darkroom scale advice

[Robert Bowring]

I am going to attempt to mix my own developers and am looking for advice on buying a darkroom scale.

[Leigh]

There's a huge variety of small battery-powered scales of reasonable accuracy available, powered no doubt by the high demand for same from drug dealers.

Check the offerings at Amazon.com

- Leigh

[vinny]

I bought mine from amazon about 6 years ago. Does what it should. http://www.amazon.com/My-Weigh-Triton-Digital-Pocket/dp/B007HOC438/ref=sr_1_19?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1390233501&sr=1-19&keywords=my+weigh+scale

[Tori Nelson]

I've been using this one for years now and it works great. I like the larger scale area better than the small druggie types. http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-scale-95364.html

[William Whitaker]

Take a look at http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/.

-[Another old] Will

[Reinhold Schable]

After you get comfortable with blending your own, you may decide to go "retro"...

A triple beam balance is a mark of a true chemist of yore:
http://www.sciplus.com/p/2610-G-TRIPLEBEAM-BALANCE-SCALE_50775
No battery, lasts forever, a work of art in itself.

Reinhold

[Merg Ross]

For accuracy I prefer a triple beam scale. For less critical situations, such as mixing paper developer, spoon equivalents work well and save time.

[David Karp]

I use an electronic jeweler's scale that I purchased from Old Will Knot many years ago. I purchased it with a calibration weight. It works very well.

[paulr]

Old Will Knot is a great source, because you can compare just about every scale made.

In the darkroom and kitchen, I used to use a Myweigh scale with a capacity of 5kg and precision to 0.1g. When it died after about 8 years of use, I switched to a two-scale approach that's a little less convenient, but more accurate and cheaper. One scale has 7kg capacity and precision to 1.0 gram. The other has around 100g capacity and precision to 0.01g. The small one is great for anything that you measure in small quantities. All the pro pastry chefs I know do it this way ... a high capacity scale and a precise scale. A scale that is both high capacity and precise costs much more than these two combined.

I use them mostly in the kitchen, since my photography workflow has gone digital. The small scale is great for measuring leavening and hydrocolloids and anything else you use in small quantities. In the darkroom it would be ideal for things like benzotriazole and gold chloride.

[Drew Wiley]

I don't find a need for anything fancier than an old-school triple-beam Ohaus scale - I don't have to worry about using it on the bed of the sink and simply rinsing off
any stray powder afterwards - but all kinds of things are available from scientific suppliers. Around here the basic variety is referred to as a "dope scale", for obvious reasons.

[dsphotog]

I got a old Ohaus triple beam off epay under $40 incl. shipping.
I also have a small digital from Harbor Freight.

[Drew Wiley]

Anything from Harbor Freight will probably be accurate within plus or minus sixty percent, if you're lucky. In fact, if it doesn't break in the first five minutes, you're
lucky.

[Leigh]

Anything from Harbor Freight will probably be accurate within plus or minus sixty percent, if you're lucky. In fact, if it doesn't break in the first five minutes, you're lucky.
I'm sorry to say I do not share your high opinion of HF gear.

I've never encountered examples which were that good.

- Leigh

[AtlantaTerry]

Back in the '60s when I mixed my own chemistry, I used a balance scale that I purchased from a school supply store.

It came with a set of weights and everything was packaged in a sturdy wood box. By now I have forgotten how much I paid.

[photonsoup]

My RCBS reloading scale does double duty for photo chemicals. Cons: 500 grain max, all measurements are in grains (some people can't figure out how to convert to grams 500gr=32.4g). Pros: accurate to 0.0064799 grams (0.1grains), balance beam type, available at any sporting goods store in Montana, have always had one around since birth!

cheaters way to convert (http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/grams-to-grains.htm)

[jk0592]

I use a Ohaus triple beam, good to +-0,1 gram up to, can weight 1Kg. Very reliable, but do not be in a hurry, especially when you need to offset the weight of a container.

[jp]

Back in the '60s when I mixed my own chemistry, I used a balance scale that I purchased from a school supply store.

It came with a set of weights and everything was packaged in a sturdy wood box. By now I have forgotten how much I paid.

Remember from school, you're dealing with masses not weights. A balance scale will measure the same at any altitude or gravity (near weightlessness) Weights are next to the locker room.

I use a cheap druggie scale from amazon. It's easy enough to verify function by putting a graduated cup on and adding water (1ml=1g)

[Jim Galli]

Years ago a school teacher gave me an O-Haus Cent-O-Gram scale with 4 beams that will measure 10ths of a gram. When you're mixing small amounts, it truly can't be beat. Battery never goes dead :D

Like this one (http://www.ebay.com/itm/OHAUS-SCALE-Cent-O-Gram-311-gram-GOLD-SILVER-FOOD-BEAM-BALANCE-WEIGHT-/161203392990).

No idea who the seller is etc. etc. disclaimer.

[AtlantaTerry]

O-Haus online store:
http://www.globalscientificsupply.com/stores/ohaus/?gclid=CPDRqIO1k7wCFeJF7AodUzEAlA

[neil poulsen]

This is where I got both of mine. An enclosed MyWeigh I think for small weights and a triple beam for heavier amounts.


Old Will Knot is a great source, because you can compare just about every scale made.

In the darkroom and kitchen, I used to use a Myweigh scale with a capacity of 5kg and precision to 0.1g. When it died after about 8 years of use, I switched to a two-scale approach that's a little less convenient, but more accurate and cheaper. One scale has 7kg capacity and precision to 1.0 gram. The other has around 100g capacity and precision to 0.01g. The small one is great for anything that you measure in small quantities. All the pro pastry chefs I know do it this way ... a high capacity scale and a precise scale. A scale that is both high capacity and precise costs much more than these two combined.

I use them mostly in the kitchen, since my photography workflow has gone digital. The small scale is great for measuring leavening and hydrocolloids and anything else you use in small quantities. In the darkroom it would be ideal for things like benzotriazole and gold chloride.

[mike rosenlof]

mechanical triple beam balance. kind of fits with the idea of large format.

[Ben Calwell]

Great -- I was all set to buy one from Harbor Freight, but now the seeds of doubt have been planted.