Low Cost DIY Rod Weighing Setup
The one thing this jig will do is allow you get by with a $20-50 scale and obtain usable results, since this jig cannot put a tilting load on the scale. I did not realize all this going in about the cheapo scales..... it just worked out that way.
I've tried the conventional sideways hanging method with the cheapo scale, and the results were all over the map, and changed hugely with just a tiny change in the angle of how the rod set on the scale. Pishta can comment, but is sounds like he ran into the same problem.
Always swung them sideways, never flat.
Yes, that is the conventional method. But seriously, it does not matter as long at the long axis (beam axis) of the rod is level, and your support points are on lines across the centers of the ends, perpendicular to the long axis. That is what allows you to correctly separate out the 2 end weights per the standard methods for balance work, and is exactly how the conventional jigs work. That was all figured out before even going down this road.
I've just about decided to keep the SCAT I-beams I have been admiring in their box and, if so, will weigh them all with this, and we can see how close it comes to their marked weights on the box.
I'd be curious as to the brands and models of scales that the pro shops use here.
