Query on "antique" (?) weighing scales?

[Irishguy]

Hey all, new member here. Love the site already! Had a question I wondered if anyone could help me with.

My aunt was clearing out stuff at home and found an old weighing scales (pictured below). I put it in my local classifields and two people are offering between €30-50 for it. Should I take it or am I (unlikely probably) missing out? I've tried searching on Google and Ebay but to be honest I can't find much info (or maybe poor searcher is me!) Thanks so much for your help.
Irishguy

[regularjoe2]

Welcome , Irishguy ...

Any plates/castings/marks to identify the manufacturer , etc. ?

1. Does it work ? ( are the bearings very loose/sloppy )
2. Is it accurate ? (looks like it is adjustable)
3. Is the base cast iron , or stamped steel ?

It certainly is a simple enough balance-beam scale (not so many parts to wear out) with plenty of character .

I'd suggest you give the raw metal parts a good rub-down & wipe-off with some mineral oil ... this will 'clean it up' a bit & stop the rust for awhile (it's cheap & easy to do too) .
I am guessing that the paint is not the original ?

[railman44]

My guess is the paint isn't original too.  I'll bet originally the paint probably had some fancy pinstripping or decals...

[Irishguy]

Welcome , Irishguy ...
Any plates/castings/marks to identify the manufacturer , etc. ?

1. Does it work ? ( are the bearings very loose/sloppy )
2. Is it accurate ? (looks like it is adjustable)
3. Is the base cast iron , or stamped steel ?

It certainly is a simple enough balance-beam scale (not so many parts to wear out) with plenty of character .

I'd suggest you give the raw metal parts a good rub-down & wipe-off with some mineral oil ... this will 'clean it up' a bit & stop the rust for awhile (it's cheap & easy to do too) .
I am guessing that the paint is not the original ?

Thanks for the reply regularjoe!

There are no marks to identify manufacturer, possibly obscured by what I believe is also some form of painting? Condition wise it is a small bit rusty where the blue paint has faded in parts, but underneath it is actually green in colour, and some of the faded blue does show flecks of green too. It does work and bearings seem relatively intact. In terms of accuracy, am not sure but it seems to balance out (I tested this by using a normal scales to measure about 0.45kg and then used the old scales to see if i could get right balance and it was roughly correct) - I should add there are 7 weights, ranging from 1lb, 8 oz, 4oz, 2oz, 1oz, an undistinguable weight, and finally 1/4oz weight that looks slightly newer than the rest and says "avery" (perhaps it was a replacement doesn't fit in with rest of weights lookswise).

In terms of cast iron or stamped steel, my response is unknown unfortunately, just this whole area of antiques is currently alien to me but I have a growing interest. I;ve tried to figure out how to tell the difference using Google to no avail but I'll keep trying. It weighs about 1.5kg (minus the weights and pan) if thats any indication?

What do you suggest I rub the metal parts down with?

Sorry for all questions, complete novice here! Feel free to give me a proverbial slap
Cheers Tom

[Irishguy]

My guess is the paint isn't original too.  I'll bet originally the paint probably had some fancy pinstripping or decals...

Heres hoping! Thanks for the response!

[cogar]

Me thinks someone used a can of spray paint and painted it.

If you can get €30-50 for it, I would say take it.

[railman44]

Stamped steel is fairly thin.  It was originally a flat piece of steel than 'stamped' into some form or shape.  Iron, on the other hand, was/is thicker, heavier and formed in a mold from molten iron.  Your scale to me appears to be stamped steel.

[regularjoe2]

Thanks for the additional info , Irishguy .

Your scale would prob. be worth more if it hadn't been painted (perhaps the prospective buyers plan on carefully removing the new-ish paint) .
It's still a cool little scale .

First wash the bare metal parts by hand , like you would wash  dishes , followed by a good hot-water rinse ; dry the parts well .
I'd suggest that you use a clean cotton rag and mineral oil on the unpainted weights & tray... rub the parts as much as you want ( you'll get a bunch of rust coating on the rag ) ... you also could use an old plastic bristle brush on the extra-rusty spots (don't use a wire brush) . Sometimes a toothbrush works well .
When you're done oiling the metal , use clean cotton rags to remove/wipe off all the oil that you can .
The parts should not feel 'oily' when you're done ; they'll still look rustic , but alot 'nicer' .
Looks like a 15 - 30min. job .

When you're ready to discard your rags , get them dripping wet with water first , to avoid : 1. - having them self-combust  2. -  a really bad experience .