Another type of washer I can't find!

[Traveller]

Hi All.

I am having problems finding something very simple - clear nylon/plastic washers with an outer diameter of 12mm, less than 1mm thick and with a centre hole of around 4-5 mm and also 8mm diameter.

I need around 50 of them but have been quoted ridiculous prices such as around £30 because they have to be specially made.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Stivino]

Have you tried this type of place?
http://www.wishart.co.uk/

 

[Softus]

£30 sounds like a very reasonable price for a bespoke item.

What's your target price per washer?

 

[Traveller]

Hi Stivino, no I haven't. Can't see them on the website, will have to phone them tomorrow.

Hi Softus, well ebay has all the wrong sizes for around £3. This is what I thought it would cost as well if I could find the right size!

Thanks.

 

[imamartian]

have you thought about making them yourself?

can you find a sheet of plastic? and if you file the end of a piece of copper pipe sharp (like a pastry cutter), hammering it onto the sheet will cut circles approx 12mm, and a 5mm drill will make the centre hole...

just a thought now the credit crunch begins to bite !

 

[Softus]

http://www.toolspot.co.uk/product/german-revolving-leather-punch

 

[Jasonb]

These any good?

http://www.modelfixings.co.uk/washers.htm#nylon washers

Jason

 

[xerxes]

I use a BOEHM hollow punch for making soft washers, as it allows you to make concentric inner and outer cuts.

However, you can improvise with differing sizes of hollow punch, and careful marking.

Admittedly, the BOEHM set costs quite a lot more than the one batch of washers would, but you can use it to make quite a lot of washers.

 

[Traveller]

Thanks for all the helpful replies!

Stivino, I have just phoned the company you suggested, however, they haven't got any Nylon washers. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

imamartian, funny you should ask that; I WAS thinking of making them myself. The only problem which stands in my way is the centre hole. It needs to be exactly in the centre as I can't have any part of the washer poking out from under the fixing. I am quite good with scissors and can probably cut the outer diameter neatly. I was thinking of using a plastic wallet from WH Smith which is for putting documents in (a plastic folder)! Is there a more suitable material I should consider?

Softus, same problem as with the drill, will the revolving punch enable dead centre holes?

Jasonb, I just tried to phone them but no one is answering at the moment. I need to ask them if they have the right sizes as I don't really get all the 'M' business.

xerxes, concentric inner and outer cuts would be just the ticket, but as you said, it's too expensive and after I make the washers I currently want, I probably won't use it that much, if at all.

Thanks.

Jasonb, just called Model Fixings again; unfortunately, the biggest they do is 7mm.

Just had another idea. If washers which are wider but with the thickness and inner hole diameter I'm looking for easily available, would it be possible to get some of those and then cut the outer diameter down to 12mm? (IF these are available in the first place!)

 

[xerxes]

Traveller, if you can't find what you want you could send me the sheet material(s) you choose, specify the sizes and numbers you want and I may be able to make them for you (subject to the material being suitable for cutting with the punches).

I could manage internal diameters of 3, 4, 6, 8, 10mm, external diameters starting from 12mm and upwards in even sizes.

Contact me if you think I can help. (No charge, of course).

 

[Symptoms]

traveller - £9 per 1000 from here:
www.nylonalloys.co.uk

 

[Traveller]

xerxes, thanks very much for your kind offer; I really appreciate it! Fortunately, Symptoms has just gone and saved us both the time and effort. THANKS to both of you. Just check this out:-

http://www.nylonalloys.co.uk/cgi-bi...METRIC|WASHERS|nylonwasher16and17|nylonwasher

.....and from 85p for 100 !!!!!

Didn't get the EXACT sizes, but very close, so I've just gone ahead and ordered myself 100 each of four different sizes. At those prices, I can afford to order them to check for best fit without having to request a sample first! AND with an option to choose a very reasonable p&p cost as well! Usually with these types of companies, it's a lot more.

Wait, there's more! As you can see, this thread has been entitled "Another type of washer I can't find!" So what were the previous types of washers that I couldn't find (see link below for that thread)?

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=151506

Guess who's got the answer??!!

http://www.nylonalloys.co.uk/cgi-bi...C|SHOULDER|shoulderwasher|nylonshoulderwasher

Haven't thoroughly checked for my sizes yet though, but still!

Thanks everyone for all your good advice! (How DID you find that website, Symptoms?!)

 

[^neo^]

(How DID you find that website, Symptoms?!)

Typed 'nylon washers' into google and pasted the first link that came up

 

[Traveller]

Hi ^neo^. I can't believe that! I really don't know how I managed to miss that because I used Google and always enclose my search query with quotes. Maybe aliens invaded the Google engine and pinched the link at the time I was searching.....or maybe it was my brain which they invaded.

Could have been that I forgot to search Google again AFTER I found out what the things were called. I just searched for washers or 'plastic washers' at first before I found out that they were also called 'nylon washers'.

Maybe the site was down or it took too long to load and I skipped it or something.

Oh, I'm running out of excuses.

 

[Symptoms]

traveller - you wrote: "(How DID you find that website, Symptoms?!)" and then a laughing ^neo^ had the cheek to suggest it was all down to google. I'm afraid the sad fact is that I get a number of engineering magazines, one of which is called Fastenings ... yes, you've guessed, I read it. Not only does it contain articles and features, but it also has company profiles and adverts. So that's how the suggestion came about, as for google I assumed that would have already been done.

A massive genuflexion, whilst issuing a grovelling apology, is now expected from ^neo^.