RCBS Powder Scale help needed

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Bullard4075
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RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by Bullard4075 »

I have an old (ebay calls it vintage) RCBS 500 powder scale that I have used for years with no problem. For some unknown reason I now run out of leveling/zeroing screw adjustment. A couple of days ago it zeroed as it always had with about half the threads of the screw. What changed? I have checked,cleaned the knife edge pivot,checked the beam for bend,checked the magnetic blade for center. I've tried it on different surfaces,checked the phase of the moon,fed the dog and balanced the checkbook. Been doing this reloading thing for many,many years and am mystified. It is such a simple device it begs another question....how does it get out of calibration ??? Static electricity ?
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765x53
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by 765x53 »

Is the table surface level?
Are the non-adjusting feet damaged, or is something extraneous sticking to them?
Bullard4075
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by Bullard4075 »

765x53 wrote: Sat Sep 02, 2017 10:50 pm Is the table surface level?
Are the non-adjusting feet damaged, or is something extraneous sticking to them?
yes,no and no.
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Hawkeye2
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by Hawkeye2 »

I had a similar problem with my Lyman Oahus years ago. The pan was made of 2 pieces held together by the same screw that secured the wire it hangs by. The screw had come loose and some of the birdshot between the 2 pieces had leaked out. I added some weight, enough to get it back where I could zero it, tightened the screw and have never had any more trouble with it. I don't know if the RCBS is built in the same way but it would be easy to check by adding a little weight to the pan to see if it would zero then.
Bullard4075
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by Bullard4075 »

Hawkeye2 wrote: Sat Sep 02, 2017 11:24 pm I had a similar problem with my Lyman Oahus years ago. The pan was made of 2 pieces held together by the same screw that secured the wire it hangs by. The screw had come loose and some of the birdshot between the 2 pieces had leaked out. I added some weight, enough to get it back where I could zero it, tightened the screw and have never had any more trouble with it. I don't know if the RCBS is built in the same way but it would be easy to check by adding a little weight to the pan to see if it would zero then.
Thanks but this early model 500 has no cavities as such.
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GunnyMack
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by GunnyMack »

My 500 did the same thing years ago, I retired it and went digital. I tried to diagnose the issue and realized that the lock screw for the beam wheel went missing! Since it was nylon I never found a replacement( well before the Internet was around). A steel screw would throw it off. Now if I need it I have to shim the pivot end up. I use a CCI primer tray with the cardboard sleeve in place.

Also, I keep my scales up off the bench top on a shelf to prevent it from getting bounced around too much.
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Bullard4075
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by Bullard4075 »

GunnyMack wrote: Sun Sep 03, 2017 5:09 am My 500 did the same thing years ago, I retired it and went digital. I tried to diagnose the issue and realized that the lock screw for the beam wheel went missing! Since it was nylon I never found a replacement( well before the Internet was around). A steel screw would throw it off. Now if I need it I have to shim the pivot end up. I use a CCI primer tray with the cardboard sleeve in place.

Also, I keep my scales up off the bench top on a shelf to prevent it from getting bounced around too much.
lock screw for the beam wheel ..........OOOOOKKKKKKKK.
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mikld
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by mikld »

I picked up a nice RCBS 5-10 fairly cheap a few years ago. When I tried to level it I couldn't and noticed the set screw for the drum/wheel was missing. Steel, brass, stainless setscrews, no matter how short I made them, were much too heavy. I found a nylon set screw here and I now can level the scale https://www.mcmaster.com/#nylon-set-screws/=1982d4i
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by Sixgun »

If your scale has no cavities for bird shot, just make your own. A tiny piece of duct tape will act as a counter-balance...it only takes a few grains of weight. Then, just rezero it. Every reloader should have a set of check weights......lacking that, a Sierra (or other quality brand) match bullet works almost as well as these bullets are almost always "on the money".

I have a half dozen new scales laying around from the big load last winter......I just have to get off my azz and go through it. I'll probably sell them for half price.---6
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Ray Newman
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by Ray Newman »

Call RCBS and they will send you a repair tag. While back, RCBS/Ohaus rebuilt/recalibrated my 25 year old scale without charge.
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Chuck 100 yd
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by Chuck 100 yd »

What Ray said +1 . I would send it off to RCBS for repair.
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by Griff »

What Ray side +2! My 5-5-10 scale went bonkers a couple of years ago, RCBS said sent it back, we'll try to rebuild it, if not we'll replace it. Mine was 40+ years old, no longer made, and they sent me one of their top of the line balance beam scales. RCBS ROCKS!
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Chuck 100 yd
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by Chuck 100 yd »

Over the years RCBS has taken care of me whenever there was an issue with one of their products. Never a charge !
I sent my Lubri sizer in because it leaked lube out around the bottom and they just replaced it with a brand new one.
I have had scratched dies replaced even if it was my fault ,at no charge.
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marlinman93
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by marlinman93 »

I think I had my 505 about 4-5 years when one day it wouldn't zero out. I stuck a piece of tape on the bottom of the pan and it zeroed just fine. It still has that piece of tape there after 30 years, and never given me any more trouble.
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GunnyMack
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by GunnyMack »

Wait mine is a 5 10 scale. As I said I retired it...

On the back side of the TENTHS wheel is supposed to be a set screw, nylon. When it went missing the scale started acting up.
image.jpeg
My ' FIX' was to shim it with the primer package.
image.jpeg
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Hawkeye2
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by Hawkeye2 »

The pan on that 5-10 looks similar to my Lyman. There is another stamped piece under the pan on the Lyman held by that screw in the center. There is some fine shot in the space between both pieces and some leaked out when the screw came loose. It wouldn't zero till I added some shot to the space between the 2 parts of the pan.
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Re: RCBS Powder Scale help needed

Post by Ben_Rumson »

Todays clad Quarter dollar weighs 5.67 grams. You should be able to make that work with a bit of math to test your scale accuracy.
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