Scale Suggestions?

[Conjecture00]

Hey guys! Hope everyone's well!

Just wondering if anyone out there has a good precision scale suggestion for me? Right now I'm working with an "Amazon Special"... it is considered a milligram scale, however, the thing doesnt have "mg to mg" accuracy like I want from 1mg up to say 20mg. I just dont trust it for super small quantities. 

Thanks!

 

[strungoutinheaven]

I’ve actually gotten decent cooperation from my “Amazon Special.” It’s the dirt cheap (70-80 bucks) “analytical balance” that comes up on the first page. The first review on the page is actually Scales 101… To summarize: plugs in so the electronics stay warm & stable, has adjustable feet, bubble level & windscreen. Get a set of calibration weights. I find the drift for repeated readings (all warmed up & leveled) to be pretty tight, +/- 2mgs, and nothing under 10-15mg. But, like the review says, single mg accuracy means 0.1 mg readings (and 10-20-30 times the cost!). 

 

[DoomKitty]

Im usually pretty good sussing out code/slang, but i have zero clues what "amazon special" refers to :81_joy_cat: .   I use the classic AWS Gemini-20 for most things (is that the special?).  Used to be $20-25 but i just checked and now its like $35 on amazon, with heaps of knockoffs.  It works fairly decent as long as you calibrate every time after a little warm up and then do the weight trick.  The smallest i really weigh tho is 10mg.  Anything that requires smaller doses i would just make a solution.  Solutions are definitely the safer route (unless you have a real expensive lab scale), especially when working with benzos and many of the RC opis...

 

[strungoutinheaven]

 ^^^ second & third Doomkitty’s position—solutions are the solution for high potency chems. all the roa•s can be accommodated with this method, after all, with handy products from the aforesummoned hellmouth: calibrated nasal atomizers, droppers and the like…

 

[Conjecture00]

Thanks @DoomKitty @strungoutinheaven for the replies and suggestions!

      Yea, definitely need to probably just look into volumetric dosing. The "Amazon Special" I have is probably a knock off. I understand different chems have different densities, but this POS I bought just doesnt look right eyeballing the doses... lol. I just need to return it and spend the money on a better scale so I can have that piece of mind I want. Will check out the Gemini and some other precision scales.

If it can weigh out 10mg accurately, I can work with that and dose safely. This POS I have can't even do that accurately. Dont do any chems yet that are outright dangerous to the milligram... but I might eventually in my research... lol, so this thing's gotta go.

 

[DoomKitty]

@Conjecture00 Not sure if you know the weight trick or not so ill just share it.  Milligram scales work heaps better if there's already weight on them.  So what i do is turn it on, let the batteries warm up for 30s, then i calibrate it properly (level surface with no air blowing on it or any movement).  The Gemini comes with two weights and you stack them to calibrate.  After calibrating i put one of the weights back on, and then put the tiny dish that came the Gemini on top of the weight.  I dont tare it i just make a note of the weight and then add powder accordingly.  So, for instance if i want to weigh out 12mg, i add the one weight and the dish which comes to like 12.390g on the Gemini, and then add powder until the scale reads 12.402g.   Works well for me for the dosage range in which I'm consuming.  Hope this helps!  If you do get a precision scale that's better than the Gemini lmk how you like it! 

 

[EasyMoneySnip3r]

Nootropics depo one

 

[Conjecture00]

@DoomKitty Oh wow, I didnt even think about trying that out... thank you! I have noticed it doesnt register worth a damn when nothing is on it, then it jumps up suddenly. I'll give it a go with my weight on there and see if its more accurate using that trick. Definitely going to get a more trustworthy scale overall.

@EasyMoneySnip3r Thanks man! I'll check that one out as well.

 

[Conjecture00]

@DoomKitty No shit! Worked great with the trick! I actually found a little empty 2g Kratom container that weighed exactly 10g... started adding my powder and it ticked up perfect. Now my eyeballs agree with the dosage it gives, Hah!

It's the simple things in life that make me smile... I would give you another reaction, but I'm all out for the day it says...

I'll try and remember to when I get more... that's a great trick!

Thanks again!

 

[DoomKitty]

@Conjecture00 YAY!!! So glad it worked!!

 

[ijijijijijijij]

I’ve actually gotten decent cooperation from my “Amazon Special.” It’s the dirt cheap (70-80 bucks) “analytical balance” that comes up on the first page. The first review on the page is actually Scales 101… To summarize: plugs in so the electronics stay warm & stable, has adjustable feet, bubble level & windscreen. Get a set of calibration weights. I find the drift for repeated readings (all warmed up & leveled) to be pretty tight, +/- 2mgs, and nothing under 10-15mg. But, like the review says, single mg accuracy means 0.1 mg readings (and 10-20-30 times the cost!). 

Can you link the "Amazon Special"? I have no idea what you guys are talking about lol. Thanks!

 

[Ejuiceman]

If you are wanting 1mg accuracy, you'll spending in the thousands, minimum, and when you do the measurements, you'll need absolutely no air movement, i.e. air conditioner running, or you'll need that plastic top thing the super expensive scales come with. If you are looking to just dose 1mg or 2mg at a time, it's going to be very very very very very expensive.

 

[Conjecture00]

Definitely would be expensive. I have since checked out the prices of some lab grade scales, Haha, well into 1000+USD.

 Nah, dont need that kind of precision... now that DoomKitty elaborated on the "scale trick" above, that works perfect for me to volumetrically dose from there if needed.

 

[Ejuiceman]

Definitely would be expensive. I have since checked out the prices of some lab grade scales, Haha, well into 1000+USD.

 Nah, dont need that kind of precision... now that DoomKitty elaborated on the "scale trick" above, that works perfect for me to volumetrically dose from there if needed.

i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that "scale trick" won't work accurately on any non-lab grade $1000+ scale. Sure, you'll get the number to move easier every time you add weight, but it still will not measure 1mg increments accurately.  You said in your original post that you wanted to be able to measure 1mg quantities, there is no "trick" for doing this on a cheap scale.

For example, lets say that you want to weigh out 2mg of etizolam. You could do the "scale trick" on your cheap-o gemini, and end up weighing out 9 or 10mg easily, and think you're only taking 2mg. Not a big deal with a forgiving substance, but the difference between taking a desired 2mg dose of something, and a 10mg dose of something can be astronomical. DoomKitty is the man (or woman), and I respect his or her opinion on most things, but this is bad advice.

 

[Conjecture00]

Currently, I am not dabbling with any supercritical substances where dosing has to be exact to the milligram or microgram... so for the time being, the "scale trick" works for me right now.

  Do I trust this Amazon scale is measuring precisely to the milligram now due to the "Trick"? Lol, absolutely not. Dont worry, I wouldn't use it to dose out such critical compounds. I am an engineer by trade, so I'm not that naive when it comes to the importance of measurements, especially when so much is at stake.

  You are right... initially I was looking for milligram accuracy, which a professional lab scale is the ONLY option to ensure you get it on point... as well as environmental controls set to keep misreadings nonexistent. Most of those come with a cover to keep their own microenvironment free of such adulterations anyways for ultra precision.

    I appreciate you looking out man... that's what this community is for.

  Have a good one!

 

[DoomKitty]

Just want to say that in my post previous to talking about (i guess what now need quotes around it lol) the "trick" i mentioned i am only measuring 10mg and more, and that anything smaller i make a solution.   Never intended that "trick" to be referring to anything smaller than that.  Is my 10mg with the "trick" super precise?  No, but i also dont have 1000 to blow.  And i know that if my 10mg with the "trick" isnt precise, neither is my 20mg or 30mg or 40mg or 50mg i make a solution with.  All because, yes, i have a cheap scale.  And thats the scale 99% of users will buy.  The larger the weight the more likely you will be to be closer to what you are intending (hence the "trick") but it will NEVER be what you think on a cheap scale.  Thats why you always practice other HR methods when working with chems.   My best advice:  make solutions from the highest soluble weight of drug for everything regardless of dose size, and never treat them as precise so slowly titrate up from smallest amount using only once per day over as many days it takes until you get the desired effect.  99% of users wont do this tho.  Hence, attempting to provide users with a safer method for using.  When i did community based harm reductions in the streets we worked with what people had, were capable of and/or would actually do so that they could be safer, because perfectly safe is not possible with self regulated drug use in the vast majority of cases.   Anyways, i should've re-mentioned the fact i never measure anything smaller than 10mg with my scale, and i should've mentioned that people should practice other harm reduction and not have a false sense of safety with anything really.     Hopefully future readers will read through the whole thread instead of just seeing my "trick" post, and make their own informed decisions having read everyone's thoughts/opinions. 

 

[Drunkensmurf]

Just want to say that in my post previous to talking about (i guess what now need quotes around it lol) the "trick" i mentioned i am only measuring 10mg and more, and that anything smaller i make a solution.   Never intended that "trick" to be referring to anything smaller than that.  Is my 10mg with the "trick" super precise?  No, but i also dont have 1000 to blow.  And i know that if my 10mg with the "trick" isnt precise, neither is my 20mg or 30mg or 40mg or 50mg i make a solution with.  All because, yes, i have a cheap scale.  And thats the scale 99% of users will buy.  The larger the weight the more likely you will be to be closer to what you are intending (hence the "trick") but it will NEVER be what you think on a cheap scale.  Thats why you always practice other HR methods when working with chems.   My best advice:  make solutions from the highest soluble weight of drug for everything regardless of dose size, and never treat them as precise so slowly titrate up from smallest amount using only once per day over as many days it takes until you get the desired effect.  99% of users wont do this tho.  Hence, attempting to provide users with a safer method for using.  When i did community based harm reductions in the streets we worked with what people had, were capable of and/or would actually do so that they could be safer, because perfectly safe is not possible with self regulated drug use in the vast majority of cases.   Anyways, i should've re-mentioned the fact i never measure anything smaller than 10mg with my scale, and i should've mentioned that people should practice other harm reduction and not have a false sense of safety with anything really.     Hopefully future readers will read through the whole thread instead of just seeing my "trick" post, and make their own informed decisions having read everyone's thoughts/opinions. 

Thank you for the update. Your original method seems like a good idea since most stuff is more than 10mg. But some others are below that. HR is the best practice and it's always good to do allergy tests with small amounts. I'm definitely glad you care and followed up to inform everyone. Thank You!!!!