[Bob Pauli]

I want to buy a scale to weigh lines and tips.

It must weigh, at a minimum, all 15 and 24 foot tips. Is the maximum here about 600 grains?

Weighing full lines is desireable. Is 1600 grains the maximum?

What should I buy? What range will it handle? Where can I buy it? Can one scale do the entire range from 0 to 1600 grains? What prices do these things command?

I recall balance beam type scales from my shotshell reloading days. Are digital units available?

Your advice is appreciated.

 

[spey_bubba]

bob:

i have a little digital powder scale for reloading that i find quite useful. it is compact, reads grains and grams, and is supposedly accurate to +-0 .1 grain to 300 grains and +-0.2 grains to 750 grains. it works on a 9 volt battery which lasts forever. i used it during the design of the preproduction XLT protos. it's main limitation is that it won't weight more than 750 grains at a time, which is fine for tips, but when splicing and dicing fly lines, it is a bit of a pain.

for more than 750 grains, i just cut the line, weight the segments, then resplice them.

the scale called the "Partner Electronic Powder Sacle" and is made by:
RCBS
605 Oro Dam Blvd.
Oroville, CA 95965
(800) 533-5000

it costs about $150.

way

 

[fredaevans]

Well, 'some of us' have found an easier way to go.

(Think Steve Choate here) History wise, I've hit the same wall. Have a good Pharm. that you buy your pills from? All have scales that will do the trick; just ask him/her to do the lines when they have a moment.

Most of them are looking for something to break the day to day mind sucking: love it and you can trust me on this one. The 'final number' will be far more acurate that you'd really care to know.
fae

 

[MJC]

Line Scales

The only thing wrong with Fred's method is some people like to mess with lines at 2:00 AM and out in the sticks where I live the drugstore is long closed. The scale Way mentions is a good one. Another just as good and a little less $ is the PACT BBK for about $110.00. It has the same range as the Partner. If you want to go to 1500 grns. get a Pact Digital Precision Powder Scale-110v for $168.00 there abouts. I think all 3 of these scales are made by the same company.
If there is a gram and ounce food scale around the house it will work in a pinch.

 

[wrke]

Umpqa Feather Merchants make a line scale that's only $20. It's marked in grains and grams. There are marks at AFTM line weights 1 through 13 (430 grains/28 grams). Limitation is that it only goes a little higher — 30 grams (463 grains). Although there are no calibration guarantees, for the price I find it quite accurate and very useful. When weighing full lines (I don't have the cojones to cut and resplice like Way) I weigh different segments while holding previously weighed segments so they don't affect the segment I'm weighing. With a little trial and error, I think it works.

 

[Per Stadigh]

Hello Bob,

With permission assumed rather than granted, I put this link in to the GRAM scale manefacturer :tsk_tsk:

http://www.gramprecision.com/products/GX SERIES/GX SERIES.HTM

The model to the left should be perfect, unless the price is too high.

"Tight lines"

Per

PS. It has a automatic "tare" function to compensate for a weight vessel such as a plastic bowl - that makes the line handling easier. DS

 

[BobK]

Digital Reloading Scales

I also have a reloading scale - it is a more expensive model (about $10 or $15 more than the smaller capacity models) and has 1500 grain capacity. It has +/- 0.1 grain accuracy, and has built-in "rezero" capability. Would probably do the job nicely, but is a bit of an expensive toy (at about $125, if I recall).

Readings are instantaneous, and repeatable. Most of these are made by Ohaus for whoever puts their brand name on them. Ohaus is a respected name in the analytical balance/scale industry - I speak with many years of experience, as I am a retired chemist/engineer/manager for a large corporation.

I easily justified it, as I am a shooting "contributing editor" for Shotgun Sports magazine, and got to write it off on taxes. But this is a use I hadn't thought of. It's at least five years old now, and I use it for testing loads, running statistics, etc. and it works fine.

BobK

 

[Bob Pauli]

Scale

Way, Fred, MJC, wrkp, Per, Bob K

Many thanks for your helpful suggestions.

Bob P

 

[juro]

Per -

Great suggestion! This pharmaceutical device with .01 gram readability it would provide grain accuracy well beyond any flycaster's needs as well as max weight high enough to handle about anything (over 3500 grains). The one you pointed GX-230 out is really the only one applicable, MSRP is $229 USD. Not bad for an avid spey shop to buy but a little steep for the average spey practitioner who likes to chop lines.

Anyone interested in a joint purchase for possible volume discount please PM me.

 

[wrke]

Juro. BobK's scale is cheaper and more accurate ($125 @.1 grain accuracy, 1500 grain capacity), Per's is $229 @ .01 gram accuracy (.15 grain accuracy), 3500 grain capacity (230 grams). Just details.

 

[juro]

See what happens when you start a post in the morning and finish it in the afternoon?

Actually, the .05 difference in the grain accuracy is insignificant - and if grain weights exceed 1500 for let's say a 11/12 Speydriver you'd be max'ed out. Shouldn't happen too often to your point.

Here's another factoid, I have too much to do already so this is a good reason to take it off my plate...

With volume / no profit shenanigans I could have obtained them at $1xx ea. Like the girl used to say on SNL.... "never mind"

Just details :devil:

 

[Bob Pauli]

Conversion factors

Why oh why did our [former] British masters burden us with the cursed "English" system of measurement?

Here are some conversions:

1 pound = 16 ounces = 7000 grains = 453.6 grams

1 ounce = 437.5 grains = 28.35 grams

1 gram = 15.43 grains

1 grain = 0.0648 grams

Now everything is clear, right?

 

[BobK]

English vs. metric

All this is ends up being is "terminology". As a retired scientist, when I was in school, we got used to BOTH methods, and interchangeably. You quickly learned some handy "conversion factors". Strangely, I once defined chemical engineering as "physical chemistry in english units". Everyone roared as I announced this at a technical discussion, and said I had hit it right on. So both are equally good, and sufficiently accurate for our needs.

Just remember - a 747 jet was designed WITH A SLIDE RULE, not with computers or even calculators! And it still flies pretty well!

Yeah, I have worked with coatings where the thickness was measured in angstroms - big deal! It's still just a method of measurement!

BobK

 

[pescaphile]

Units

I agree with you BobK about units... A 10 kg or 22 lb fish is equally satisfying in mu book.

Working in the water resources field as much a spossible, I'm often working with discharge rates... Sometimes just to be nasty to a colleague I'll use miner's inches instead of conventional units.

1 Miner's Inch = 0.025 cubic feet/sec (AZ, CA, MT & OR)

or if you happen to be in ID, KS, NV, NM, ND, SD or UT then,

1 Miner's Inch = 0.020 cubic feet/sec

and of course the renegades in CO insist that:

1 Miner's Inch = 0.02604 cubic feet/sec

It's high water here right now, ie, lotsa inches

pescaphile

 

[John Desjardins]

Pescaphile; Nice archaic units, and I thought that slugs were bad. One unit legend that I can't verify is that around 1900 one of the states in the US passed a law that pi = 3. Apparently 3.1415......... was too difficult to remember.

 

[macspey]

Ohaus triple beam...

Bob, we've used an Ohaus 700/800 triple beam in our lab daily for 15 years or so, it's bulletproof and accurate to 0.1g. , max capacity 2600g. I use it for lines and tips, works great, I tare in a plastic mixing bowl. I just looked on eBay, plenty of them around- looks like one can be snagged for around $50 or so. No batteries, just add gravity!
John

 

[Bob Pauli]

The scale arrived!

Yesterday my new scale arrived, and it is slick!

It is a PACT Digital Precision Powder Scale with a 1500 grain / 100 gram capacity. It reads grains or grams at the touch of a button. Resolution to 0.1 grain / 0.01 gram.

Like the GramPrecision, it has a top mounted weighing pad onto which I can set a container. It includes check weights for calibration. It has a tare function to set and keep the scale at zero when a container is placed on the load surface. It is AC powered. Battery powered units are available.

Already I found three lines I had mislabelled.

Interesting information presents itself when using these scales. Do you know what a pipe cleaner/line twister or a butt section weighs? You will with these scales! But I'll bet the fish don't give a darn!

Price $159USD including delivery charge of $9.

Thanks to all for your help.

 

[juro]

Awesome!

Thanks for the update, this reminds me of how much I want one.

Also, if anyone is interested in obtaining a similar device, send me a PM and we'll try to organize a group buy.

 

[Dana]

Hey, I just searched "Digital Powder Scales" on Google and found Cabela's has one for $89.99 USD. 1500 grain cap, accurate to .1 grain, uses both AC and 9 volt, powder pan and 2 calibration weights included.

Sounds simliar to some of the ones mentioned earlier, but a little easier on my Canadian dollar conversion!

 

[BobK]

Bob and Dana -

Both of you made good choices. I think you will be happy with 'em. Just maintain 'em well, and either keep 'em covered when not in use, or put 'em away so they don't collect dust, dirt, grime, etc. These scales will last virtually forever with a little care.
(Neglect 'em, or leave 'em in the dusty, grimy atmosphere, and you will be complaining in 6 months.)

BobK