RCBS 5-0-5 Scale Troubles

jason russ · June 20, 2011, 08:50 AM

I believe that my RCBS 5-0-5 Scale may be deffective. I took it out of the box and followed all of the instructions on assembling it no problem. However when it came time to try and zero the scale I just couldn't get it. I moved all of the poises to zero and hit both the bench that the scale is on and the actual scale itself with a level to make sure that it wasn't out of whack. I just can not manage to get this thing to zero out. I know that I'm following the directions and I know that it is on a level surface so the only conclusion that I can come to is that it may be deffective. If anyone else has had this problem please post and let me know what you had to do to fix it. I would like to see if it may be a problem that I can work out on my own before having to mail it back out to cabelas and wait another month before I see my new one.

Crimp · June 20, 2011, 09:07 AM

Not to insult your intelligence, but did you hang the pan holder along with the empty pan on the end of the beam?

Did you adjust the foot for zero?

geetarman · June 20, 2011, 09:07 AM

Check to see if you have some cardboard shipping "lint" between the anvils and the bearing surfaces. That is a likely culprit when the scale either refuses to "zero" or is not repeatable.

I do not use one now, but I have had one for over 30 years and it still works fine.

When you check your scale, make sure the weight is hanging free and is not touching anything.

Also make sure you approach "zero" from the same direction.

Those scales are really pretty good and yours should work as advertised.

I am betting you have a little dust between the anvil and the agate.

Geetarman

BDS-THR · June 20, 2011, 09:08 AM

Wow, we all posted at the same time.

Once your scale is set to zero, use the screw feet on the left side of the scale to "tilt" the scale body so the pointer points to 0 mark on the scale.

Ohaus/RCBS 5-0-5 is a good scale that works well. Even the old models at gun shows are right on the money once zero'ed.

Locoweed · June 20, 2011, 09:22 AM

Yes, turn the wheel on the right foot to see of that helps.

oneounceload · June 20, 2011, 10:38 AM

I have the 5-10 model for over 30 years. It still holds a great zero - besides all of the great advice above, make sure you don't have a fan or a breeze blowing on it. NOT adding the pan and tray is simple to forget to do when you're new, but they do need to be on there.

If you are absolutely certain it is the scale and OE, RCBS honors their lifetime guarantee

Edward429451 · June 20, 2011, 12:51 PM

Unless those little V slots at the top edge of the beam are squeaky clean they can cause the edge of the poise hang up and not seat right thus giving you an inability to zero or weigh.

TATER · June 20, 2011, 02:08 PM

Putting a Level on the scale is kinda subjective at this point.
BDS-THR and Locoweed has hit on it.
As you never described or mentioned it, I think the leveling/zero'en wheel may have escaped you attention.

PA-Joe · June 20, 2011, 03:30 PM

Sometime the hook on the pam may be too long and it may gets caught on the beam. It has to float. You may have to trim a little off of the pan hanger.

highvel · June 20, 2011, 04:04 PM

After you try the previous posts, make sure you don't have any outside influence.
Magnetic objects in close proximity, static electricity, Styrofoams etc, can cause problems.

FrankenMauser · June 20, 2011, 04:13 PM

Close your heat/AC vents, close any nearby doors and any windows in the room, and turn off any fans.

Even the slightest air movement can have a great affect on scales. I've seen the Hornady/Pacific scale as far as 6 grains off, and the RCBS 5-0-5 as far as 3 grains off - all due to just a fan or open heat/AC vent.

If you try everything posted in this thread, and it doesn't work... Send it back to RCBS (or the merchant you bought it from).

engineermike · June 21, 2011, 09:11 AM

Jason,
Just mail it to me and I'll let you know if it is defective or not...

jason russ · June 21, 2011, 09:14 AM

Thanks for all of the suggestions. For those who asked, yes, I did have the pan on the scale and I have already attempted adjusting the wheel at the base of the scale throughout its entire range. I'm going to try messing with it one more time after work today with all the advice and hopefully something works. But if not I will just send it back. Thanks again for the help.

oneoldsap · June 21, 2011, 11:25 AM

I had the same thing happen with my Lyman , when it was new . Sent it back and it has worked great for 25 Years . It's now a backup to my RCBS Powder Pro !

engineermike · June 21, 2011, 04:01 PM

I bought a scale on line once that would not zero out, I had to take that thing apart that the pan sets on and add a little weight. Either the pan was after market and too light or the weight/s had come out. I still have the scale and use it to this day. Call RCBS and see if they might have a fix for this, I bet they are nice people.

oneounceload · June 21, 2011, 04:26 PM

Just to clarify - you are putting both the silver pan holder and the brass-colored pan on the hook? If you have been leaving the brass pan off, then it will be tough to get a zero and your weighing will be incorrect.

Otherwise, maybe something is a little bent?

zdogk9 · June 21, 2011, 07:12 PM

If things are really bad; the pan hanger has a container filled with shot screwed on to the bottom. if you're light add a SMALL chunk of lead, heavy remove the smallest piece of shot in the pan. Re-assemble and test. fiddle around until it's right.

engineermike · June 22, 2011, 05:12 AM

Could you give us a picture? Also what oneounceload says, I left my pan sticking in the top of my powder measurer once and tried to zero my scale.

Boy was my face red...

edward5759 · June 22, 2011, 05:47 AM

jason russ

here is what I did to my 505.
Wash the scale in Dawn, let then to air dry.
I had problems like that and it was static electricity.
Took it to work and the Metrology lab guys were impressed that it could be that charged.

The thine just didn't want to settle down.
They figure that after the paint job is when it gets all the static. I washed my 505 with DI water the first time and it got rid of a lot of the static Dawn finished it off and it reads with great repeatably.
It my have the gauss of a small magnet.
All are great ideas.

Edward5759

GP100man · June 22, 2011, 07:29 AM

I`ve zeroed each scale I own by adding or subtracting weight to the pan hanger !!!!

Even new 1s , I set the adjustment wheel to the center then "balance" the beam .

& a set of check weights & a chronograph is the best peace of mind money can buy !!!

WESHOOT2 · June 22, 2011, 07:36 AM

I have never used a zero charge weight.

I most highly recommend a Scale Weight Check Set, used each and every time a charge is determined.

jason russ · June 22, 2011, 11:35 AM

I tinkered with it again last night to no avail. I was planning on packaging it back up and sending it off but I know once I do that I won't see another one for over a month. I think tonight I'm going to try and wash it like Edward posted and hopefully it's the same sort of factors playing into my scale. Engineermike, I'll take a picture tonight of exactly what I'm dealing with maybe you guys will catch something that I am missing. Thanks again.

dmazur · June 22, 2011, 11:57 AM

If you wash the scale, I think you might not want to immerse the pan hanger. Once you get water in there it will take forever to dry, and the added weight of the water won't make zeroing it any easier...

dlb435 · June 22, 2011, 12:06 PM

Ditto GP100man. Open up the bottom of the pan (look for the single philips head screw). Will will find some lead shot in there. Be very careful not to loose any! Add or subtract from this weight to adjust the scale to read zero at a mid range foot adjustment. Be sure your table is level and there is no air flow around the scale. You will only need to do this once. The scale should work well for the rest of it's service life.

jason russ · June 23, 2011, 09:02 AM

I finally got it. So once I read Edward's post yesterday I went home from work and washed it with some dish soap and let it air dry. I made sure once it was dry to double check all of the critical areas to make sure there was nothing that would interfere with my zeroing. Sure enough as soon as I put the hanger and the pan on I was able to get my zero with no problem at all. So I'm back in action and once again thank you everyone for posting, it's much appreciated.

June 20, 2011, 08:50 AM	#1
jason russ Junior Member Join Date: May 11, 2011 Posts: 11	RCBS 5-0-5 Scale Troubles I believe that my RCBS 5-0-5 Scale may be deffective. I took it out of the box and followed all of the instructions on assembling it no problem. However when it came time to try and zero the scale I just couldn't get it. I moved all of the poises to zero and hit both the bench that the scale is on and the actual scale itself with a level to make sure that it wasn't out of whack. I just can not manage to get this thing to zero out. I know that I'm following the directions and I know that it is on a level surface so the only conclusion that I can come to is that it may be deffective. If anyone else has had this problem please post and let me know what you had to do to fix it. I would like to see if it may be a problem that I can work out on my own before having to mail it back out to cabelas and wait another month before I see my new one.

June 20, 2011, 04:13 PM	#11
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,774	Close your heat/AC vents, close any nearby doors and any windows in the room, and turn off any fans. Even the slightest air movement can have a great affect on scales. I've seen the Hornady/Pacific scale as far as 6 grains off, and the RCBS 5-0-5 as far as 3 grains off - all due to just a fan or open heat/AC vent. If you try everything posted in this thread, and it doesn't work... Send it back to RCBS (or the merchant you bought it from). __________________ -Unwilling Range Officer -Unwilling Match Designer -NRL22/PRS22/PRO -Something about broccoli and carrots

June 22, 2011, 07:36 AM	#21
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	as in "without exception" I have never used a zero charge weight. I most highly recommend a Scale Weight Check Set, used each and every time a charge is determined.

June 20, 2011, 09:07 AM	#2
Crimp Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 276	Not to insult your intelligence, but did you hang the pan holder along with the empty pan on the end of the beam? Did you adjust the foot for zero?

June 20, 2011, 09:07 AM	#3
geetarman Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,157	Check to see if you have some cardboard shipping "lint" between the anvils and the bearing surfaces. That is a likely culprit when the scale either refuses to "zero" or is not repeatable. I do not use one now, but I have had one for over 30 years and it still works fine. When you check your scale, make sure the weight is hanging free and is not touching anything. Also make sure you approach "zero" from the same direction. Those scales are really pretty good and yours should work as advertised. I am betting you have a little dust between the anvil and the agate. Geetarman

June 20, 2011, 09:08 AM	#4
BDS-THR Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2010 Posts: 479	Wow, we all posted at the same time. Once your scale is set to zero, use the screw feet on the left side of the scale to "tilt" the scale body so the pointer points to 0 mark on the scale. Ohaus/RCBS 5-0-5 is a good scale that works well. Even the old models at gun shows are right on the money once zero'ed.

June 20, 2011, 09:22 AM	#5
Locoweed Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2008 Location: Alabama Posts: 661	Yes, turn the wheel on the right foot to see of that helps.

June 20, 2011, 10:38 AM	#6
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	I have the 5-10 model for over 30 years. It still holds a great zero - besides all of the great advice above, make sure you don't have a fan or a breeze blowing on it. NOT adding the pan and tray is simple to forget to do when you're new, but they do need to be on there. If you are absolutely certain it is the scale and OE, RCBS honors their lifetime guarantee

June 20, 2011, 12:51 PM	#7
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	Unless those little V slots at the top edge of the beam are squeaky clean they can cause the edge of the poise hang up and not seat right thus giving you an inability to zero or weigh.

June 20, 2011, 02:08 PM	#8
TATER Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2002 Location: Mississippi Posts: 963	Putting a Level on the scale is kinda subjective at this point. BDS-THR and Locoweed has hit on it. As you never described or mentioned it, I think the leveling/zero'en wheel may have escaped you attention.

June 20, 2011, 03:30 PM	#9
PA-Joe Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2010 Location: NEPA Posts: 909	Sometime the hook on the pam may be too long and it may gets caught on the beam. It has to float. You may have to trim a little off of the pan hanger.

June 20, 2011, 04:04 PM	#10
highvel Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2010 Location: Powhatan VA Posts: 633	After you try the previous posts, make sure you don't have any outside influence. Magnetic objects in close proximity, static electricity, Styrofoams etc, can cause problems.

June 21, 2011, 09:11 AM	#12
engineermike Junior member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Oklahaoma City Posts: 538	Jason, Just mail it to me and I'll let you know if it is defective or not...

June 21, 2011, 09:14 AM	#13
jason russ Junior Member Join Date: May 11, 2011 Posts: 11	Thanks for all of the suggestions. For those who asked, yes, I did have the pan on the scale and I have already attempted adjusting the wheel at the base of the scale throughout its entire range. I'm going to try messing with it one more time after work today with all the advice and hopefully something works. But if not I will just send it back. Thanks again for the help.

June 21, 2011, 11:25 AM	#14
oneoldsap Senior Member Join Date: September 16, 2009 Location: I live in the foot of the Green Mountains of Vermont Posts: 1,602	I had the same thing happen with my Lyman , when it was new . Sent it back and it has worked great for 25 Years . It's now a backup to my RCBS Powder Pro !

June 21, 2011, 04:01 PM	#15
engineermike Junior member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Oklahaoma City Posts: 538	I bought a scale on line once that would not zero out, I had to take that thing apart that the pan sets on and add a little weight. Either the pan was after market and too light or the weight/s had come out. I still have the scale and use it to this day. Call RCBS and see if they might have a fix for this, I bet they are nice people.

June 21, 2011, 04:26 PM	#16
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Just to clarify - you are putting both the silver pan holder and the brass-colored pan on the hook? If you have been leaving the brass pan off, then it will be tough to get a zero and your weighing will be incorrect. Otherwise, maybe something is a little bent?

June 21, 2011, 07:12 PM	#17
zdogk9 Member Join Date: January 23, 2008 Posts: 18	If things are really bad; the pan hanger has a container filled with shot screwed on to the bottom. if you're light add a SMALL chunk of lead, heavy remove the smallest piece of shot in the pan. Re-assemble and test. fiddle around until it's right.

June 22, 2011, 05:12 AM	#18
engineermike Junior member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Oklahaoma City Posts: 538	Could you give us a picture? Also what oneounceload says, I left my pan sticking in the top of my powder measurer once and tried to zero my scale. Boy was my face red...

June 22, 2011, 05:47 AM	#19
edward5759 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ. 30 miles from water, two feet from Hell. Posts: 355	jason russ here is what I did to my 505. Wash the scale in Dawn, let then to air dry. I had problems like that and it was static electricity. Took it to work and the Metrology lab guys were impressed that it could be that charged. The thine just didn't want to settle down. They figure that after the paint job is when it gets all the static. I washed my 505 with DI water the first time and it got rid of a lot of the static Dawn finished it off and it reads with great repeatably. It my have the gauss of a small magnet. All are great ideas. Edward5759

June 22, 2011, 07:29 AM	#20
GP100man Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2007 Location: Tabor City , NC. Posts: 1,969	I`ve zeroed each scale I own by adding or subtracting weight to the pan hanger !!!! Even new 1s , I set the adjustment wheel to the center then "balance" the beam . & a set of check weights & a chronograph is the best peace of mind money can buy !!!

June 22, 2011, 11:35 AM	#22
jason russ Junior Member Join Date: May 11, 2011 Posts: 11	I tinkered with it again last night to no avail. I was planning on packaging it back up and sending it off but I know once I do that I won't see another one for over a month. I think tonight I'm going to try and wash it like Edward posted and hopefully it's the same sort of factors playing into my scale. Engineermike, I'll take a picture tonight of exactly what I'm dealing with maybe you guys will catch something that I am missing. Thanks again.

June 22, 2011, 11:57 AM	#23
dmazur Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2007 Location: Pacific NW Posts: 1,310	If you wash the scale, I think you might not want to immerse the pan hanger. Once you get water in there it will take forever to dry, and the added weight of the water won't make zeroing it any easier...

June 22, 2011, 12:06 PM	#24
dlb435 Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2009 Posts: 654	Ditto GP100man. Open up the bottom of the pan (look for the single philips head screw). Will will find some lead shot in there. Be very careful not to loose any! Add or subtract from this weight to adjust the scale to read zero at a mid range foot adjustment. Be sure your table is level and there is no air flow around the scale. You will only need to do this once. The scale should work well for the rest of it's service life.

June 23, 2011, 09:02 AM	#25
jason russ Junior Member Join Date: May 11, 2011 Posts: 11	I finally got it. So once I read Edward's post yesterday I went home from work and washed it with some dish soap and let it air dry. I made sure once it was dry to double check all of the critical areas to make sure there was nothing that would interfere with my zeroing. Sure enough as soon as I put the hanger and the pan on I was able to get my zero with no problem at all. So I'm back in action and once again thank you everyone for posting, it's much appreciated.