Having a properly calibrated scale is essential to getting the kind of cartridges created that you want. You now only one accuracy, but you want to ensure that your ability to repeat that accuracy with every cartridge you create and every charging powder use you have is the same each and every time.
A lot of things can impact the accuracy of your scale, affecting how accurate your loading and weight will be. While there are a number of things that can have an impact, here are seven you want to pay special attention to because they are the most common problems that people face.
#1 Air Flow
What you are going to find is that the smallest amount of breeze can have a dramatic impact on your scale. Whether it is that the window is open, the air conditioning vent is blowing on your scale, or you have a fan running, all of these kinds of things can dramatically impact how accurate your readings are.
What can make a situation far worse is if you are having dramatic changes in airflow. Where it is perfectly calm in the room, then there is a certain gust of wind through a window, or the heater suddenly comes on. You should try to eliminate as much airflow around your scale is possible but, if you can’t do this, at least try to ensure that it is consistent. If a fan has to be running, keep it running the same the entire time.
#2 Clutter
If you are like me, you likely have a work area that can get really cluttered at times. Not placing tools back once you’ve used them, leaving manuals or guides around, or simply not cleaning up around your workstation can lead to the buildup of clutter.
Understand that anything that is touching or rubbing against your balance can alter the measurements that you are taking. You will also find that if you have to place your scale on papers, even on a few granules of powder, it can change the way that the scale performs because it doesn’t provide the proper stability. You must keep your work area clutter free, this will help you to get the best possible results.
#3 Improper Grounding
If you are using a digital scale, grounding is an important factor. If you don’t properly ground your device, you can be sure that the data and measurements you receive are going to be wrong.
The primary concern related to this is the amount of static electricity that builds up. When this occurs it not only disrupts the accuracy of the scale, but can cause grains to become stuck to the scale itself. This can become a hazard, and so you need to ensure that you properly ground the scale.
#4 Vibrations
You would be surprised at what kind of things can cause vibrations. It can be something as simple as a person closing a door and another part of the home or even you walking across the floor in your garage. Even a car driving in front of your house can cause vibration to occur in your work area.
The smallest amount of vibration can cause an imbalance in your scale. This can be extremely hard to control, and is why it is one of the most difficult factors for you to deal with.
The best thing that you can do is to set up your workbench so that the scale is in the corner of her room. This will mean that it is less likely to be impacted by the vibrations that are occurring because it gets double the support from the walls around it. Plus, this portion of the room is less likely to feel the vibration of the ground.
You also want to eliminate as much traffic around your area, especially while you are working. Ask people to stay away from your area, maybe even do your work earlier in the morning or later at night when you know there will be fewer cars around.
#5 Response Time
This doesn’t seem as much of a factor, but it is one that can have a dramatic impact. The response time, which often relates to the digital kind of scale, relates to how quickly the powder is weighed and how quickly the reading is provided.
This can impact your results in two ways. First off, it allows for other factors to interfere with the weighing of the material. As you are waiting, a vibration may cause the scale to lose its balance, which will give you an accurate reading even if the reading would have been accurate when you first place the powder on the scale.
It can also cause you to become impatient. This may cause you to add or remove powder, believing that there is something wrong with the amount that is showing. Plus, if the scale is taking time to update the display, you are allowing for the pan to become overcharged which can disrupt the accuracy.
#6 Environment
The environment you are in can have a dramatic impact. The internal temperature of your scale can affect the accuracy, by causing the materials that used with the scale to expand. If it is hot in the area where you are using the scale, this can combine with the internal temperature and disrupt the accuracy of your scale.
Cold weather can have a similar effect. This is especially true as your scale may not properly warmed to the temperature that is needed for it to act as it should.
You also have issues with humidity. The powder can become damp through the humidity and this can cause the scale to have an accurate reading of the amount of powder that is being weighed. This can cause damage to the cartridge and the gun components.
#7 Operator Error
Of course, the biggest factor involved in the accuracy of reloading scale is operator error. You are the biggest reason why your scale may not work as it should. This could come from such simple things as you are too tired and not observing the measurements properly, you are being impatient with the poise or leveler, or that you are not following the same procedure every time.
The best thing that you can do is to make sure you set a series of protocols for yourself and that you adhere to them each and every time. This helps to remove yourself as a big factor in the accuracy of your scale.
These are the seven things that can have the most dramatic impact on the accuracy of your scale. Work to control them and you should get accurate results with each weighing you perform.
