RCBS 5-0-5 scale zeroing, help needed - Page 2

Loader9 · April 16, 2010, 03:49 PM

If you have a 505 scale, the hanger that the pan sits on is balanced using shot in the bottom of it. If you have some shotgun lead shot, put enough in the pan so that you can level it and get it to zero. Then take the hanger off of the scale and note the screw in the bottom. Carefully remove the screw and place the shot you just weighed to get zero, in the cup. Reassemble and zero the scale. Remember that the cup is full of loose shot so be careful taking it apart as you don't want to lose any. My thinking is that the screw got loose, some of the shot fell out and the seller had no clue how to fix it.

jtmckinney · April 16, 2010, 07:22 PM

Just have to say that I think the Hood686 scale looks cool to me. My 5-0-2 has performed perfectly and if it needs improvement I am too dumb to know it. Of course marketing people and those whose job is to come up with something new cannot agree. Mine may be of later vintage but I bet it does not work any better, and I bet the 5-0-5 is only different and not better. The technology used is older than any of us and has not really changed.

Please forgive if this is off subject but this thread has probably served it's purpose.

I like the old stuff that still works and I bet the scale Hook686 has will do just as good a job as the newest digital scale for powder charges.

Have a great day,
James

Hook686 · April 16, 2010, 09:16 PM

ZeSpectre wrote:

Quote:

Hook686
I'm pretty sure your scale is a "5-0-2", not a "5-0-5"

Though even with that I've never seen a plain aluminum pan before...interesting. How old is that scale?

Bought it in 1972. Yes it still checks right on with calibration weights that came with a digital scale. I like it better than a digital. Maybe I'm just use to it.

**Mal H** · April 16, 2010, 09:55 PM

About the only thing that could go wrong with your scale is the agate bearing cracking or somthing breaking from a fall or the like. Otherwise it should work as well 200 years from now as it does today. It looks solid as a rock[chucker].

GP100man · April 17, 2010, 08:03 PM

When I recieved this 1 it had no pan & I balanced it out & put the tare in the anvil pan.

**Mal H** · April 23, 2010, 11:59 PM

So, vikingm03, how's that scale pan count going?

From post #23 - "vikingm03 do you have one pan or two?"

Recoil Rob · April 21, 2012, 10:49 AM

little late to the party but I was having trouble zeroing my 505 today. I found that

I had to run a 1/4-20 tap into the base to get full movement of the adjusting foot in and out.
Mine had been on a shelf for a while, I had to brush al the dust out of the notches along the top of the beam.
The copper plate that rides in the slot for the magnetic dampening can affect zero if it is not perpendicular to the beam. Conversely, you can make rough adjustments by slightly bending it to get you near enough to zero to use the adjustment foot. The the left will raise the zero, to the right will it. Just make sure it's clearing the slot.

BDS-THR · April 21, 2012, 11:22 AM

If you have done everything to your beam scale and it still won't hold a zero consistently, try cleaning the agate stones the triangular knife edge rests on. The stones are designed to be "free-floating" and dirt/debri that may have fall in may not be allowing the stones to float free and binding with the knife edge of the beam.

Here's picture of my Ohaus 10-10 agate stones accessed by loosening the phillips screws (same setup as 5-0-5).

F. Guffey · April 22, 2012, 10:59 AM

I repair and scales, I go to a gun show like the one at Market Hall in Dallas, Tx, I find bits and pieces and parts, lots of parts, then go home and start building. Not a surprise but there is a large spread counter weights, the first and best place to start is removing the weights (lead shot) and place them on the pan, then start checking the balance by adding and or subtracting shot, to get precise weights I hit one piece of shot with a hemmer to flatten, then cut into small pieces, once the scale balances I place the shot in the silver two part held together with a screw counter balance pea bail.

All that works if the bearings and seating surface is good, or the wife gets involved, ever thing around here gets vinegar and or WD40, the lettering on the beam is not compatible with WD40, she cleaned a beam and I called RCBS and told on her, they suggested sending it to them along with the thing the elephant stepped on etc..

F. Guffey

April 16, 2010, 07:22 PM	#27
jtmckinney Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 490	Hook686 Scale Is Cool Just have to say that I think the Hood686 scale looks cool to me. My 5-0-2 has performed perfectly and if it needs improvement I am too dumb to know it. Of course marketing people and those whose job is to come up with something new cannot agree. Mine may be of later vintage but I bet it does not work any better, and I bet the 5-0-5 is only different and not better. The technology used is older than any of us and has not really changed. Please forgive if this is off subject but this thread has probably served it's purpose. I like the old stuff that still works and I bet the scale Hook686 has will do just as good a job as the newest digital scale for powder charges. Have a great day, James

April 17, 2010, 08:03 PM	#30
GP100man Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2007 Location: Tabor City , NC. Posts: 1,969	How `bout this 1 When I recieved this 1 it had no pan & I balanced it out & put the tare in the anvil pan. __________________ GP100man

April 21, 2012, 10:49 AM	#32
Recoil Rob Junior Member Join Date: June 10, 2007 Posts: 9	little late to the party but I was having trouble zeroing my 505 today. I found that I had to run a 1/4-20 tap into the base to get full movement of the adjusting foot in and out. Mine had been on a shelf for a while, I had to brush al the dust out of the notches along the top of the beam. The copper plate that rides in the slot for the magnetic dampening can affect zero if it is not perpendicular to the beam. Conversely, you can make rough adjustments by slightly bending it to get you near enough to zero to use the adjustment foot. The the left will raise the zero, to the right will it. Just make sure it's clearing the slot.

April 16, 2010, 03:49 PM	#26
Loader9 Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2008 Posts: 949	If you have a 505 scale, the hanger that the pan sits on is balanced using shot in the bottom of it. If you have some shotgun lead shot, put enough in the pan so that you can level it and get it to zero. Then take the hanger off of the scale and note the screw in the bottom. Carefully remove the screw and place the shot you just weighed to get zero, in the cup. Reassemble and zero the scale. Remember that the cup is full of loose shot so be careful taking it apart as you don't want to lose any. My thinking is that the screw got loose, some of the shot fell out and the seller had no clue how to fix it.

April 16, 2010, 09:55 PM	#29
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,949	About the only thing that could go wrong with your scale is the agate bearing cracking or somthing breaking from a fall or the like. Otherwise it should work as well 200 years from now as it does today. It looks solid as a rock[chucker].

April 23, 2010, 11:59 PM	#31
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,949	So, vikingm03, how's that scale pan count going? From post #23 - "vikingm03 do you have one pan or two?"

April 21, 2012, 11:22 AM	#33
BDS-THR Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2010 Posts: 479	If you have done everything to your beam scale and it still won't hold a zero consistently, try cleaning the agate stones the triangular knife edge rests on. The stones are designed to be "free-floating" and dirt/debri that may have fall in may not be allowing the stones to float free and binding with the knife edge of the beam. Here's picture of my Ohaus 10-10 agate stones accessed by loosening the phillips screws (same setup as 5-0-5).

April 22, 2012, 10:59 AM	#34
F. Guffey Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2008 Posts: 7,249	I repair and scales, I go to a gun show like the one at Market Hall in Dallas, Tx, I find bits and pieces and parts, lots of parts, then go home and start building. Not a surprise but there is a large spread counter weights, the first and best place to start is removing the weights (lead shot) and place them on the pan, then start checking the balance by adding and or subtracting shot, to get precise weights I hit one piece of shot with a hemmer to flatten, then cut into small pieces, once the scale balances I place the shot in the silver two part held together with a screw counter balance pea bail. All that works if the bearings and seating surface is good, or the wife gets involved, ever thing around here gets vinegar and or WD40, the lettering on the beam is not compatible with WD40, she cleaned a beam and I called RCBS and told on her, they suggested sending it to them along with the thing the elephant stepped on etc.. F. Guffey