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[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I ordered from Accu Fasteners what to them would be a very small quantity of some particular sizes of fittings, from their stocks, including Spring Washers (similar to Belleville Washers but thinner gauge – they stock those too).

Placed the order yesterday (I think – might have been Tuesday), their padded envelope plonked through the letter-box this morning.

The fasteners included Disc Springs, similar to Belleville Washers but thinner gauge – they stock those too – and Cap Nuts, also new to me. Think of Acorn Nuts with the hexagon section almost full height to a rounded top.

Disc springs and belleville washers are for constructing stacked springs to give an even but low loading, and mine are for that purpose on a disc-type vacuum-brake valve.

Neither these nor the cap nuts appear in the usual model-engineering suppliers’ books.

 

Two more orders to come… Spalding Fasteners selling me two rolls of small-diameter copper tube; and a sizeable shopping list to Blackgates.

Only, the latter are out of the copper shim washers I wanted, and tell me they seem to be no longer made. I don’t know if other suppliers are affected but it could mean considering alternatives including making our own from sheet material.

 

I was rather surprised to find each pack from Accu came with a Certificate of Conformity, informing me the weight of the disc springs is a hefty 0.0012kg. I am not sure if that is per spring or for the 10 I bought! It’s all right – I remember what I was taught at work about manual handling.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Did you get any in AccuDrive format? 🙂

Links to https://www.accu.co.uk/p/519-accudrive-accus-proprietary-a-drive-screw-system

Rob

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

No: standard items.

That wasn’t an elaborate April 1st thing, was it?

I can understand the Most Hermetic Order of the Legal Scam, the major car manufacturers, devising non-standard fixings needing special-purpose, over-priced tools; but not a general-purpose fixings manufacturer / retailer.

Sir Whitworth would be spinning in his grave!

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Yes, a well thought out and implemented April Fool. I liked it.

Rob

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