Subject: How to measure out herbs

From: [email-masked] (Gale McCready)
Date: 8 Oct 1995 18:01:14 GMT

I would like to know if there is a way to measure out five grams with out 
a scale and if not where do I find a scale with low enough settings that 
is not too expensive.  By the way I am in Canada so please if possiable 
make it a Canadian store.

Thanks

Gale

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From: [email-masked] (Powaqqatsi)
Date: Mon, 09 Oct 1995 10:29:13 GMT

On 8 Oct 1995 18:01:14 GMT, [email-masked] (Gale McCready)

>make it a Canadian store.
I just did a quick measure of some "common?" coins (check your
Canadian, kitchen-junk-drawers please :) and found that:

1 penny (u.s.) = aprox . 3.1 grams  (was a little under that)
1 nickel (u.s.) = aprox    5.0 grams (was really close)
1 dime  (u.s.) = aprox    2.3 grams (give or take a few hundredths)
1 quarter (u.s.) = aprox 5.5 grams (close enough, didn't wait for pan
to settle much)

Now, if you look in almost any kid's science experiments book or other
do-it-yourself lab books (generally geared toward the younger crowd)
you will find instructions on how to make a VERY accurate balance out
of a coat-hanger, a cork and 2 needles or pins (points of used as the
fulcrum, maybe I can be convinced to describe how to make it).  Using
these common coins as weights it would be pretty easy for you to come
up with as near to the mass you need by putting some of each in either
or both balance-pans. I did it this way for years and years. If you
want, I could go back and measure an average of coins of each
denomination and give you an AVERAGE down to the 10th of a milligram.
But due to wear and tear, soil, and patina on coins ... I don't think
any coins should be used with more accuracy than to the unit of 1 gram
(maybe to 0.5 grams).  For a measure to the gram though, they can be
used just fine.  (imho)

Another good source of a somewhat accurate balance is the Post Office
(not sure about up in Canada tho).  They sell little pocket scales
(that hang off a ring on your finger with a swinging-wire weight
indicator).  These can generally be used safely to measure within 2-3
grams accuracy .  If you are going to be measuring herbs on a regular
basis, I'd suggest you DO invest in a lab balance, the cheapest I've
found with any resemblance to accuracy is one from Ohaus @~$130-140,
(u.s. currency) their "Centagram" measures to 311 grams with an
"advertised accuracy" of 1/100th of a gram, but in use I found that
measures to only 1/10th of a gram are useful with it.  If you are
lucky, you might even be able to find a used analytical balance like I
did for $125.  Took some work to get it going (more like rebuild from
inside out), but it's accurate to 1/10th of a milligram now (would
love to get the weights recertified tho would cost me way more than I
paid for it).  When I called the company that makes it, I found out it
was worth well over $3000 new.  Knowledge and tools are not cheap.
You sometimes even have to sacrifice morals to get them.
 :)  Not that I ever did..... :)

And if you missed my post about American Scientific and Surplus,
here's their address and phone number again (have plenty of pocket and
lab scales, but are not usually surplus items so expect to pay a
little below store prices). Hmmm....  The only "pocket" scale I see in
this month's edition is electronic, sells for $125 (u.s.) and is
accurate to 0.1 gram.  They have a few analytic lab balances (used)
for around $750.  On occasion they have a whole slew of pocket scales
(as low as $40-50), I don't notice any in this editition tho.  Maybe
the next one (in 2 months).  Call and ask them.

Amercian Scientific and Surplus
3605 Howard Street
Skokie, Illiniois 60076
phone orders: 708-982-0870
  fax orders: 800-934-0722

(more than you asked for and less than your request :)