.com> wrote:
#Here is a metal-base scale. A little spendy, at $131, but it IS
#metal-based. Goes to 1000 grains. Has its own 500-gr checkweight, which
#doubles as an additional (fixed) poise.
#
#
#
#>http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=415607&cm_cat=Reloading_1&cm_ite=Product3_Arrow&cm_lm=sp:flash...@embarqmail.com&cm_ven=Spop-Email&cm_pla=Reloading_121620104_1&CustNum=100998944
#
#
#Flash
Ive had one for over 25 yrs old...but mine is cream colored and is
marked Ohaus IRRC.
Works very well indeed. They DO tend to tip over backwards if you
jostle them hard though...
Ebay is a good place to find them.
http://cgi.ebay.com/RCBS-10-10-Scale-/110623502398
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ohaus-Precision-Reloading-Scale-M5-Lyman-NoResv-/330507696603
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lyman-Ohaus-M5-Reloading-Scale-/220711516043
Btw....there is absolutely nothing wrong with the 5-5 scale either
http://cgi.ebay.com/RCBS-reloading-Scale-/330508100519
I cant remember if my 5-5 is magnetically dampened like the 10-10 is and
Im too lazy to go look.
Gunner
Walter Martindale
discussion of scales. I know the prices in Canada reflect duties and
taxes and other stuff, so they're high even though the exchange rates
between US and Can are almost at par.
The Redding was about $105. Lyman had a couple of scales in the
$80-90 range. RCBS had something, and then there's the Lee (which I
had but very much didn't like).
I use either Wilson hand-dies or Lee Collet for the target stuff
Lee for pistol dies.
RCBS hand primer for rifle
RCBS trickler
Redding scale
Mitutoyo caliper
Forster neck turner
Lee powder measure (does the job and didn't cost an arm and a leg)
Lee bullet moulds for pistol
Sinclair bullet comparator...
odds and sods other stuff.
W
clu...@lycos.com
#Was in Wholesale Sports in Canada the other day, prompted by this
#discussion of scales. I know the prices in Canada reflect duties and
#taxes and other stuff, so they're high even though the exchange rates
#between US and Can are almost at par.
#The Redding was about $105. Lyman had a couple of scales in the
#$80-90 range. RCBS had something, and then there's the Lee (which I
#had but very much didn't like).
I watched an Ebay auction the other day. Damn, old world, scales go for a bunch. Looks
like no one wants to buy a plastic fantastic. Sending mine in to Lyman is looking like
the way to go along with buying check weights.
Wes
clu...@lycos.com
#Walter Martindale <wmar...@gmail.com> wrote:
#
##Was in Wholesale Sports in Canada the other day, prompted by this
##discussion of scales. I know the prices in Canada reflect duties and
##taxes and other stuff, so they're high even though the exchange rates
##between US and Can are almost at par.
##The Redding was about $105. Lyman had a couple of scales in the
##$80-90 range. RCBS had something, and then there's the Lee (which I
##had but very much didn't like).
#
#I watched an Ebay auction the other day. Damn, old world, scales go for a bunch. Looks
#like no one wants to buy a plastic fantastic. Sending mine in to Lyman is looking like
#the way to go along with buying check weights.
#
Well I decided to fix it myself using a piece of solder trimmed to 5 grains which allowed
me to center the pivot point so that using either the left or right weight balanced out.
Then I used a loctite product to lock the pivot pin in position.
A few months later I bought check weights and used them to verify that my scale is reading
properly.
As a cross check, I tested uncles Lyman 1000 that has been well kept. That showed his
scale using the 5 g test weight with 5g increment counterpoise didn't read the same as
using the tenth counterpoise set to 5.0. Not huge but enough that you can tell his scale
isn't in balance.
Full scale using the total sum of weights shows 60.3g on his scale, 60.5g on my scale.
One interesting point, the knife edge on his pivot is not centered, it isn't loose as mine
was either. I can see that pivot being tweeked off center to deal with dimensional errors
in punching or drilling the hole in the beam. The thing is, it is turned to the side that
would explain the error I see with his scale.
I'm going to use my repaired scale with the proviso that I setup a weight check using my
test weights to verify it before every loading. I suspect that the pivot pin was loose
before I dropped it.
Wes
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