Very good video instruction for the Lee scale. You're right, the scale is accurate as well as very sensitive. If someone is planning on reloading in an area with a breeze, then the beam of the scale will move up and down with each breeze. I reloaded inside and didn't have that issue. I used the Lee scale for a couple of years because it came with my reloading kit. I didn't have any problems with it. Several years later I had the opportunity to buy a used RCBS M500 so I picked it up. I checked the accuracy of the Lee scale against my M500 and it was spot on. The Lee scale takes a couple of more seconds to set the 10th of a grain scale compared to most traditional balance beam scales like the M500. And the balance beam of the M500 dampens quickly compared to the Lee. To get the Lee to dampen more quickly, I would place my finger on the top left side of scale body to allow the balance beam to dampen against my finger. These small inconveniences aren't a deal breaker in my opinion. When I started to look into reloading several years ago, the idea of buying a new scale for $100 or more seemed to be overkill. I was glad that Lee offered an option that was about a third of the cost. The cost of the Lee scale from Midway USA is $37.00. A new RCBS M500 is $100.00 and some scales cost much more than that. New reloaders should ask themselves if a difference of $63.00 is worth it for a scale when the Lee is just as accurate. That $63.00 can be used toward other equipment and components that will be needed to start reloading. In the end it's a personal choice.
On a similar theme. I use a small pane of plate glass, with four blobs of blue tack, one in each corner, place it on my bench, put my bubble level on it, then gently press over each blob as appropriate until level. A lot easier than continally lifting a base, fiddle-faddling with screws, and placing it exactly in the position it was on the bench.
Awesome video, temperature, humidity and atmospheric conditions affect electronics scales far more than balance beams. Apart from that inaccurate description of this scale, this is one of the best videos ive ever seem about any powder measure. Excellent, well done sir.
I guess I should say those things effect powder. It is effected slightly from some atmospheric conditions, maybe because the bench it is on is made of wood. Thank you for the kind comments. Thanks for watching.
another quick adjust way for the plank of wood, would be to use wood shims, the ones they use for door and window frames... faster adjustment for level. not as secure as screws but its much faster to reach level when you use those. good information on this video
I love it,, it's the most accurate scale I've used,, it is slow & a little fiddly, but it's a very good scale,,& it's economically priced,, I've been using it for 4 or 5 years with no problems....
Mike Jones, I am happy my video was a help. I usually make my videos to share knowledge and hopefully help others. I appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment and let me know the video was helpful.
I had one !! found that if you touch it, it will jump out of scale!!!! hard to see that you have the right weight !!!! so I put it away and got a R>C>B>S scale you bang it and it holds the weight it was set for !!! there re-loader is excellent !!!
I am very glad I helped you. Thank you for letting me know. My point in making videos is to help others and share knowledge. It is encouraging to me when I find out that I have helped someone. I hope you enjoy your scale for many years. Thank you for watching.
My method, is to weigh the powder charge on my Lee beam scale, then weigh it on my Frankford Arsenal digital scale. It a belt and braces scenario. But I've never had any bother... cheers for the video. 👍🏼
@John Beige that is why we have to be careful and pay attention to the details. Even a beam scale can get wacky or give you uneven weights if something is off. Good thing you were paying attention.
Thanks. Yes I actually used 4 on purpose. I wanted it to be slightly more stable than 3 screws since the screws are so small. Did not want it to be tippy.
As long as you are level - just zero it normally. I Added the slightest bit of paint but it surely weighs something. I have had no problems with it but I always zero it for each use. I also re zero every time I move it or change the weight.
@@williamzika8999 the slightest amount of paint probably weighs less than a small granule of powder. I am not sure. I only touched the very tip with a light amount and it seemed to not make any difference in the calibration.
i removed all but the very tip and it is very thin, but the scale still acts a little heavy after balancing it to level. i compare it to two Hornaday digital scales. it does not agree with them.
It can be a little worrisome when these things happen. I would say level both scales, make sure the beam scale is zeroed correctly and then let the digital scale warm up and make sure you go through the process for zeroeing the digital scale as well. You could buy a small check weight set on amazon too. My Lyman digital scale wanders no matter what I do. It is a small one that was probably $30 - $40 but I have always been disappointed in it and can never get it to stay accurate. My Lyman won't do what yours does. When I weigh the same charge repeatedly it changes almost every time I put the pan down. When making cartridges the most important thing is consistency, so at least for the rifle loads as long as they are the same they will perform well. The rub is if you are close to the edge of maximum on powder or making pistol cartridges like 9mm you can't be .5 grains off and be safe if near the max. My comments are probably not very helpful, but that is all I can offer from my experience. Thank you for watching and commenting.
I like the little riser/table/leveling device and I like it with all four corners having a screw. There are lots of ways to do things and I like to share how I am doing them. Everyone has their own way. My bench is not completely level and has differing level spots so I needed to solve the issue in an easy way. It works. Thank you for watching and commenting. Have a great day.
@@johnshandloading7907 I appreciate you sharing the information. I literally just tried your inexpensive brass cleaning method. Pockets aren't super clean, but I believe they'll do for my first plinking reloads. I'm happy that I only spent $5 on the supplies lol
@@grindstone4910 Yes I usually clean primer pockets by hand if they need it. It seems some of the cases need a little more cleaning than others. I have tried lemi shine instead of lemon juice and the lemi shine seems to be too strong much of the time and the lemon juice does a good job.
Hey bro. Great vid. I just got mine. It zeros perfect but...I have a 1 gram weight from work, not in certification, but it's fine, it's good. Problem is the 1 gram weight, after I " pre-set my scale to exactly the same weight in grains....it showed heavy, by 2 grains" That's alot for loading .380acp 😮 I converter grams to grains per chart. So I know that's correct. I'm a machinist, I know 25.4 to well😅 it zeros mint, it weights a 95 grain rmr bullet at 96.7 to 97.4 so it kinda reflects the problem 😮 send it back,or am I doing wrong.
If it is level and zeroed correctly but gives the wrong weights I would send it back of you can and get a replacement. You are smart to not chance it. I had different beam scale once that did the same thing. I could not get it to weigh correctly.
After hours of pulling my hair out, it is now beginning to make sense. Thank you.
Very good video instruction for the Lee scale. You're right, the scale is accurate as well as very sensitive. If someone is planning on reloading in an area with a breeze, then the beam of the scale will move up and down with each breeze. I reloaded inside and didn't have that issue. I used the Lee scale for a couple of years because it came with my reloading kit. I didn't have any problems with it. Several years later I had the opportunity to buy a used RCBS M500 so I picked it up. I checked the accuracy of the Lee scale against my M500 and it was spot on.
The Lee scale takes a couple of more seconds to set the 10th of a grain scale compared to most traditional balance beam scales like the M500. And the balance beam of the M500 dampens quickly compared to the Lee. To get the Lee to dampen more quickly, I would place my finger on the top left side of scale body to allow the balance beam to dampen against my finger. These small inconveniences aren't a deal breaker in my opinion.
When I started to look into reloading several years ago, the idea of buying a new scale for $100 or more seemed to be overkill. I was glad that Lee offered an option that was about a third of the cost. The cost of the Lee scale from Midway USA is $37.00. A new RCBS M500 is $100.00 and some scales cost much more than that. New reloaders should ask themselves if a difference of $63.00 is worth it for a scale when the Lee is just as accurate. That $63.00 can be used toward other equipment and components that will be needed to start reloading. In the end it's a personal choice.
On a similar theme. I use a small pane of plate glass, with four blobs of blue tack, one in each corner, place it on my bench, put my bubble level on it, then gently press over each blob as appropriate until level. A lot easier than continally lifting a base, fiddle-faddling with screws, and placing it exactly in the position it was on the bench.
Thanks, for the information and demonstration. Screwing from top could save time. If scratching bench surface is a problem, anchors
Awesome video, temperature, humidity and atmospheric conditions affect electronics scales far more than balance beams.
Apart from that inaccurate description of this scale, this is one of the best videos ive ever seem about any powder measure. Excellent, well done sir.
I guess I should say those things effect powder. It is effected slightly from some atmospheric conditions, maybe because the bench it is on is made of wood. Thank you for the kind comments. Thanks for watching.
Thank you so much for taking the time and showing how you zero it and level it.
You are welcome I am glad it helped you.
another quick adjust way for the plank of wood, would be to use wood shims, the ones they use for door and window frames... faster adjustment for level. not as secure as screws but its much faster to reach level when you use those. good information on this video
I love it,, it's the most accurate scale I've used,, it is slow & a little fiddly, but it's a very good scale,,& it's economically priced,, I've been using it for 4 or 5 years with no problems....
I like your comments. I agree with all you said. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Nice job! I haven't used mine in a while and this was a big help getting it re-set in order to check my digital scale.
I am glad it helped you. That is why I made the video. Thank you for letting me know.
That's the best tutorial for this scale. Thank you very much!
Thank you so much for the kind comment. I am glad my video is helpful.
Great video! Love the "adjustable table" Ingenious. 👍
Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate you watching and commenting. Have a great day.
I just bought one from MidwayUSA. Happy that I watched your video. Great information on using it to get accurate weighs.
Mike Jones, I am happy my video was a help. I usually make my videos to share knowledge and hopefully help others. I appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment and let me know the video was helpful.
I had one !! found that if you touch it, it will jump out of scale!!!! hard to see that you have the right weight !!!! so I put it away and got a R>C>B>S scale you bang it and it holds the weight it was set for !!! there re-loader is excellent !!!
Thanks. Made it easier to know what to adjust and when to adjust.
I am glad it helped you, thank you for letting me know. Good luck reloading. Very satisfying making ammunition as long as you are careful.
I have this same scale. It isn't fast, but it is very accurate.
OldSchool Jack, that has been my experience as well. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Very nice how to. Thanks!
Thank you for watching and I hope it helps you.
Thanks for making this! Much appreciated!!!
Thank you for watching and commenting. I was hoping it would be helpful.
Thanks a lot, very helpful. I understand how it works now, could not figure it out on my own. Bless you.
I am very glad I helped you. Thank you for letting me know. My point in making videos is to help others and share knowledge. It is encouraging to me when I find out that I have helped someone. I hope you enjoy your scale for many years. Thank you for watching.
My method, is to weigh the powder charge on my Lee beam scale, then weigh it on my Frankford Arsenal digital scale. It a belt and braces scenario. But I've never had any bother... cheers for the video. 👍🏼
Thank you for watching and commenting. Glad you liked it.
Great video, I think I'll try one out to verify against my digital scale. Thank you much.
I am glad you liked this. Good luck. Thank you for watching and commenting.
@John Beige that is why we have to be careful and pay attention to the details. Even a beam scale can get wacky or give you uneven weights if something is off. Good thing you were paying attention.
Nice base. If you use 3 screws it will be easier to level in both dimensions.
Thanks. Yes I actually used 4 on purpose. I wanted it to be slightly more stable than 3 screws since the screws are so small. Did not want it to be tippy.
now I understand very easy to understand thankyou
I am glad it was helpful. Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it.
Excellent , thanks 😃
You are welcome. I am glad it helped you. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Thanks for the info well done sir
You are welcome. I hope it helped you. Thank you for the kind words.
very informative video
Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate you watching.
Great video... love mine also.. only thing I hate about it is ... it only reads up to 110
Thank you. It does have limitations.
after lightly painting the point causes it to be front heavy for me, how do you compensate for the tiny weight the paint gave it?
As long as you are level - just zero it normally. I Added the slightest bit of paint but it surely weighs something. I have had no problems with it but I always zero it for each use. I also re zero every time I move it or change the weight.
i wondered if it would cause the grain calibrating to be off because the beam has more weight in the pointer end
@@williamzika8999 the slightest amount of paint probably weighs less than a small granule of powder. I am not sure. I only touched the very tip with a light amount and it seemed to not make any difference in the calibration.
i removed all but the very tip and it is very thin, but the scale still acts a little heavy after balancing it to level. i compare it to two Hornaday digital scales. it does not agree with them.
@@williamzika8999 Yes digital scales seem to be finicky for me.
I use my one I like it but when I say weigh 10g on my lee mechanical scale, then on my Lyman digital scale reads 9.5? So I’m never sure what’s correct
It can be a little worrisome when these things happen. I would say level both scales, make sure the beam scale is zeroed correctly and then let the digital scale warm up and make sure you go through the process for zeroeing the digital scale as well. You could buy a small check weight set on amazon too. My Lyman digital scale wanders no matter what I do. It is a small one that was probably $30 - $40 but I have always been disappointed in it and can never get it to stay accurate. My Lyman won't do what yours does. When I weigh the same charge repeatedly it changes almost every time I put the pan down. When making cartridges the most important thing is consistency, so at least for the rifle loads as long as they are the same they will perform well. The rub is if you are close to the edge of maximum on powder or making pistol cartridges like 9mm you can't be .5 grains off and be safe if near the max. My comments are probably not very helpful, but that is all I can offer from my experience. Thank you for watching and commenting.
John's Hand Loading thanks very much for your reply.
I didn't even think about the adjustable plank table.
I like the little riser/table/leveling device and I like it with all four corners having a screw. There are lots of ways to do things and I like to share how I am doing them. Everyone has their own way. My bench is not completely level and has differing level spots so I needed to solve the issue in an easy way. It works. Thank you for watching and commenting. Have a great day.
@@johnshandloading7907 I appreciate you sharing the information. I literally just tried your inexpensive brass cleaning method. Pockets aren't super clean, but I believe they'll do for my first plinking reloads. I'm happy that I only spent $5 on the supplies lol
@@grindstone4910 Yes I usually clean primer pockets by hand if they need it. It seems some of the cases need a little more cleaning than others. I have tried lemi shine instead of lemon juice and the lemi shine seems to be too strong much of the time and the lemon juice does a good job.
Not starting with a level platform is the SINGLE biggest mistake, new and experienced reloaders alike, make with beam scales.
i like it, EXCEPT i wish the pointer and arrow were more crisp clear
Yes - that's why I painted the tip of the black part white. Thanks for watching.
Digital scale for pistol
Boom scale for rifle
Fat finger sorry. Anchors in board and use bolts. Take care,
Hey bro. Great vid. I just got mine. It zeros perfect but...I have a 1 gram weight from work, not in certification, but it's fine, it's good. Problem is the 1 gram weight, after I " pre-set my scale to exactly the same weight in grains....it showed heavy, by 2 grains" That's alot for loading .380acp 😮 I converter grams to grains per chart. So I know that's correct. I'm a machinist, I know 25.4 to well😅 it zeros mint, it weights a 95 grain rmr bullet at 96.7 to 97.4 so it kinda reflects the problem 😮 send it back,or am I doing wrong.
If it is level and zeroed correctly but gives the wrong weights I would send it back of you can and get a replacement. You are smart to not chance it. I had different beam scale once that did the same thing. I could not get it to weigh correctly.