Prissy Lou Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 i have a question about scales for weighing clay. i've had a difficult time finding a good scale at a decent price. i nearly always have to use christmas and birthday money to buy pottery stuff, so i can't really afford to spend 50+ dollars for a new one and the used one i got for christmas never shows the same weight twice for a single lump of clay so i'm a little hesitant to go that route again. my question is would a fishing scale work? you know, the kind you hook into the mouth of the fish to see much it weighs? i saw one at walmart that would weigh a fish up to 50lbs for less than $5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mossyrock Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 As an avid bass fisher(person), I can attest to the inaccuracy of inexpensive fishing scales. Mine is digital, but when the battery gets low, it doesn't weigh accurately. I have a couple of scales in my studio to weigh clay that I purchased at flea markets....the old fashion kind that has the big dial on the front....put the clay on a tray on the top. Sometimes you can get those very inexpensively....you might even check out eBay. They can be calibrated so they're pretty accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 I just quickly Googled scales and easily found some priced under $20 ... You need accuracy for glaze mixing so they would not work for that, but many would be precise enough for measuring clay lumps for throwing. (which is what I assume you want to use it for.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 ebay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Check LabX.com or try the local police dept. They have some from drug busts. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 I bought an inexpensive meat scale at Bass Pro for around $20. It wouldn't work for measuring for glaze mixing but its fine for lumps of clay, and has a removable tray on the top that can be washed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasoned Warrior Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 I use a precision balance for mixing glazes but just about any scale will do for weighing lumps of clay. For me rather than having an absolute weight I'm usually looking for repeatability since I want to be able to weigh out lumps of clay similar to each other so it doesn't matter if the scale is right on; at least not to me. I use a kitchen type scale with a platform on top and a big dial in the front. they are cheap and seem to last. A spring scale also varies with elevation so it measures differently in the mountains of Colorado than it would in the low deserts of California, that's why balances were used for trade. Regards, Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracked pot Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 I went to local antique stores to find old kitchen or baby scales for weighing clay. Only had to spend $10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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