I think I've broken my scales

[Riverman]

I seem to have left something lying on them. I checked my weight earlier today and it was 13 stone bang on as it has been for the last month. Infact it's gone below 13 stone a few times.

Left something on them, took it off earlier went back on them and I'm 14stone. All in the same day.

How odd.

Oh well, sorry I probably shouldn't have made a thread on this. Has anyone had the same? I check my weight twice a day everyday, so was abit shocked to see I gained over a stone today.

 

[Riverman]

I'm 13 and a half now! ah. Damn these crap cheap tesco scales.

I'm getting a new set. Anyone recommend any? Will probably opt for a digital set this time.

 

[ttcycle]

Why do you check your weight twice a day? Your weight will fluctuate within a day anyway due to water consumption etc.

Probably once a week is enough or after and before an exercise session to check how much water you've lost to figure out how much you need to drink..

Incidentally, I picked up a set of weightwatchers digital scales from argos cause it was cheap - it's gathering dust in the bathroom as I rarely weigh myself..prefer other markers to fitness - even if planning on losing weight (which I'm not), the fit of clothes is better than weight as weight is unreliable especially with exercise as you can get heavier..

anyway that was a bit divergent!

 

[marinyork]

Home scales are fairly notorious for breaking/bad calibration.

 

[Crankarm]

Home scales are fairly notorious for breaking/bad calibration.

MY If they are poorly calibrated, just use a few bags of sugar or flour to calibrate them roughly, but you would expect them to be consistent even if they under or over reading so you can at least see how much weight you are losing or ............... gaining . Mine are old fashioned scales needle and dial which work fine. When I'm training I try to weigh myself at the same time each day with all conditions being the same.

 

[Riverman]

Just adjusted the scales to both extremes allowed, put the pointer back to zero and I'm 13.5 stone again.

I would do the flour/sugar thing but I don't have any bags in the house. I keep the sugar in an old Lidl olive jar which if full, would weigh about a kilo anyway.

 

[jimboalee]

Are the scales Spring or Strain guage?

'Old Fashioned' bathroom scales with a rotating scale operate a lever mechanism which is controled by springs. The springs are manufactured to a desired tension and the adjuster wheel allow the user to 'Zero' the scale but NOT adjust the SPAN.
The 'span' is the slope of the calibration curve from Zero to FSD, Full Scale Deflection.

If a HEAVY object is placed on this type of scales, the spring/springs will 'SCRAGG'. 'Scragging' is when a spring is OVER USED and its RATE reduces.

All newly manufactured springs should be 'scragged' to acheive a kind of quick 'running in'.

If a Mid range weight is left on the scales, the springs might suffer from 'MEMORY'. They will regain their original springrate eventually when the load is removed.

If a FSD weight is left on the scales, the calibration will take a long time to return.

If the scales suffer a shock load of greater than their capacity, they will be rendered useless because the lever mechanism could get 'mechanically deformed' or BENT.


If they are Strain guage scales ( digital ), there's should not be a problem because the the size of the strain guage and 'load arm' should be adequate to take FSD indefinitely.

 

[jimboalee]

Just adjusted the scales to both extremes allowed, put the pointer back to zero and I'm 13.5 stone again.

I would do the flour/sugar thing but I don't have any bags in the house. I keep the sugar in an old Lidl olive jar which if full, would weigh about a kilo anyway.

To check the SPAN on bathroom scales, you need a 1 cwt (112 lb) calibration weight from the local postal sorting office.

 

[Aperitif]

To check the SPAN on bathroom scales, you need a 1 cwt (112 lb) calibration weight from the local postal sorting office.

...or buy 1452 packets of Walkers salt and vinegar crisps. Put one packet unopened in each pocket and eat the other 1450. After 30 minutes weigh yourself then drink four litres of warm water...

Brilliant answer Jimbo! Weigh to go More 10/10

 

[jimboalee]

To calibrate the SPAN on a motorcar Engine Dynamometer, you need a supplementary beam arm and 50 kg of NAMAS certificated calibration weights. 4 x 10kg and 2 x 5kg.

In the respect of Bathroom scales. If you don't trust them, throw them out and buy another.

 

[Banjo]

Jimbo I followed your recommendation and borrowed two 112 lb weights from the post office(we have 2 scales)riding home with them strapped to the pannier rack was dodgy,I had to lean forward to keep the front wheel on the ground.

After all that I discovered our scales are metric so it was all in vain .Best bit is all the effort involved caused me to lose half a kilo this week :-)

 

[Speicher]

To save the awkward ride back with the wieghts, could you just post them back? Remember to wrap them carefully in bubblewrap and cardboard so that they do not get damaged in transit.

 

[jimboalee]

Jimbo I followed your recommendation and borrowed two 112 lb weights from the post office(we have 2 scales)riding home with them strapped to the pannier rack was dodgy,I had to lean forward to keep the front wheel on the ground.

After all that I discovered our scales are metric so it was all in vain .Best bit is all the effort involved caused me to lose half a kilo this week :-)

Take the Scales TO to the Post Office, you idiot

 

[Speicher]

Yes but if Banjo's scales can weigh as much as twenty stone they would be even heavier.

 

[Gary D]

Jimbo I followed your recommendation and borrowed two 112 lb weights from the post office(we have 2 scales)riding home with them strapped to the pannier rack was dodgy,I had to lean forward to keep the front wheel on the ground.

After all that I discovered our scales are metric so it was all in vain .Best bit is all the effort involved caused me to lose half a kilo this week :-)

But what gear ratios did you use when carrying all that weight up the hills?

Perhaps Jimbo could advise?