Thread: Washers

Evening all.
Just a question regarding washers.
For the internal washers that go against the blade. Can you just use the same washers as the ones on the outside? I saw a video that flattened them out to make them thinner but I didn't catch if they were all the same.
Also, are there any alternatives to the brass washers for the inside? Nylon or anything similar? Can you make your own from plastic or something?
Thanks in advance.

Hi!
Internal and external washers are usually different for diameter and thickness.
The internal work as a bearing - so they are larger diameter. External - to protect the scales for riveting pins.
As for materials ...
I think that is possible and of the modern plastics such as nylon. But you can make yourself from a thin sheet brass.

The thin sheet of brass & a hole punch works well. I've tried the thin plastic & teflon & it makes the blade open too easy no matter how tight the pin. A lot of razors don't have a internal washer...

Those inside washers are usually made from either brass or nickel silver.

I've measured a few from some of the razors I've disassembled and find that they are commonly about 6mm in diameter (about 1/4") with the inside hole large enough to accommodate the rivet without binding. The usual thickness of these inner washers is something on the order of .08 - .1 millimeters (about .003 - .004 inches).

With sheet metal that thin, you can actually use a common hole punch to cut these out (not a hole punch you plan to use for paper in the future, mind). The only difficulty is to first drill the required center hole and then get it cleanly lined up so that it is in the middle of the hole punch die when you cut them out. A little bit of hammering with a ball peen hammer will then be required to flatten out the cuttings, but the end result is really pretty usable.

If you plan to make lots of these, you could also invest in a proper metal punch from a jeweler's supply house. These will give you a really nice result, but plan on paying a fair amount of cash for something good.

I usually use #00 wide brass washers that I use on the outside of the scales when I do stacked washers. They are not the typical #0 brass washers u would use just to pin the razor with, they are wider .
I do flatten it out with a hammer and anvil, but it doesn't take much time to do this.
Also I always try to keep the internal washers from the old scales I use especially if I'm rescaling that particular razor .
Ml

Long time ago I picked up a punch at Harbor Freight for $20, best money I ever spent since sheet stock seems to be easier to find in numerous materials rather than the equivalent tiny washer. You can find an image of the punch here...

Argument for flared spacers
although I'm pretty sure Glen disproves my theory for flared washers down the thread you can still see the punch.