Chain balance

I was recently given a Griffin and George chain balance from a school clearance.
Unfortunately it is missing its balance beam.(it has a bit of scrap ally in place in the picture).
I have scoured the web for images but cannot find this model.
I'd like to make a new brass beam to get it working again.
Does anyone have a picture of one complete? or a manual?

Edited By john carruthers on 26/06/2017 09:17:27

Hello John,

​I can't help directly but by googling Griffin and George beam balances you get a whole set of entries with illustrations.

​One of these is from a catalogue sale

www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/gildings which shows a good profile view of one with the beam nicely outlined against a white background

​Over to you now
Regards Brian

And here's another one courtesy of Gildings. HTH

DaveD

Some balances of this type appeared, brand new, in our physics laboratory, when I was at school. Long time ago! We thought they were pretty neat, but our physics master wasn't impressed, and they did prove difficult to get repeatable results from. Interesting idea though.

Maurice

Yes, I tried googling generic G&G balances, can't find any of this type with two chains.
Several with a single chain, loads of plain analytical balances, no illustrations of this one complete.
I could just cut and pierce a beam to fit but I'd like to get it right if possible.

No one in the school was sure how to use them. They kindly gave me some sets of masses but couldn't explain why the lower values were not present.
... because the chain takes the place of the small masses

When I was at school there were some of these, unused. We had more 'modern' ones that we used with more enclosed mechanisms, I recall white plastic housings, but still a clicky knob to adjust the chain. Darned if I can remember how to use one!

Neil

Did they ever come with a manual? I've never seen one!

I doubt it does better than 10mg. I have an assay balance and (possibly still) a single chain version. Knife edges usually got a hammering unless they were proper assay balances (they were treated with more respect).

Sample on left pan, masses on the right. Do not raise completely until almost in balance. The single chain ones were more robust and the chain could be adjusted with the beam raised. Better balances had the beam raising/lowering knob on the outside of the box, IIRC. We had semi-micro and micro balances (5, 6 or as many as 7dp?). They needed about half an hour or more to equilibrate, even in a separate weighing room.

G&G were not renowned as higher quality suppliers. Oertling (and a few others) were the cream of the bunch where the smaller masses were suspended within the box and dialled in with another selector. Later single pan balances had all the masses added with selectors. Back then, wet chemistry was a craft.

We had classic brass SG balances, no case, no chain, old as the hills, all covered in acid burns and knocks .