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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 16, 2013 10:49:42 GMT -5
Picked this up as a birthday present for my husband. I got it from an older gentleman in our rock club. I really got it more for display, but it may come in handy for weighing very small amounts of gold flakes. I understand the digital scales are not up to that task. Sorry it is still dirty, have not had time to clean it yet. (And please ignore junk in background. Not enough natural light to photogragh it in house.)  Metal cabinet, not wood. Can see where a nice warm wood could be more appealing.  This is a precision instrument. The person I got it from took over an hour to explain the workings of the various dials, gauges, levers and adjustments.  There are five control knobs that come through the case/glass. If I knew what to call them, I'd tell you! Will try to find some kind of manual/instructions for this.  Built in levels inside, fully adjustable feet.  The fine gold chain you see hanging is another weight adjustment.   Control on the right allows you to pick up a short copper rod (sitting in farthest away notch in aluminum bar to the left) and move it to different locations.  Not sure what this control does...  This control has a magnet in it, and it dampens movement of the scale.  View from the top. Notched bar across center is where the copper rod sits.  Box of precision weights.  Someone very precisely weighed all of the weights, and recorded their variances. Notice date: 12 August 1957. This apparatus is older than me! It was built to last.   That's it. Hope you liked it, Scott, even if it isn't in a wooden case. Thanks for looking. Jean |
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Post by wireholic on Oct 16, 2013 11:02:02 GMT -5
Cool! I've never seen one in a metal case - or with all of the extra controls! Used to have one in a wooden case but it didn't have all the stabilizers etc that this has. Those little weights are like gold! So hard to find anymore
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 14:46:13 GMT -5
That is way cool Jean except for the fact that it is not THAT old considering the fact that it is 11 years younger than me (depending on what month it was born in). My guess is that the reason the case is not made out of wood is because we had not come out of the bronze age and into the wood age yet. Whatever reason, it is an awesome and beautiful instrument.
Jim
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 15:11:12 GMT -5
wow! That is really something special. I used to work with one of those that was built in 1903. It was a "chain-o-matic" similar in design to yours. They can be calibrated and be precise accurate to 0.0001 grams + or - 0.00005 grams! This was in a chem lab and the concrete pedestal it sat on was bored 25 feet or so into the ground - to bedrock. Before they set it on bedrock trucks in the yard or the street out front would keep us from obtaining good precision.
That is a really nice piece. I'd be proud to have it.
Ask Bob to out me in his will! lol
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 16, 2013 18:13:01 GMT -5
Thanks, peoples! Karen, I've also seen mostly wood-cased ones. And this one has more controls than you can shake a stick at! When I picked it up, I was shown which controls do what, but it'll take time (or a manual!) before I'll be able to use it. It's also out of date on its calibration (naturally!). The weights are a little dirty/corroded, but to clean them up more than just to see the numbers would probably change the actual weights. Probably best to just leave them be.
Some time ago, the man we got this from, Bob L., had a friend that worked at USCD. That friend informed him that (either due to the owner retiring, or passing - don't know which) this insturment was going to be becoming available, and would he like it? My friend said yes. I don't know how long he has owned it, but the service date/callibration was June 1983 - thirty years ago. Probably safe to say that it was not used at the university in all that time.
Jim, I didn't see a "born in" month anywhere on it, so I don't know. Wonder if I can input the serial number somewhere and get more info on it? How about we just say "reasonably old" and not "old as dirt?" I'm glad it's not made of wood, otherwise I'd have to worry about termites gnawing on it, lol!
Scott, that's very interesting about the concrete pedestal they had to pour to make it usable, I can totally understand that. That reminds me of when Bob worked at Rohr, machining the o-ring groove into the solid rocket boosters for the space shuttle (post Challenger, I might add). This was done on ten foot tall lathes. Rohr was situated on the inland side of San Diego Bay, down in the south bay in Chula Vista. They were right at sea level. Whenever a critical finish cut had to be made, they'd have to take the tides into consideration, since it could throw the dimensions out of tolerance.
Hmmm, I'll have to think about that. I'll keep you in mind, Scott.
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Post by mohs on Oct 16, 2013 22:07:44 GMT -5
That a fabulous gift, Jean !
It should make calculating specific gravity easier, also. No? \
Ed
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adrian65
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Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
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Post by adrian65 on Oct 16, 2013 22:32:33 GMT -5
I like this old balance. Maybe Brian (Beef) could help you with the controls you don't know about.
Adrian
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2013 11:23:29 GMT -5
I like this old balance. Maybe Brian (Beef) could help you with the controls you don't know about. Adrian Yes, beefjello needs to see this thread. His job is in the laboratory and he may have some insight. Hi Brian! Good call Adrian. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 17, 2013 20:40:15 GMT -5
Quality like that is N/A these days. That deserves appreciation. And a good home i might add.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 18, 2013 9:44:07 GMT -5
That a fabulous gift, Jean ! It should make calculating specific gravity easier, also. No? \ Ed Ed, the guy I got it from had mentioned that he had planned on rigging something up for doing just that, he just never got around to it. I calculated SG once, don't think I'll strain my brain a second time, lol! Thanks, Adrian, good call. Hope I hear from beef at some point. James, it currently holds a place of honor in the living room (not where the photos of it were taken), where all can see it and pay homage to it. It definitely is something out of the past. And yes, I do appreciate it, whether it is ever actually used or not. Now I just gotta clean it... |
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 18, 2013 14:51:34 GMT -5
Totally cool Jean,my Uncle has one similiar to it....but no glass case like yours....
Great find!
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Post by Toad on Oct 18, 2013 23:16:20 GMT -5
Awesome!!
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Post by beefjello on Oct 20, 2013 13:53:46 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2013 15:41:39 GMT -5
Weight set definitely needs a good cleaning. I wouldn't rely on those corrections..  Awesome, Brian. You da man! Jean the corrosion on the weights will actually make then HEAVIER by adding oxygen to the mass of the weights. The corrections are cool for historical reference. I'd keep that card with the scale forever. |
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Post by Pat on Oct 21, 2013 15:49:38 GMT -5
Jean, that is a neat piece. And beautiful! Do you have any gold flakes you can weigh?
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 21, 2013 17:59:04 GMT -5
Thanks a bunch, Brian! That will be most useful. 1959, so not quite as old as me. Guess I'll go ahead and clean those weights when I get around to cleaning the rest of it (whenever that is). Pat Might try to get a weight on these flakes, now that I can understand how to use the scale.  This was from a bucket and a half of dirt from a friend's house in Ramona. She was so tickled when I showed her the vial at the last prospector's club meeting. She wants us to come up again and dig some more. Whenever I get a free weekend, when I'm either not going somewhere, or preparing to go somewhere. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 23, 2013 10:10:25 GMT -5
After I clean this up, I wonder if it would be helpful to place a bag of dessicant inside, to keep the moisture down? Maybe also one of the pieces of anti-tarnish paper in the box with the weights after they are cleaned, to inhibit corrosion.
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Post by Pat on Oct 23, 2013 10:44:43 GMT -5
Jean , chalk also inhibits corrosion. I use a lot of Pacific Cloth, a tarnish fighting dark brown fabric.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 23, 2013 11:11:33 GMT -5
Thanks for that info, Pat. I'll certainly look for some of it. Jean
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This was from a bucket and a half of dirt from a friend's house in Ramona. She was so tickled when I showed her the vial at the last prospector's club meeting. She wants us to come up again and dig some more. Whenever I get a free weekend, when I'm either not going somewhere, or preparing to go somewhere.
