Buying a good balance

[L Gebhardt]

I am thinking of getting a balance to mix my own chemicals. I was going to get one of the lesser priced Acculabs like they sell at Photographers Formulary bu then I started thinking about mixing up PyroCat which has some ingredients that are .2g and the balances tolerance is .1g - not a good recipe for success. As always the thing complicating this is that I don't want to send a lot of money. Do you have any recomendations on good blanaces for around $300, or less, that are accurate to .01 grams or better. I don't mind used, but I don't know what to look for/ask when buying with e-bay.

I prefer a digital balance since that is what I am used to from college chemistry, but a true balance would be fine if it is accurate enough.

Thanks,

Larry

 

[juan]

I'm using a digital postal scale - I solved the tiny quantities in Pyrocat HD problem by simply mixing more. The formula is for 100ml, if I remember correctly - I mix 1000ml. Multiply everything by 10 and the quantities fall into a range that much less expensive scales can measure.
Also, there are inexpensive scales on ebay that measure fractions of a gram.
juan

 

[Donald Miller]

000

 

[Bruce Osgood]

I purchased my Ohaus Triple Balance on E-Bay for $60 + shipping.

I had researched:
HOT BUYS - Balances: http://balances.com/
OHAUS: http://www.ohaus.com/
ACCULAB: http://acculab.com/index.php
EDMUND SCIENTIFICS: http://scientificsonline.com/

All of which brought me back to E-Bay and the reliable, accurate and much less expensive Triple Beam.

 

[Aggie]

..

 

[ann]

I got a digital balance a year or so ago. +-.01. I will check tomorrow when i go into the lab to find out the name of the company . At one time it was bookmarked but have changed computers since that time.
I have been very happy with it and it was about 125 dollars. What i do remember is that this company makes all types of scales, commerical, etc.

 

[fparnold]

Try Fisher Scientific. They sell a variety from research grade to teaching lab grade. You may also wish to see whether your local college periodically cleans out and sells old equipment. Occasionally a mechanical Mettler balance (with the agate knife-edge) will show up, as they're considered too masochistic to use these days. I have one from a previous lab demolition,and it's a nice balance, though the 0.0001 accuracy is probably more than is needed for mixing cyanotype.

 

[KenM]

Get a gunpowder scale for the really small quantities. They measure in grains, with 1 gram = 15.4323584 grain. Quite accurate. The only downside is when you have to measure large quantities - it can take a while, since the balance is really made to measure small to tiny amounts.

But, it works. I've used it many times to mix up Pyrocat-HD.....

 

[Lex Jenkins]

Ditto the recommendation for a gunpowder scale. Lee's is a bargain, accurate and consistent. RCBS's is better made, tho' not necessarily more accurate, and priced proportionately higher.

You can also buy powder tricklers to add minute amounts to the scale cups.

 

[KenM]

RCBS is the brand I have, and it works well. I only mix Pyrocat-HD with it, and I haven't made any of that in a while, so it's just been sitting...

 

[Jorge Oliveira]

You do not need an expensive scale - not even for Pyrocat.
The only substance used at fractional grams is phenidone (well, potassium iodide also).

Mix you phenidone on very pure alcohol - I use 2% solution (2g in 100cc alcohol). It lasts a long time. If you have some hydroquinone, add a pinch of it to the alcohol before adding the phenidone (increases keeping properties).

10cc of this solution=0.2g

Jorge O

 

[L Gebhardt]

Thanks for all the good answers so far, I really appreciate it. I will now start looking for the good bargains.

 

[Ed Sukach]

RCBS is the brand I have, and it works well. I only mix Pyrocat-HD with it, and I haven't made any of that in a while, so it's just been sitting...

Uh ... are you re-stuffing ammunition too?

I have the RCBS --- what is it ... 500 grain scale, and trickler too. The thing goes to 1/10th grain ... or about 1/150th of a gram.

 

[KenM]

RCBS is the brand I have, and it works well. I only mix Pyrocat-HD with it, and I haven't made any of that in a while, so it's just been sitting...

Uh ... are you re-stuffing ammunition too?

I have the RCBS --- what is it ... 500 grain scale, and trickler too. The thing goes to 1/10th grain ... or about 1/150th of a gram.

Naw, don't like guns - don't own one, and never will. It was just a cheaply available, accurate scale.