Shims washers and spacers

[JasonGotaProblem]

Is there an easy way for a fella to acquire a decent selection of random washers and shims etc without already knowing in advance what sizes are needed? Most the multi packs I've seen seem to focus on larger sizes less likely to be used for reel work.

I suspect many of you came upon your spare parts collections over a lifetime of tinkering, and that's the default plan. But is there a better way?

[philaroman]

wow... the known reputable stuff sure is pricey 
https://www.mcmaster.com/shim-assortments/

[foakes]

I think if I was starting from scratch to amass a commonly used inventory of washers and shims —-

First, I would take a look at all of the reels that I have —-  that I prefer to work on.

Measure every washer and shim for OD, ID, thickness —- and type of material.

This would also include under spool washers, spring washers, and nylon or plastic washers.

Keep a journal or spreadsheet for a record.

When you are pretty sure you have a good "start" for the most common types of shims & washers —- then go to McMaster-Carr to order a couple dozen of each type.

Copper, brass, SS, nylon, steel, etc.

You might spend $50 to $100 — just a guess —- then you could keep track of what else you might need as your reel interests evolve in different directions.

You will also be able to see what is being used up the most —- and replenish your supply as needed.

In my opinion, it is important to have a few Plano type organizers —- and since these are small washers —- also get some small make-up clear screw top containers to further separate the washers and shims within the organizers. Mark what these are —- and then you can go to them immediately with no wasted time or frustration.

And more importantly —- not having to look for a spacer for 30 minutes —- not finding it —- ordering more —- then finding out you had it all along.  Don't ask me how I know this...

Keep it simple, reproducible, inexpensive, and professional.

You can sometimes get a 500 piece assortment at hardware stores, Harbor Freight, or the Internet —- and generally only a few of the pieces will work on reels.

Good habits and techniques are produced by being simple, easy, useful, accessible, and quickly mastered.

I do the same with screws, springs, and bearings —-

Best, Fred

[handi2]

Most of us end up with hundreds of them from working on reels.

[steelfish]

Is there an easy way for a fella to acquire a decent selection of random washers and shims etc

Im Interested too !!   

almost 10 years working on reels and my inventory of shims and washers is really poor, I prefer to order when I need them and get few more as spare and maybe order few more same of the same size but diff thickness if available.

no easy way other than spending a good chunk of money, there are thousands of options, sizes, thickness, stainless or delrin, etc

[PacRat]

I'm fortunate to live less than five miles from McMaster-Carr. I just purchase what I need and no order is too small (cost wise). You might need to purchase 50 to 100 pieces but just think of it as a lifetime supply. %0 pieces is usually less than 5 at the big box hardware stores. I'm always amazed how fast they will pull even the smallest order.

Digressing back to the shims...M/C has peel shims. Sal taught me about these. They're layered out of thin pieces of brass or stainless and you peel them down to the thickness you need. These work very well under a gear sleeve if you want to take some of the slop out.

With standard shims, I typically buy the thickness I think I need plus one size half as thick and one more size half as thick as that. This gives you a lot of latitude for stacking thicker or thinner.

-Mike

[JasonGotaProblem]

Ok this brings us to the next question. How much do I need to spend on a press to be able to make my own? Lets say up to 1mm of brass

[handi2]

The only ones you can make with the punch set is nylon or Delrin

[PacRat]

Ok this brings us to the next question. How much do I need to spend on a press to be able to make my own? Lets say up to 1mm of brass

You opened a can of worms here. Brass punches easy enough but where it gets complex are the punch and dies. In a nutshell; the punches (male) stay consistent for the ID or OD you are punching. The dies (female) change ID based on the material and material thickness. You want the tightest fit possible for a clean cut. The required gap between punch and die gets bigger as you material gets thicker and/or tougher.

I have a small Roper Whitney hand-punch set that I use for all kinds of sheet metal but the punch to die ratio is too large for thin brass. I rarely use it for a shim and almost never for a shim that turns. The large gap around the die leaves a jagged burr and distortion. Complicating this is that punching is a two step process. First the punch (verb), then stripping the punch (noun) back out of the hole it just created in the feed stock. This is where tiny shims are too fragile to punch very well. If you had a tool (or tools) similar to a hand paper-punch, you could knock thin shims out pretty quickly with a minimal amount of distortion. This is just scratching the surface of challenges when punching soft brass. On top of all of this you will need to center the punch for both strikes. With a Roper Whitney type punch there is a small centering point on the punch which typically guides you to the center if you have center-punched it. This centering point can mess you up in two ways. You typically want to punch the ID first to aid in stripping the punch. If your shim ID is larger the punch point wont be able to find an accurate center but you could likely eye-ball it.

In a commercial operation they have very accurate tooling and the brass will be fed in sort of like film into a projector. The gap between the punch face and stripper are very close and the stripper guide will prevent distortion. The feed drive is calibrated for center and feed throw. It's a two strike process where the first strike knocks out the ID then it feeds to the 2nd strike where the OD is knocked out and the semi-finished shim falls through the die into a bin. After this, they're finished in various processes so that they will be uniform in thickness and smoothness.

It's always good to have some brass and copper shim stock laying around but the results are iffy at best. Another source for shims is an old feeler gauge. You might have okay results if you drill the IDs of several shims on a single piece, Then cut then with snips and stack them on a tight fitting bolt. Squeeze them together tight with a nut then grind the ODs round on a belt sander or dremel.

It can be done but I like to get may shims at McMaster-Carr. When you shop, be aware that the price is tied to the spec and tolerance. Mil-Spec is typically more. I like to purchase more quantity of the cheaper shims  but in more thicknesses, then mix and match them to get to where I want to be. You can also sand some of the thicker ones to make them thinner.

-Mike

[handi2]

Is there an easy way for a fella to acquire a decent selection of random washers and shims etc

Im Interested too !!   

almost 10 years working on reels and my inventory of shims and washers is really poor, I prefer to order when I need them and get few more as spare and maybe order few more same of the same size but diff thickness if available.

no easy way other than spending a good chunk of money, there are thousands of options, sizes, thickness, stainless or delrin, etc

When you do 1,000,000 reels a year you end up with plenty

[steelfish]

When you do 1,000,000 reels a year you end up with plenty

no way I can compete with Mr. best customer of Mystic parts.


I might service 100 reels per year, only friends and few local captains.

[oldmanjoe]

I`m thinking , Just ask the old folks ,the have draws full of them !!!!!!!!!   

[handi2]

When you do 1,000,000 reels a year you end up with plenty

no way I can compete with Mr. best customer of Mystic parts.


I might service 100 reels per year, only friends and few local captains.

Your right. 2 years in a row..!

Keith

[Midway Tommy]

Ok this brings us to the next question. How much do I need to spend on a press to be able to make my own? Lets say up to 1mm of brass

You opened a can of worms here. Brass punches easy enough but where it gets complex are the punch and dies. In a nutshell; the punches (male) stay consistent for the ID or OD you are punching. The dies (female) change ID based on the material and material thickness. You want the tightest fit possible for a clean cut. The required gap between punch and die gets bigger as you material gets thicker and/or tougher.

I have a small Roper Whitney hand-punch set that I use for all kinds of sheet metal but the punch to die ratio is too large for thin brass. I rarely use it for a shim and almost never for a shim that turns. The large gap around the die leaves a jagged burr and distortion. Complicating this is that punching is a two step process. First the punch (verb), then stripping the punch (noun) back out of the hole it just created in the feed stock. This is where tiny shims are too fragile to punch very well. If you had a tool (or tools) similar to a hand paper-punch, you could knock thin shims out pretty quickly with a minimal amount of distortion. This is just scratching the surface of challenges when punching soft brass. On top of all of this you will need to center the punch for both strikes. With a Roper Whitney type punch there is a small centering point on the punch which typically guides you to the center if you have center-punched it. This centering point can mess you up in two ways. You typically want to punch the ID first to aid in stripping the punch. If your shim ID is larger the punch point wont be able to find an accurate center but you could likely eye-ball it.

In a commercial operation they have very accurate tooling and the brass will be fed in sort of like film into a projector. The gap between the punch face and stripper are very close and the stripper guide will prevent distortion. The feed drive is calibrated for center and feed throw. It's a two strike process where the first strike knocks out the ID then it feeds to the 2nd strike where the OD is knocked out and the semi-finished shim falls through the die into a bin. After this, they're finished in various processes so that they will be uniform in thickness and smoothness.

It's always good to have some brass and copper shim stock laying around but the results are iffy at best. Another source for shims is an old feeler gauge. You might have okay results if you drill the IDs of several shims on a single piece, Then cut then with snips and stack them on a tight fitting bolt. Squeeze them together tight with a nut then grind the ODs round on a belt sander or dremel.

It can be done but I like to get may shims at McMaster-Carr. When you shop, be aware that the price is tied to the spec and tolerance. Mil-Spec is typically more. I like to purchase more quantity of the cheaper shims  but in more thicknesses, then mix and match them to get to where I want to be. You can also sand some of the thicker ones to make them thinner.

-Mike

Exactly what Mike said! I have, though, had limited luck, in a pinch, with punching out 1/2" - 3/4" discs in thin brass, bronze, mylar, delrin, etc. and then using a multi size leather punch tool to cut the center hole. It works best to have a dense piece of card board under the material, and the leather punch needs to have quality steel and be sharp. After I'm done I flatten it some with a hammer on my trusty little John Deere anvil.