Making And Sizing Washers

Steve M

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From time to time I have a use for specific washer configurations. For example, I have been making up some threaded mandrels to mount on a 1/2" or 5/8" motor shaft to then mount buffing wheels, wire wheels, etc. The usually are 1.5" in diameter, with a set screw to fasten to the motor shaft with a 1.5" threaded section, usually 5/8 x 18 threads. I have been using thick washers from Ace Hardware that I bore to the threaded shaft size to mount and hold the wheels. I have toyed with the idea of making my own washers and from time to time have needed a custom thickness or taper to one face of the washer. I can't think of any other way to do it other than to use the lathe to make one face then use a cutoff tool to complete the washer (after boring the center hole). Could use the bandsaw but then I would need a clever way to chuck up the washer and face it off - seems sort of tricky. I have a 12x36 lathe with 3 and 4 jaw chucks, and faceplate, metal bandsaw, and a mill. Anyone have other ways to fabricate special washers? The ones I need are about 1.5" dia and up to .250 thick. Ace charges $1.80 ea but it is a 30 mile round trip there so making them at home is a time saver.

Steve in Central TX
 
You can rough them out of flat bar stock using drills or rotabroaches for the ID and hole saws or trepanning tools for the OD, then finish them on the lathe.
 
Flat stock is a good idea. You can also cut off round stock the OD you need (if you have a saw). I would face one side and drill a small hole. Close the jaws of the chuck, or face off a piece of stock, and use the live center to press against and face the other side. This would allow you to angle the face a bit as well. Then chuck and drill the proper size hole. A bit of work, but.....
 
If you have 2 piece jaws on your 3-jaw, you could make step soft jaws to hold the OD while you face it. Another option is to make soft jaws for your mill vice and bore a step in them to hold the washer then ''face'' it in the mill.
upload_2016-5-3_8-24-46.png

In this pic I used a couple of 3/8 dowel pins as a spacer. A parallel or anything would work for a spacer.

upload_2016-5-3_8-25-27.png
 
You did not mention having one, but a surface grinder would be really handy to have right now. And as someone just said, gluing the washer onto a faced chunk of metal in the lathe. Like super glue it, then boil it in water to remove. Or make a pod to hold the OD of the washer in the lathe. I’m kinda fussy about making washers like this and want them as parallel and concentric as possible, less chance of vibration if the washer is uniform…Dave
 
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Aluminum sacrificial faceplate. Superglue it to the faceplate (using the tailstock for centering if you need to adjust either diameter), turn, face, bore, etc. Heat it with a heat gun or small torch to break the bond, and flip it over and repeat if the other side needs work.

Or throw it on your surface grinder for thicknessing if you're fortunate enough to have one, as I am. :)
 
What I have done for washers is take a 2" long 2" dia. aluminum bar drill a 3/8" hole through the middle then counter bore 1/8" deep 1 1/2" dia. split it in 3 places 1" down. Then just stick your washer in it and chuck in the 3 jaw and face it.
 
awhile back I needed to make some .010" shims for a rifle barrel to receiver fit so I clamped some shim stock between 2 pieces of plate and bored right through the plate and shim stock until I got the id of the shin I needed. then I took the bored shims and mounted them on a sacrificial mandrel with a id/od matching size mounted between 2 nuts then machined the od of the shims. this gave me perfect shims that I needed. same cn be done to washers takes tims but comes out perfect bill
 
There are companies that all they do is make washers. And they make custom ones to order. Google The name wrought washers .
Or if you want to make your own. You can use a 5c step collet that you bore to size to hold
Shapes like washers . A shape like a 2 1/2 dia washer times 1/8 thick is easy to hold
and face to whatever thickness you
want .
jimsehr
 
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