What type scale do most use to weigh alloy components?

[Blackwater]

I use a beam balance for anything I want to be SURE to get right. Gravity is always more reliable than electronics! For weighing bullets, though, I use an electronic scale because it's so much faster - no waiting for the beam to stop swinging.

[JSnover]

I don't use a scale for alloy components. All of mine are cast into 1lb or 1/2lb ingots and marked (PB, WW, Lino, SN, etc.). In my shed is a cheat sheet for the alloy ratios that work best for me. It's simple but I'm not a high-volume caster.

[bangerjim]

I don't use a scale for alloy components. All of mine are cast into 1lb or 1/2lb ingots and marked (PB, WW, Lino, SN, etc.). In my shed is a cheat sheet for the alloy ratios that work best for me. It's simple but I'm not a high-volume caster.

You certainly must have much better luck getting exactly 1# ingots out of 1# mold cavities! I sure do not.

Depending on the alloy and the accuracy of my pour/fill, weights can vary from 14.7 to 16.8 oz. That is why I weigh & mark every ingot and do not trust a 1# ingot to be 1#. They are rarely EVER one pound! Sn is around 12 oz in a 1# filled mold.

I use only commercial Lee, Lyman, and RCBS ingot molds.

banger

[dtknowles]

You certainly must have much better luck getting exactly 1# ingots out of 1# mold cavities! I sure do not.

Depending on the alloy and the accuracy of my pour/fill, weights can vary from 14.7 to 16.8 oz. That is why I weigh & mark every ingot and do not trust a 1# ingot to be 1#. They are rarely EVER one pound! Sn is around 12 oz in a 1# filled mold.

I use only commercial Lee, Lyman, and RCBS ingot molds.

banger

I can you and I are in different leagues. I would have to cut up a pound of tin or even a pound of 50/50 solder.

Tim

[Mk42gunner]

I don't worry what my ingots weigh, it would be a big surprise to have any within eight ounces.

When I want to combine WW and tin out comes Grandpa's old Hanson 25# kitchen scale from the 1930's or 40's.

Dad was born in 1940 and he said Grandpa used it to weigh butter for as long as he could remember. When we had milk cows while I was growing up we used it and the old dovetailed wooden butter mold to make one pound blocks of butter.

Robert

[jwber]

I have the inexpensive one HF sells...weighs up to 11lbs

[John Boy]

Digital kitchen scale that weighs in pounds & ounces

[JSnover]

You certainly must have much better luck getting exactly 1# ingots out of 1# mold cavities! I sure do not.

Depending on the alloy and the accuracy of my pour/fill, weights can vary from 14.7 to 16.8 oz. That is why I weigh & mark every ingot and do not trust a 1# ingot to be 1#. They are rarely EVER one pound! Sn is around 12 oz in a 1# filled mold.

I use only commercial Lee, Lyman, and RCBS ingot molds.

banger

Maybe I do. My molds are dropping within .5% of their intended weight (500 grain boolits for my 45-70 weigh in at 498-501.5 grains). Since the half pound tin ingots are a little light I have a coffee can full of tin minies that weigh just under an ounce in case I need to sweeten the pot.

[jsizemore]

MyWeigh 55 digital postal scale. Tenth of an ounce accuracy less then 15lbs and ounce accuracy up to 55lbs. I checked it against certified scales for the PO and grocery store. It did great. Used it for years to check firearm weight at Silhouette matches. I'm on my third set of batteries (4 C's) in 12 years. Front panel detaches to read oversize stuff. Great scale. My buddy and I each got one on model closeout for $24 shipped. That was the price for both of them

[GLL]

I use an old Ohaus field scale for alloy work. I will measure up to 35 pounds at 1/100th of a pound.



Jerry

[41mag]

I don't think exact weights are all that important as long as you are consistent in how you mix/make alloys.

Personally having worked up a few different alloys, I believe that this is somewhat like measureing for BHN, as long as the tool your using gives you repeatable numbers on the lead or alloy your measuring or weighing, that is the importent part. I use a bathroom scale which is close enough for things over 3# and it corresponds to the 5# digital postal scale I use for lighter weights. After blending up several alloys they all test out the with the same numbers from my Cabine Tree tester, and they all shoot good from my revolvers. If I get leading I make them harder, or if pouring HP's I make them softer. Other than that I don't get overly caught up in the exact tenth of an ounce with anything othe than my tin, usually I use that simply to balance out the antimony from my base alloy in batches I blend up for my HP's,

[JSnover]

Personally having worked up a few different alloys, I believe that this is somewhat like measureing for BHN, as long as the tool your using gives you repeatable numbers on the lead or alloy your measuring or weighing, that is the importent part.

I don't want to hijack the thread into hardness testing but I agree. Each tester gives different results, some use different metrics, even the best conventional ones will give different readings for different users. I have a Lee hardness tester for ballpark calculations but The best way to use it IMO is to compare a new batch with a known good alloy.
I used a scale to weigh my alloy components when I first started casting. An antique hospital scale they used to weigh newborns. It was lost in a move. I didn't bother replacing it, but I do use a much smaller scale to weigh lube ingredients.

[dragon813gt]

I use my refrigerant scale. Already paid for it so I might as well use it.

[bruce381]

me I put 7 soft lead bars with 2 lino bars, each casting session works fine. I smelt all my alloys into the same size bar easy for me.

[Tallbald]

Wante to folow up on my scae question. I did run across a nice Salter brand food scale that I got for $6. It's missing whatever factory matching bowl it had, but a Cool Whip tub suits my needs fine. Weighing several bags of dried beans, rice and pasta it's within an ounce at the 7 pound mark. It'll be great to be able to be more precise with my lead alloy component weights from here on out. It shined up nice too. Don