Obtaining Nord-Lock washers from a seller who knows what they are

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

I've had problems recently ordering Nord-Lock washers in several sizes from Zoro; every time I order them the pickers send me half the number I order because they're clearly not aware that Nord-Lock washers consist of two halves.

Does anyone know of a competitively priced source for Nord-Lock washers where the vendor understands what they are and will send me what I order, not half the quantity?

The other, inexplicable, error Zoro make is in describing their Nord-Lock washers as "Nordlock-type". A customer service rep told me "Yeah, that's probably because they're not genuine Nord-Lock"..except all the washers I've received from them in three different sizes clearly are.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

I haven't checked in detail, but Nord Lock appear to sell direct online in small quantities – not cheap though!

Nord Lock

[Mick DParticipant @mickd41895]

Hi

Grampian fasteners will sort you out with genuine Nordlok washers, which, in my experience are supplied as two components adhered together.

Regards Mick

[Nigel BennettParticipant @nigelbennett69913]

I can't help with suppliers, Bill, but I've certainly used them when I was working. For the uninitiated, they are a set of two serrated washers that are fitted underneath bolt heads or nuts and they resist loosening to an amazing extent. Far superior to any kind of locknuts, Nylocs, torqued-up nuts, spring washers… They use them on those pavement whackers and if they stand that sort of vibration, they'll take anything. We had a rep come in to demonstrate them and he had a little vibration rig; it was amazing to see locknuts unscrewing by themselves under vibration. Nord-lock washers, of course, just sat there and laughed at the vibration. Usual disclaimer.

You have to assemble then correctly, too, with the larger serrations facing each other. Anyway, good luck in finding a source of supply, Bill; I can't recall where we got them from but probably just a local fastener supplier.

Edited By Nigel Bennett on 12/11/2021 17:03:17

[VicParticipant @vic]

Sorry Bill, I know what they are and I’m just being nosey but what project are you using them on?

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Thank you to everyone for your replies.

Nick, regrettably, buying from Nord-Lock direct appears to cost slightly more for the actual washers than I paid at Zoro and considerably more expensive when you factor in postage.

Mick, Grampian have them at a competitive price (around the same as Zoro) but unlike Zoro appear to have a high minimum order of 100. They also don't appear to have a shop as such.

Vic, their intended use is garden machinery mainly, but also for fixtures I use in my Aldi bandsaw and for my 3 inch rotary table, whose mounting lugs are so short that they scarcely allow enough room even for the full width of an M8 nut. Slight backing off of the nuts after prolonged milling has been a minor but undesirable issue.

Nigel, thanks for explaining what I perhaps should have. Your comments about needing to assemble them correctly, twinned with my experience of Zoro's evidently bewildered pickers, makes me wonder how many people out there are using Nord-Lock washers incorrectly (i.e. using only half of one) and possibly complaining they're not very good.

[MichaelRParticipant @michaelr]

As a satisfied customer I use "Model Fixings" they stock Nord washers Link

MichaelR

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

Whenever I've bought "NordLock" washers, whether genuine or not, they've always come as pairs assembled together with some tacky kind of grease.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Thanks for the further postings.

Michael, Model Fixings don't appear to sell Nord-Lock washers in all the sizes I want, unfortunately.

Bo'sun, yes, that's how I understood they were sold, but obviously the tacky grease on the ones I bought lost their holding power some time ago as all those I've received were separated into two halves.

Edited By Bill Phinn on 12/11/2021 21:44:09

[Robin GrahamParticipant @robingraham42208]

Orbital do them, but delivery is a bit steep for small orders (£7.95 under £60 outside London).

Robin

[peak4Participant @peak4]

How about Spalding Fasteners?
https://www.spaldingfasteners.co.uk/nord-lock/

From Zoro's description
"Description
Nord-Lock washers secure bolted joints with tension instead of friction. The system is comprised of a pair of washers that has cams on one side and radial teeth on the opposite side."

Clearly states a pair, so why not complain and ask them to send you the other half of the order(s).

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 12/11/2021 23:44:33

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Or is Zoro's competative price because they are pricing singles and the more expensive ones on Nord's site are the price of a pair.

Or as they are "unbranded" Nordlock "Type" maybe whoever supplies their's does not supply as a pair

Edited By JasonB on 13/11/2021 07:23:29

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by JasonB on 13/11/2021 07:19:23:

Or is Zoro's competative price because they are pricing singles and the more expensive ones on Nord's site are the price of a pair.

Or as they are "unbranded" Nordlock "Type" maybe whoever supplies their's does not supply as a pair

Edited By JasonB on 13/11/2021 07:23:29

.

Bill explicitly wrote :

“.. except all the washers I've received from them in three different sizes clearly are.”

So I suspect that your second option falls by the wayside.

MichaelG.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Probably means nothing, but the photo on the Zoro site clearly shows two washers together, and they are marked Nord-Lock. It's just the description states Nord-Lock Type and interestingly, the tab in Firefox shows "(Unbranded) M8 Steel Nord-lock Type Washers Delta | at Zoro".

I would definitely contact Zoro – they may be unaware their pickers are making this error, and unless someone points it out, they never will.

Rob

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Thank you to everyone for the further replies.

I've phoned Zoro about successive shortfalls three times. I’m still waiting for deliveries of two sizes of Nord-Locks from them, so the saga may not be over yet, in spite of me asking that the pickers be made aware of the problem.

After I'd pointed out the slightly garbled description (adapted from Nord-Lock's own) accompanying some of the sizes (though not the ones bizarrely branded Workshop) saying each washer is "comprised of" (sic) a pair, there was no resistance to my claim that the washers operate, and Zoro's intention is clearly to supply them, in pairs, though I did wonder myself, along the lines suggested by Jason, whether they might respond by saying they supply them in halves, not as functioning pairs.

If the latter were the case, it would be a bit sadistic of them to have, as they do in some cases, minimum orders of one and five; you'd order ten and get five functioning washers; you'd order five and only get two functioning washers; you order one and get none! The first two situations happened to me.

I'm confident I'll get the full quotient from Zoro in the end; it's just a bit of a drag having to ring and then send yet another photo to "prove" the order is short, though of course a photograph can prove nothing of the kind. The photograph I’ve posted here, on the other hand, does, I hope, prove that the washers I’ve received are genuine Nord-Lock.

Anyway, I’m grateful for people’s patience and for the alternative sources that have been suggested. My moaning has at least been a useful displacement activity for work I can’t currently do in the workshop because I’m so pinned down looking after two very deserving parents who are still living in their own home whilst afflicted by indescribably debilitating dementia.

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