Boring out some washers

McMaster-Carr Supply

"David Courtney" snipped-for-privacy@powercom.net

If you're not going the hardware route, then to re-bore, either make a wooden plug that you glue in--to give your drill bit a non-wander re-start, or use some form of piloted bit (such as a counterbore, which is probably not going to be readily available). Frank Morrison

Hey Jamie, Flat washers are generally a "loose" fit, and not of a specific outside diameter, or thickness, unless specified. If I were you I would just go around to a few places that sell bulk or individual plated flat washers until you find some that are at or slightly below the 1-1/8" you need. If you find them and are lucky, they may be called 7/16" flat washers, but still fit the 1/2" bolt, even if a bit tight. Or worst case, get the outside diameter you need and drill them out to clearance, or if tough to drill use a round or rat-tail file to make them fit. Hopefully you won't need to do more than, what, maybe four??

Take care.

Brian Laws>I made a hammock stand whose plans called for 1 1/8" countersunk holes

Hey Bill,

I thought of that too, but as he wants this for a hammock assumedly for outdoor use, then this would remove the plating and leave a rust point.

Take care.

Brian Laws>

Washers are made in two standard configurations. When you buy washers, just specify you want SAE washers, not USS. That should give you the right diameter washer.

Harold

Thanks Harold

John

Jamie

I had to do the same thing when I was mounting some bike hangers that had metric bolts. Pretty easy to do if you have a drill press and some vise grips. Grab the washer edge on, and drill the hole with an appropriately oversize drill (leave yourself ~1/16" since washers tend to hang on threads and get crosswise). I did have trouble with the first one grabbing the drill and spinning, but tightening up the visegrips took care of it. I put a wood block under the washer to keep it flat as I clamped down and act as an anvil as I drilled. Not a set up I'd use in production but for half a dozen washers it worked fine. If you're concerned about rust, use stainless washers. They're not much more expensive and it doesn't matter what you do to their surface.

Jim

I've done that long ago , just trap them loosely on a threaded rod with two nuts on each end and have at them with a grinder. They bounce around enough to get them sorta round. Can't remember what angle is best, maybe 45... Crude , but it works.

Well ... aside from the problems of the removed zinc coating, there is a quick-and-dirty way to do this without a lathe -- if you have an electric drill. Chuck the makeshift arbor (a spare bolt of the right size, with one nut up to the end of the threads, the stack of washers, a second nut clamped down on the washers and a third nut clamped down on the second to keep it from vibrating loose, and hold the drill in a vise or some other manner, and use a file to turn the metal down. It will take longer, but it is the minimum tooling needed for the task.

Years ago, I needed to make a capstan for a tape recorder which I was building, and the diameter needed to be noticeably smaller than the 1/4" shaft which I was using, so I built up everything behind the panel (rack-mounted) other than the head assembly, applied power to the motor, and spent some time with a file and a cheap micrometer to check the size. It did the job, though it was one of the things which told me that I *really* wanted a metal lathe as soon as I could afford one. (I was about 18 at the time, IIRC, in a severely tool-deprived home. :-)

Enjoy, DoN.

Better yet is to make the reliefs of a bigger diameter rather than mess with the washers.

-- There are more Democrats on the Calif. Special Election than Republicans! Go count if you don't believe me! Bob May

Hi, Don.

You've just reminded me of a time when I was about 21 years old--- I had ground the valves for a 235 chevy motor, using a valve guide clamped in a vise, and two electric drill motors--one to drive the valve, the other with an abrasive wheel chucked in it.....It worked.....and that motor ran fine ten or so years later, when I finally sold the old truck.