Looking for a hard felt washer 1/2" x 1" x 1/8"

r>Hi folks,

Chris, I would rip out all the centrifugal stuff and install a sinpac switch in its place... the centrifugal parts will just be a problem again in the future.... OTOH, why does it have to be felt - why not some kind of plastic, as that would last longer. It just has to activate the switch, right? Ken.

Hi folks,

I am repairing an electric motor for a friend. The centrifugal switch is broken. It needs a replacement felt washer as the original has worn down. It needs to be a hard felt washer (not the kind which is rubber mixed with felt) with dimensions 1/2" (hole) by 1" (overall diameter) by

1/8" (thickness). Anyone know of a source? I can send money by PayPal if anyone has one they're willing to sell.

Many thanks,

Chris Tidy

Thanks for the suggestion. I've sent them an e-mail. I would take you up on the offer of a piece of sheet, except 1/4" is definitely too thick.

Best wishes,

Chris

I'll bet part of it's function is an oil wick, so you need to provide a suitable substitute. But a separate plastic washer in front of it would provide wear resistance and allow the oil to work around the edges to the mechanism.

Myself, if it didn't show up at a reasonable price available premade I'd go find a sheet of the right hard wool felt at a fabric store or haberdashery supply ("10/6 in this size" ;-) ) to make the washer myself, and be done with it.

The center hole is easily cut with a gasket cutter or leatherwork punch cutter, and if you can't find a 1" cutter you can make one with a sharpened piece of pipe. Or mark it with a compass and use a sharp pair of scissors, it's only felt and OD cuts are easy...

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This might be silly, but is there a motor shop in your area? Is it availble from the motor's OEM?

Felt pads that go on table legs and chairs..but you would have to punch the center hole..

About $6USD

About $1USD

Look a bit thin from the picture, and I would imagine a bit too soft. Also, won't car battery terminals will be wider than 1/2"?

Best wishes,

Chris

Another guy recommended the same thing. I'd prefer not to. I prefer the mechanical switch. And those electronic switches are costly.

Best wishes,

Chris

I was looking at these:

Do people reckon those would cut 1/8" thick felt with a hammer? Or could I squeeze them in a vice?

Best wishes,

Chris

Chris, try looking at a jewelry supply house. I use rock hard felt wheels in my hand held grinder and some of those are 1/8 in thickness and come i 1" diameters. You would have to punch the center hole yourself. Michael

I already called them. The impression I got was that the motor company made their last motors about 50 years ago. No chance of getting original spare parts.

Best wishes,

Chris

It might function as an oil wick, I'm not sure. But it certainly has to be an insulator as it touched live components. I had wondered about making a replacement out of Tufnol (SRBF), but I think it might make the motor more noisy, and I'm not sure how it would wear.

I doubt those haberdashery felts are stiff enough. This washer needs to resist radial compression.

Do you just hit those punches with a hammer?

Best wishes,

Chris

center hole..

Again, I doubt they'll be stiff enough. I persuaded a couple of felt companies to send me free samples today, so we'll see how I get on.

Many thanks,

Chris

You can get sheet hard felt from McMaster Carr (among other places). You can use arch punches to cut the ID and the OS -- and the main question is "how critical is the concentricity"?. This is the same kind of felt used to make way wipers.

Good Luck, DoN.

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I have no idea. The URL appears to be a "built" URL, which becomes no longer valid when you exit the web site.

Perhaps give a series of clicks to get to what you are talking about?

Good Luck, DoN.

I have made cutters for gaskets and such on the lathe. I just make them with a shank that will go in the drill press and use them in the drill press, both to apply pressure but also spinning to cut the material.

Dan

Try any one of these links:

Best wishes,

Chris

Sounds neat. I will have to try that.

Best wishes,

Chris

Probably not that critical. I have just been sent a pair of fairly hard felt washers of the correct size by a company as a free sample. Hopefully these will work, but if not someone else has suggested I try leather (not sure how easy it is to find leather which is 1/8" thick, though).

I will let people know how it turns out.

Many thanks,

Chris