Bought A New Scale / Need Some Help ?

[Dianeb]

I bought a electronic postal scale from Office Max, The name on it pelouze,

Anyone using this scale ? I need some help in learning how to read it. There

wasn't anything in the box telling you how to read it. I try to weigh out

dye flakes, I used the metal spoons ( the dash,pinch,smidgen ) before I

bought the scale. I was wondering if anyone knows how many dashes it

takes to make 1/2 gram ? What I came up with, it takes 2 dashes to make

a 1/2 gram, Is that right ? I was using 1 dash per lb, It seems as though

it's not enought dye for some colors.

Would really appreciate any help at all, Thanks in advance

[Dianeb]

Bump Up !

Please I Need Some Help Here Anyone.

[RobinInOR]

Well, you can't directly make dashs into grams, cuz you're converting volume to weight, but I can take a guess.

According to online calculators, 1 dash is .04 tablespoons. Faking a volume to weight conversion, there's 14 grams in a tablespoon. So that means a dash will be somewhere around .5 gram.

But that's going to be really inaccurate, cuz that assumes you're measuring something like water, not a powder.

Since that scale isn't going to to measure down to a 1/2 gram anyway (none of those scales are *that* accurate), I'd do a test to see. Get out your dash measurer, set the scale to show grams (it will have a button to switch between ounces and grams), and dump dashes of color out until it reads a gram. Then you'll know exactly how many dashes make up a gram.

[scottopus]

You haven't got a lot of responses because you’re converting volume (measuring spoons) to weight. We don't know the density of your "dye flakes", what you're considering is a "full" spoon, or if you tapping the spoon to get as much air out as possible. There are so many variables in your question that know one can give you a good answer. What RobinInOR did was give you a method so that you can make this conversion yourself. The only thing I’ll add is that I would measure the number dashes until you get a reading of 10 grams. Then divide the number of dashes by 10 to get the number of dashes in a gram. This will reduce some of your measuring errors. Even after you calculate this conversion, you’ll still have a lot of measuring error especially if you're converting less than a gram. This error will be more pronounced in your case since you’ll be able to see the shade differences between batches.

HTH

[topofmurrayhill]

Why don't you put a dash on the scale and weigh it?

Or multiple dashes. In reality you aren't going to be weighing dye flakes. They're so concentrated that you'd need a scale costing hundred of dollars to weigh them properly. All you really need to know is how many dashes get you the color you want, not how much it weighs.

If you want to accurately weigh dye you'd have to switch to something like color blocks, and a postal scale may not be accurate enough for that either unless you're doing a sizeable batch.

[scottopus]

They're so concentrated that you'd need a scale costing hundred of dollars to weigh them properly.

You can get a scale that measures 0.1 of a gram for $25 or one that measures 0.01g for $65. The down side of these scales is they have very low capacities (200 grams/50 grams). So you would be basically buying a scale for your additives.

[scottopus]

I bought a electronic postal scale from Office Max, The name on it pelouze,

Anyone using this scale ?

What's the model #?

I went to Offmax.com and saw that they have two electronic postal scales that cost around $80.

On a side note, my next scale is going to be the one the HenryK has/told me about, the KD-600.

It's cost $46 + shipping, has 1 Gram Graduation, 6 kg (13.2lb) capacity, Stainless Steel Removable Platform that's Easy to Clean, and Four Disposable Faceplate Covers Included to Protect the Scale.

[Henryk]

FYI - if you are measuring really small amounts of additives on that KD-600 - even though is goes to .1 oz. - I think its still more accurate to use the grams function on it and just convert.

46.00 is a decent price (many sites seem to love to really mark that scale up in price).

[RobinInOR]

I love my KD-600 - really nice. Especially when someone told me about the switch in the back so it will "start up" in gram mode

[Dianeb]

I really appreciate all the response from everyone. But All I'm wanting to know is how much dye I'm suppose to be using for 1 lb of wax without using too much. I know the suggested amount is 1/2 gram per lb. I just thought if I could measure out how many dashes it takes to make 1 gram, then I could kind of split it in half by eye judging. then I wouldn't be guesting my self on the amount of dye that I'm suppose to be using. When I first started using dyes I ended up using too much, it clogged my wicks and I wasn't getting any throw from my candles. now I crush my dyes when I get them in, and it's been going alot better for me, but like I said in my pervious post it just seems like some of the color aren't comming out right, like the cranberry color, christmas red and green.

I have done what topofmurrayhill suggested and I ended up putting 4 dashes on the scale before it finally read 1 gram. Then that would mean I could use 2 dashes of dye per lb of wax. it seems like alot of dye. I just don't want to be using too much dye and start having problems again. I would rather use the small spoons ( dash,pinch,smidgen ) to measure out my dyes instead of the scale. The other scale that I bought at wal-mart is The one I use for measuring my wax, but the smallest amount that it weighs is 2 grams, 1/8 of an oz then it jumps to 1/4,3/8,1/2, etc. it just seems that there is too much weight difference inbetween each measurement of a 1/8 to 1/4 that the scale doesn't show.

I tried weighing the dye flakes again, I measure out 1 dash at a time, then the scale read 1 gram when I put only 2 dashes on it. too much error on this scale, i think I'll be taking it back to Office Max.

scottopus

The scale I just bought saids on the front of the box .1 oz / 1 g. Increments. So .1 oz is reading one tenth of an oz, is that right, which means it's the same as 1 gram ? I did like you suggested I measured out 25 dashes before the scale read 10 grams, then divided 10 into 25, comes out 2.5 dashes. but that's not accurate, because when I put two dashes on the scale it read's 1 gram. this kinda helps me to understand more about the measuring of the measuring of my dyes. at least I know now I could use a 1 dash and 2 smidgens and not going over the amount of dye that I'm suppose to be using.

I'm using the wide mouth mason jar for doing my testing in, I got 2 wholesale account and I wanted to make sure about the amount of dye that I can use.

Thanks so much everyone

[Kaybee23]

I have one of those scales as well and LOVE it. It is the best scale I have ever owned. Really like the stainless steel top, just in case of accidental dripping of FO on it.

I love my KD-600 - really nice. Especially when someone told me about the switch in the back so it will "start up" in gram mode

[Henryk]

Diane, I think your making this harder than it needs to be. First off, if you are using soy wax - its very opaque. Even if you get it "dark", its not translucent so a dark hue in soy is NEVER going to look like the same dark hue in straight paraffin. If you are putting in so much dye to attempt to get it to that point, you probably will have burning problems. This is why those suggested amounts IMO mean nothing to me - usually it'll say something like "for a medium shade" - well, what does that mean - and in what wax?

I used to grind up the flakes and measure them a couple years ago - before I realized how ridiculous this was - I just don't have time to do this. Those flakes IMO are really made for large volume operations - not for making one or two candles at a time, which is what I do! Plus the fact that even the good scales, while they can weigh in gram amounts, aren't necessarily good at transitioning between those amounts - meaning, you HAVE to take the item off the scale, let it go to zero, then replace the item to be weighed back on the scale. This explains your statement "weight difference in between each measurement". If you want to do this sort of stuff you really need a scale like soaper folks (for preservatives), chemists, or jewelers use - and they don’t' handle full pounds very well over a certain amount. To do what you want you really NEED two scales - one to weigh wax and the other to do those fractional gram measurements you want accurately. There are affordable scales that weigh to 1/100 of a gram (but only weigh up to a couple ounces). Again, it’s really not what I think you need to worry about IMO.

Anyway, I have my scale here and those SAME spoons in front of me. It took me THREE level dashes to get ONE gram (I used the "pitch black" dye flakes). Again, as Robin said, this is going to be inaccurate because the sizes of the flakes are different so there is going to be more air here and there and less "flake" for every "dash" you do. You could get more accurate by grinding the flakes to a power - but trust me, if you do this, buy a CHEAP grinder and don't run it until its hot and do colors lighter to dark. This will be a complete mess - so be prepared. I use the dye diamonds - MUCH easier - each one weighs ~ 1/2 gram. So you want 1/2 gram - use one, you want 1 gram - use two - and so on. I do not even do it that way. I cut each one in half - then add them one a time until I get the shade I want. If I get a shade I want to replicate, I write the amount of wax and the amount of "halves" -- much simpler don't you think? I think even liquid will be easier for you to measure out by drops - but they can be messy if you are not careful. I have used up to 4 full chips (8 halves) in a pound of wax with no problems (or about 2 grams if you are weighing them). The only time I've had issues with wicking is with adding black liquid dye and that was with a soy/paraffin container blend.

Yes, .1 is 1 tenth of an ounce (like a dime is written .10 cents). That .1 oz. equals 2.8 grams. (That is why you multiply ounces by 28 to get grams - actually its 28.35 but I usually drop the .35 unless I have a calculator handy). You divide by 28 to go the other way from grams to ounces.

You state "I'm using the wide mouth mason jar for doing my testing in, I got 2 wholesale account and I wanted to make sure about the amount of dye that I can use." So you are testing, so just make some sets (so you can burn them in different manners) controlling every other variable and just vary the amount of dye - burn them and that will tell you what your cutoff point will be for a particular color of dye flake.

Sorry I cannot be of any more help than that.

[Henryk]

Robin, ok, I'll bite. I know I can RTM, but where the heck is that switch? (Acutally, I just did, its not even mentioned in it!).

[RobinInOR]

neener neener

As you're facing the front of the scale, reach to the back panel, on the left side. really easy to miss.