Machinist Question From a NON Machinist

[tred1956]

Please forgive my ignorance. I have need for a washer. I believe it is a standard 18mm flat washer. It is too thick for my needs. Is there an easy way to get the thickness reduced to my requirements? Thought about just putting it on a sanding belt but it needs to be a consistent thickness. Or is there a place to order said washer at a specific thickness. If doable what would be the rough cost

Thanks for any and all input
Doug

 

[Walt Krafft]

How thick is it now and what do you need? Check McMaster to see what they have.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Custom collet. Tough to machine a thin part to critical dimensions without it. I guess you could surface grind it. If you have excess od, you might be able to machine it flat and to thickness, then machine the od. As usual, more than one wat but not all are suitable to your equipment, etc

 

[JSH]

Doug, ask at an auto parts store about king pin shims. Come in a pack of various thickness.

 

[Fuj]

Like what Walt said. I have also used Bolt Depot in the past for
thin stainless flat washers, and thin belleville washers. In some
cases I heat those washers to take the spring out of them.

Good call on the "King Pin" shims.....

 

[bobo300]

Barstock in a lathe and cut off a washer to the right thickness

 

[KRP]

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[ebb]

Find someone with a surface grinder, the magnetic base will hold it while it is being ground. As soon as it cleans on the first side, up flip it to the other side. grind to the exact thickness needed.

 

[boltfluter]

Please forgive my ignorance. I have need for a washer. I believe it is a standard 18mm flat washer. It is too thick for my needs. Is there an easy way to get the thickness reduced to my requirements? Thought about just putting it on a sanding belt but it needs to be a consistent thickness. Or is there a place to order said washer at a specific thickness. If doable what would be the rough cost

Thanks for any and all input
Doug

How much needs to be removed? Will determine how we answer this.
Paul

 

[hogpatrol]

Never used one that size but washers used in aviation come in various thicknesses. Other than that, as above, surface grinder would be the machine to do it.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Here's a pic of soft collets that someone bored. The idea being, just bore it a few thou under depth so that the washer protrudes and can be machined to thickness. You can hold on to something pretty thin this way. Around .050ish depending on material and light cuts. Face one side off then rough cut to length and put the faces side in the collet against the bottom.

 

[zeke06]

I have made a mandrel to fit the ID of the washer and super glue the washer on and face it off in the lathe to the desired thickness. The thinnest I've done is .006. When done a little heat and it will peel right off. A surface grinder would be the best and easiest option. Always more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[hogpatrol]

If you really want to get hairy and only need a few thousandths, machine a stub in the lathe, coat with double side sticky tape and take very light cuts. One of the worst jobs I ever had was a 3/8 thick x XX" flat surface ground, round plate that needed a recess cut in it and no way to hold it in a VBM, Multiple rows of double side tape on the table, light cuts and plenty of soup. If it got hot, it'd break loose and well, machinists will get the picture.

 

[tred1956]

Thanks for all the input fellows. I am at least pointed in the right direction. Not sure of the exact thickness I need but Going to try to locate locally first. May be a little while before I get to it.
Thanks again
Doug

 

[gme]

if it's magnetic a surface grinder will do the job very precisely

 

[cmysix]

washers come in all kinds of sizes and thickness and then there is shim stock and would be easy to form a washer.

 

[butchlambert]

Thanks for all the input fellows. I am at least pointed in the right direction. Not sure of the exact thickness I need but Going to try to locate locally first. May be a little while before I get to it.
Thanks again
Doug

If you don't find it I will surface grind it for the postage cost.

 

[HTSmith]

If you don't find it I will surface grind it for the postage cost.

That is a heck of an offer. Good on you Sir!

 

[Bat Rastard]

I believe Bob Dylan once said, "everybody must get stoned."

If the amount needing removed is small, stone it til it fits.

 

[ebb]

Find shim stock the right thickness and have someone water jet the OD and ID in the shim stock.