Awl --

So ahm lookin fer fender washers at a good local hardware store -- imagine
DAT -- and readily find what I'm looking for, 1/4 x 1".

Loose, they go for 16c each.... holy ****.....

A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff of a
factor of 10!

SO, even tho I only needed one, I bought the box....

But, dats not the inneresting part.

In the box, I noticed that there were some wide variations in thickness.
Off the cuff, I found one that was .054, and another that was .074.
Visually, the thicker one looks TWICE as thick as the thinner one.

So, from whence cometh this big big diff in thickness? I assume these are
all being punched from sheet, and sheet thicknesses are usually within a
cupla thou, afaik.

Whazzup?

--
EA

Existential Angst wrote:

Awl --

So ahm lookin fer fender washers at a good local hardware store -- imagine
DAT -- and readily find what I'm looking for, 1/4 x 1".

Loose, they go for 16c each.... holy ****.....

A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff of a
factor of 10!

SO, even tho I only needed one, I bought the box....

But, dats not the inneresting part.

In the box, I noticed that there were some wide variations in thickness.
Off the cuff, I found one that was .054, and another that was .074.
Visually, the thicker one looks TWICE as thick as the thinner one.

So, from whence cometh this big big diff in thickness? I assume these are
all being punched from sheet, and sheet thicknesses are usually within a
cupla thou, afaik.

Whazzup?


Sounds like they boxed up their floor sweepings.

--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

On Jan 29, 2:14*pm, "Existential Angst"
wrote:
Awl --

So ahm lookin fer fender washers at a good local hardware store -- imagine
DAT -- and readily find what I'm looking for, 1/4 x 1".

Loose, they go for 16c each.... *holy ****.....

A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff of a
factor of 10!

SO, even tho I only needed one, I bought the box.... *

But, dats not the inneresting part.

In the box, I noticed that there were some wide variations in thickness.
Off the cuff, I found one that was .054, and another that was .074.
Visually, the thicker one looks TWICE as thick as the thinner one.

So, from whence cometh this big big diff in thickness? *I assume these are
all being punched from sheet, and sheet thicknesses are usually within a
cupla thou, afaik.

Whazzup?

--
EA

I am seen that variation also.

I have seen a differece of over 3x thickness.

My theory is fender washers are punched from what every surplus sheet
is available.

(I imagine this image of all the cars parked by the fender washer
factory with holes in them from the washers punched out from
them. ;) )

Since fender washers are used to back up other material, their specs
are far demanding.

If you buy a box, you will likely fiind the same thickness...because
they were punched from the same common sheet (or car ;) ).

The collection of different thicknesses we see likely comes from the
store dumping several boxes (from different sheets) into the same
drawer.

I do not see the same variations in other washer types...thank God.

TMT

"Existential Angst" wrote:

In the box, I noticed that there were some wide variations in thickness.
Off the cuff, I found one that was .054, and another that was .074.
Visually, the thicker one looks TWICE as thick as the thinner one.

So, from whence cometh this big big diff in thickness? I assume these are
all being punched from sheet, and sheet thicknesses are usually within a
cupla thou, afaik.

Whazzup?


Someone loaded the wrong roll of strip in the middle of a batch?

Wes
--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:08:45 -0800 (PST), Too_Many_Tools
wrote:



I do not see the same variations in other washer types...thank God.


Virtually all washers have a generous tolerance on thickness. Here are
the specs for USS and SAE washers.
http://www.almabolt.com/pages/catalo...dimensions.htm

The limits on the thickness of MS and AN washers are a little tighter,
but the variation is apparent if you look carefully.

--
Ned Simmons

On Jan 29, 3:14*pm, "Existential Angst"
wrote:
Awl --

So ahm lookin fer fender washers at a good local hardware store -- imagine
DAT -- and readily find what I'm looking for, 1/4 x 1".

Loose, they go for 16c each.... *holy ****.....

A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff of a
factor of 10!

SO, even tho I only needed one, I bought the box.... *

But, dats not the inneresting part.

In the box, I noticed that there were some wide variations in thickness.
Off the cuff, I found one that was .054, and another that was .074.
Visually, the thicker one looks TWICE as thick as the thinner one.

So, from whence cometh this big big diff in thickness? *I assume these are
all being punched from sheet, and sheet thicknesses are usually within a
cupla thou, afaik.

Whazzup?

--
EA

I've seen the same with the fender washers and the regular washers at
the local TSC tractor store.

Dave

On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:14:38 -0500, "Existential Angst"
wrote:

Awl --

So ahm lookin fer fender washers at a good local hardware store -- imagine
DAT -- and readily find what I'm looking for, 1/4 x 1".

Loose, they go for 16c each.... holy ****.....

A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff of a
factor of 10!

SO, even tho I only needed one, I bought the box....

But, dats not the inneresting part.

In the box, I noticed that there were some wide variations in thickness.
Off the cuff, I found one that was .054, and another that was .074.
Visually, the thicker one looks TWICE as thick as the thinner one.

So, from whence cometh this big big diff in thickness? I assume these are
all being punched from sheet, and sheet thicknesses are usually within a
cupla thou, afaik.

Whazzup?
Punched from scrap in CHINA?? Or possibly Mexico.

A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff of
a
factor of 10!

I have friggin boxes and boxes and jars and jars of fasteners. Just because
I'm too cheap to pay what they want for ten of them. But when I need
something, I go to the bins rather than make a run to the hardware store.
And if I do have to run for fasteners, I buy them by the box and have a
stock of them.

Steve

"Steve B" wrote in message
...


A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff of
a
factor of 10!

I have friggin boxes and boxes and jars and jars of fasteners. Just
because I'm too cheap to pay what they want for ten of them. But when I
need something, I go to the bins rather than make a run to the hardware
store. And if I do have to run for fasteners, I buy them by the box and
have a stock of them.

Well, I hope I live for another hunnerd years, so's I can enjoy all of
*this* box... goodgawd....

Ackshooly, the 1" x 1/4 fender washer is a pretty useful item -- so the box
might last for only another 50 years....
I can always hand them out at Halloween in place of quarters....
--
EA


Steve

Steve B wrote:

A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff of
a
factor of 10!

I have friggin boxes and boxes and jars and jars of fasteners. Just because
I'm too cheap to pay what they want for ten of them. But when I need
something, I go to the bins rather than make a run to the hardware store.
And if I do have to run for fasteners, I buy them by the box and have a
stock of them.


I hit the local scrap metal yard first. They have a few tons of
surplus hardware they sell for $1.50 a pound.


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

Existential Angst wrote:

"Steve B" wrote in message
...


A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff of
a
factor of 10!

I have friggin boxes and boxes and jars and jars of fasteners. Just
because I'm too cheap to pay what they want for ten of them. But when I
need something, I go to the bins rather than make a run to the hardware
store. And if I do have to run for fasteners, I buy them by the box and
have a stock of them.

Well, I hope I live for another hunnerd years, so's I can enjoy all of
*this* box... goodgawd....

Ackshooly, the 1" x 1/4 fender washer is a pretty useful item -- so the box
might last for only another 50 years....
I can always hand them out at Halloween in place of quarters....


You can use a step drill to enlarge the hole and use some for regular
washers, too.


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

Too_Many_Tools wrote:
(I imagine this image of all the cars parked by the fender washer
factory with holes in them from the washers punched out from
them. ;) )
TMT

I seriously doubt ANY of the cars in the lot have fenders as
thick as the thinest washer in the box. :-)
...lew...

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...

Steve B wrote:

A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff
of
a
factor of 10!

I have friggin boxes and boxes and jars and jars of fasteners. Just
because
I'm too cheap to pay what they want for ten of them. But when I need
something, I go to the bins rather than make a run to the hardware store.
And if I do have to run for fasteners, I buy them by the box and have a
stock of them.


I hit the local scrap metal yard first. They have a few tons of
surplus hardware they sell for $1.50 a pound.

You are blessed.
The scrap yards by me pitch *everything* in 30yd containers, to be hauled
away.
Sheeit, they won't even save pristine 1x3 alum bar, much less save hardware.
--
EA




--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

Existential Angst wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...

Steve B wrote:

A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff
of
a
factor of 10!

I have friggin boxes and boxes and jars and jars of fasteners. Just
because
I'm too cheap to pay what they want for ten of them. But when I need
something, I go to the bins rather than make a run to the hardware store.
And if I do have to run for fasteners, I buy them by the box and have a
stock of them.


I hit the local scrap metal yard first. They have a few tons of
surplus hardware they sell for $1.50 a pound.

You are blessed.
The scrap yards by me pitch *everything* in 30yd containers, to be hauled
away.
Sheeit, they won't even save pristine 1x3 alum bar, much less save hardware.

Ocala Recycling is like that. They had a mint condition open frame
aluminum relay rack that weighed about 25 pounds. They wouldn't sell it
for any price. OTOH, I have had some luck asking people to sell me
something before their scrap made it to the scales. Like a two foot
piece of 4" copper pipe for free. A mechanical contractor had a huge
truckload of it and the guy gave it to me to make a pair of WI-FI
Antennas rather than sell it.


There are several other places with drops & surplus as well, but the
prices are a little higher. I mentioned one recently. Rhino. I have
friends who manufacture nice aluminum framed canopies for art shows. If
I need some short pieces of the tubing they use, they usually give it to
me. I do free IT support for them, and at one time they owned a large
thrift store that donated used computers and parts to my Veteran's
project.

The next stop is usually Fastenal or Grainger's. I miss living near
Dayton, Ohio. Mendelson's had over a million pounds of surplus hardware
on the first floor of their surplus store. Everything except stainless,
brass or nylon hardware was $1.25 a pound. I used to buy 10 to 25 pounds
at a time. 6-32 * 1/2" pan head philips screws were about 600 per pound.
I used a lot of them repairing electronics. Toss all the old screws in a
can and put the item back together with new hardware. I used the last
of them repairing computers, to replace the crapware they were built
with. I really liked the screws with captive star washers for computers.



--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:11:45 -0500, wrote:


*Snip*


Punched from scrap in CHINA?? Or possibly Mexico.

Easily determined- if the're radioactive then they came from Mexico.
If they contain enough lead to block the radioactivity from the
Mexican washers, then China.

H. ;

On Jan 30, 11:29*am, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:
Existential Angst wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...

Steve B wrote:

A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff
of
a
factor of 10!

I have friggin boxes and boxes and jars and jars of fasteners. *Just
because
I'm too cheap to pay what they want for ten of them. *But when I need
something, I go to the bins rather than make a run to the hardware store.
And if I do have to run for fasteners, I buy them by the box and have a
stock of them.

* I hit the local scrap metal yard first. They have a few tons of
surplus hardware they sell for $1.50 a pound.

You are blessed.
The scrap yards by me pitch *everything* in 30yd containers, to be hauled
away.
Sheeit, they won't even save pristine 1x3 alum bar, much less save hardware.

* *Ocala Recycling is like that. *They had a mint condition open frame
aluminum relay rack that weighed about 25 pounds. They wouldn't sell it
for any price. *OTOH, I have had some luck asking people to sell me
something before their scrap made it to the scales. Like a two foot
piece of 4" copper pipe for free. A mechanical contractor had a huge
truckload of it and the guy gave it to me to make a pair of WI-FI
Antennas rather than sell it.

* *There are several other places with drops & surplus as well, but the
prices are a little higher. *I mentioned one recently. Rhino. *I have
friends who manufacture nice aluminum framed canopies for art shows. *If
I need some short pieces of the tubing they use, they usually give it to
me. *I do free IT support for them, and at one time they owned a large
thrift store that donated used computers and parts to my Veteran's
project.

* *The next stop is usually Fastenal or Grainger's. *I miss living near
Dayton, Ohio. Mendelson's had over a million pounds of surplus hardware
on the first floor of their surplus store. *Everything except stainless,
brass or nylon hardware was $1.25 a pound. I used to buy 10 to 25 pounds
at a time. 6-32 * 1/2" pan head philips screws were about 600 per pound.
I used a lot of them repairing electronics. Toss all the old screws in a
can and put the item back together with new hardware. *I used the last
of them repairing computers, to replace the crapware they were built
with. I really liked the screws with captive star washers for computers.


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

With scrap today you have to head it off before it reaches the yard.

Whatever you are looking for, you will find it where it is being
used...not where it is going.

TMT

On Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:10:28 -0500, "Existential Angst"
wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...

Steve B wrote:

A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff
of
a
factor of 10!

I have friggin boxes and boxes and jars and jars of fasteners. Just
because
I'm too cheap to pay what they want for ten of them. But when I need
something, I go to the bins rather than make a run to the hardware store.
And if I do have to run for fasteners, I buy them by the box and have a
stock of them.


I hit the local scrap metal yard first. They have a few tons of
surplus hardware they sell for $1.50 a pound.

You are blessed.
The scrap yards by me pitch *everything* in 30yd containers, to be hauled
away.
Sheeit, they won't even save pristine 1x3 alum bar, much less save hardware.


I just bought (100) 1/2" x 4" "Redheads" from one of my surplus dealers.
$1.50 a pound. There are 7 to the pound.

Now Im good for another 6 months or so. Though I wish I could have
bought one of the 55 gallon drums they came out of..

Gunner

Whenever a Liberal utters the term "Common Sense approach"....grab your
wallet, your ass, and your guns because the sombitch is about to do
something damned nasty to all three of them.

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote:

Existential Angst wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...

Steve B wrote:

A 5# box, which I estimate holds about 1,000, cost $14 -- a price diff
of
a
factor of 10!

I have friggin boxes and boxes and jars and jars of fasteners. Just
because
I'm too cheap to pay what they want for ten of them. But when I need
something, I go to the bins rather than make a run to the hardware store.
And if I do have to run for fasteners, I buy them by the box and have a
stock of them.


I hit the local scrap metal yard first. They have a few tons of
surplus hardware they sell for $1.50 a pound.

You are blessed.
The scrap yards by me pitch *everything* in 30yd containers, to be hauled
away.
Sheeit, they won't even save pristine 1x3 alum bar, much less save hardware.

Ocala Recycling is like that. They had a mint condition open frame
aluminum relay rack that weighed about 25 pounds. They wouldn't sell it
for any price. OTOH, I have had some luck asking people to sell me
something before their scrap made it to the scales. Like a two foot
piece of 4" copper pipe for free. A mechanical contractor had a huge
truckload of it and the guy gave it to me to make a pair of WI-FI
Antennas rather than sell it.

There are several other places with drops & surplus as well, but the
prices are a little higher. I mentioned one recently. Rhino. I have
friends who manufacture nice aluminum framed canopies for art shows. If
I need some short pieces of the tubing they use, they usually give it to
me. I do free IT support for them, and at one time they owned a large
thrift store that donated used computers and parts to my Veteran's
project.

The next stop is usually Fastenal or Grainger's. I miss living near
Dayton, Ohio. Mendelson's had over a million pounds of surplus hardware
on the first floor of their surplus store. Everything except stainless,
brass or nylon hardware was $1.25 a pound. I used to buy 10 to 25 pounds
at a time. 6-32 * 1/2" pan head philips screws were about 600 per pound.
I used a lot of them repairing electronics. Toss all the old screws in a
can and put the item back together with new hardware. I used the last
of them repairing computers, to replace the crapware they were built
with. I really liked the screws with captive star washers for computers.



A local liquidator just got over 10,000 pounds of surplus hardware
and is selling it by the pound. Starting at $1.50 a pound for common
stuff and $2.50 a pound for the grade 8 stuff. I bought 335 used
paperback books for 11 cents each, and will stop back in a few days when
the hardware is put on the sales floor.


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

Gunner Asch wrote:

Now Im good for another 6 months or so. Though I wish I could have
bought one of the 55 gallon drums they came out of..


A honey importer a few miles form here has at least 1000 empty 55
gallon drums. Any taht can't be reused have the tops cut out and sell
for $4 each There were over 250 of them stacked up for sale, the last
time I was there. I keep about a half dozen around the shop for my
scrap metal.


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.