Posted 7 years ago
Minrelica
(2 items)
I have a couple of questions about a scale parts that I've been finding while metal detecting a patch of woods.
All of the weights have drill holes in the underside of them. I was certain that this was done to achieve the correct balance.. Manufactured overweight, drilled out to make correct.
My friend thinks these were drilled to meet specific needs by the consumer, and not at the factory as I believe.
1) Can you shed some light on this situation for us?
2) Is it possible to tell what brand platform scale the parts are from?
Thank you!
Pete
Show your friend this chart:
http://www.xs650.org.au/metal%20removal%20chart4.xls
Drilling out material in order to achieve the correct weight (and balance) is a thing ;)
T A
Thank you for that chart.. Very interesting.
More specifically, were these drilled at the factory? Was the consumer expected to drill these out? Why would they not just make a smaller mold?
It doesn't make sense to me that the company that manufactured the scale would make the weights and say 'here, you figure it out'.
The buyer would need items weighing exactly 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 lbs to begin this process.
Yes, it's a quality control manufacturing process.
T A
Tube- Quality control is a very reasonable hypothesis. I would ask then, why not have a more efficient QC process where there are not as many holes drilled. Would it make sense to instead adjust the mold? I would think that in mass; bits, labor, etc. would become very expensive.
Regards
I believe the little indentations were to add small weight shots, so they wouldn't roll around, and you could easily count the added shot pieces which would weigh small increments than the big weights. This would be for something you were weighing that was a solid object, not a bulk powder or something. I actually used a scale like this.
They could have been drilled out by the user, who wanted smaller increments than the big weights, and used small pieces of shot to add small amounts of weight. Could have been used for precious metals. In any case, the small pieces of shot were probably lost over time.
Danny, I’ve read your post several times and I can’t wrap my head around it. Don’t take offense but it doesn’t make any sense to me. All of the weights are drilled out to change the weight. The other two only have a couple shallow holes. There are several for sale on eBay with same drill holes. The smaller weights have reasonable holes but the 500 you are looking at is a bit ridiculous from an engineering standpoint.
This was not done by the owner...
Primitive casting, under and overweight, solved by removing or adding metal, maybe lead.
T A
See the lead plug:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/549183427/weights-for-scales-retail-store?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=soviet%20scale%20weights&ref=sr_gallery_14
Or here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/544006112/vintage-antique-soviet-russian-scale?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=soviet%20scale%20weights&ref=sr_gallery_34
T A
Oh Gee - As soon as I saw this it reminded me of the counter top weight scales the old Grain elevators used to have there. Us kids always got to go with Dad when he hauled grain to town, and I know they had a counter top scale ( with pieces like this ) and another floor scale....Plus the scale for the whole truck and grain load.
Not sure if that is what it is...but that is what it reminds me of. They were something like this:
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MjAzWDMwMA==/z/7IYAAOSwVFlUB-eS/_35.JPG?set_id=2
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Antique-Fairbanks-Morse-Co-Scale-With-Scoop-Hanger-Weight-Set-/232496961107
Tube- Primitive or not, casting isn't rocket science. Your chart shows the simplicity of calculating the weight size. I find it impossible to believe this was it's planned use.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Antique-Mercantile-Cast-Iron-Scale-Weights-Counterbalance-Weights-AND-Hook-/192310216786?hash=item2cc6950852:g:88AAAOSwddhZwCDP
It's quite common really. I have two sets here with adjustment marks filled with lead.
T A
Okay, so we've established the following:
Primitive casting = manufactured overweight
Holes were drilled at the factory to make accurate when testing the scale
IMO, none of the holes in my examples were ever filled back up with lead/taken back out
The 100 weighs .95lb (if I remember correctly)
The 200 weighs 1.95lb
The 500 weighs exactly 3.00lb
Could the owner have lost the 300 or 400 weights and drilled out the 500 himself to suit his needs? I think this is a possibility considering how crude the holes look in comparison. I will post links to back of 100 & 200. I appreciate everyone's input.
https://postimg.org/image/jfsi11ir9/
https://postimg.org/image/purixpph1/
I'm going to mark this as solved:
All of the parts have been found in a very small patch of woods within a 8-10' radius.
The 300 & 400 have not been found.
The 500 has been drilled out/modified to serve as a 300. (drilled out much more than it appears in the photo)
Thank you everyone that participated.