Shims

[Bill PilkingtonParticipant @billpilkington38650]

Anybody got info on where I can buy some shims for centreing my tools on mini lathe, tia. Bill.

[Bill PilkingtonParticipant @billpilkington38650]

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Soft drinks cans and a pair of shears.

Regards Ian

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Posted by Bill Pilkington on 28/12/2021 11:32:31:

Anybody got info on where I can buy some shims for centreing my tools on mini lathe, tia. Bill.

Cannibalise a cheap feeler gauge set

[martin haysomParticipant @martinhaysom48469]

have you got a mate who welds cars ?? ask him/her for a few off cuts.

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

All the usual suspects. Spent hacksaw blades, steel banding from pallet shipments, scrap sheet metal, etc.

[Bill PilkingtonParticipant @billpilkington38650]

Thx all.

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

One more; if you like small flat tins of oily fish for lunch, mackerel fillets, pilchards, sardines, save and wash the peel – lids and cut them up to size with an old pair of scissors. I also save the tins for small item storage.

[Antony PriceParticipant @antonyprice56876]

Hi Bill

Old bank/credit/loyalty cards are also a good source of shim/packing

Tony

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Garden suppliers often have small packs of aluminium rectangles about 30 x 10mm which are intended to be bent into S clips for greenhouse glazing. They are about 0.5 mm thick and are tremendously useful for packing, shimming etc. A bit under the toe of a strap clamp on the mill avoids marking the work for example.

There's an amusing story in "Zen and the Art…" about the author's buddy who has a BMW and a highly "romantic" attitude. The bars on his bike need some shimming to make them clamp properly. The author points out that beer can aluminium is perfect for the job – the right thickness, soft so it deforms to the required shape, easy to cut, and free. His buddy will have none of it, has to be the "right" product from the maker.

[MikeKParticipant @mikek40713]

I used cheap automotive feeler gauges when I first got my mini lathe. When I got tired of that method I built the "Norman patent" QCTP, usually attributed to Ralph Patterson (who is the one who produced the PDF, I think)…And I haven't looked back.

The traditional style of QCTP give the tool too much overhang, which isn't a problem for larger lathes, but is not ideal for the mini.

Patterson's plans originated on the Yahoo mini lathe group and have since moved to groups.io:

https://groups.io/g/7x12MiniLathe/files/Ralph%20Patterson%20drawings/RP_qctp.pdf

[Henry BrownParticipant @henrybrown95529]

I needed some shim for a project and got this, very handy…
Link

[egaParticipant @ega]

Posted by John Haine on 28/12/2021 12:44:59:

…

There's an amusing story in "Zen and the Art…" …

It's some time since I read the book but I seem to recall the author making a very favourable comment about the possession of a lathe and welding gear!

[Trevor Drabble 1Participant @trevordrabble1]

Bill , Cromwell Tools used to do it in both brass and steel in assorted packs . Or alternatively , if you have an idea of what length and width required and in what thicknesses , I'll check my limited stocks for availability.

[Engine BuilderParticipant @enginebuilder]

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

If yo

before they became corrugated, food tins were a good source of supply of shim material.

Aluminium eventually compresses, as well as plastics such as credit cards will, I fear.

You can buy packs of shim steel in various thicknesses, but at what price, I know not, from Stubs, or from Engineering suppliers.

Cheap feeler gauge sets provide a limited quantity of various thicknesses.

Try searching Google, or Cromwell Tools in UK.

Rather than make up a thick pack of shims , I machine a solid packer , using one or two shims for fine tuning.

No Mill? Being rectangular, mount in a 4 jaw and face.

Howard

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

Various pieces of flat bar. "Bandit" steel strapping used for securing materials is handy.

Hardware warehouses, etc throw it in the bin when unloading goods.

Edited By Paul Lousick on 30/12/2021 07:20:51

[Perko7Participant @perko7]

Model hobby stores usually carry stocks of brass sheet in various thicknesses from about 5 thou or 10 thou up. I also use the metal packing strips along with broken bandsaw and hacksaw blades and the tear-off foil from various food packaging.

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Posted by Circlip on 28/12/2021 11:39:10:

Soft drinks cans and a pair of shears.

Regards Ian

Yes, works for me too!

IanT

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

I picked up a pack of various thickness brass shims from a supplier at a model engineering exhibition a few years ago and it has come in very useful. I use a strip of 5 thou brass to wrap around delicate threaded items if they need to be held in a chuck for further operations in the lathe. A pack of various thickness shims will always come in useful. Dave W

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Empty beer cans are ideal, since first off, they need to be emptied, always an enjoyable job.

Next, they need to be cut into strips ect, this is a somewhat thirsty operation, so more cans need to be opened.

After a while, you will find yourself cutting up strips to make cans and not sure what the Hell you are doing, or why.

But who cares, it,s still metal bashing !

Happy New Year all !

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

Sneak into the kitchen and steal an old flan case to cut up.

[Author]

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