Steelyard

This is a tool used to weigh an object. It has the advantage of being able to weigh heavy and bulky objects. It is used by marking gradations on a pole and moving weights along the pole until striking a balance according to the weight of an object, and then reading the measurement marked on the gradation. This kind of scale is subdivided into small and large scales. A small scale has a small weighing platform at one end, for placing objects to be weighed, while a large scale is used to weigh large and heavy objects such as bags of rice. When using a large scale, the weighed object should be secured tightly with a straw rope before being hung on the hook of the scale while two persons insert a thick pole into the ring tied above the scale, and carry it over their shoulders while another person moves the weights to weigh the object. Until recently, this type of large scale remained in use in rural areas to weigh bags of grain.