replacing sprue plate washers

[Randall]

I have a Lyman 4 cavity with the lock washer holding down the sprue plate.The washer is gouging a hole in the plate. What is the best way to replace it? Flat washers, cupped washer or wavy washer?

[quack1]

Whenever I get a lock washer gouging the sprue plate I take a fine file and round the sharp edges on either side of the split in the washer. Usually there is a burr or extra sharp edge that does the gouging. Filing doesn't always work, but it only takes a couple of minutes to try.

[floodgate]

I "Lyman-ment" the sharp-cornered split washers on any mould that has them, same as quack1 says above (years back, Lyman used to do this on alltheir moulds, but then they omitted the step). The cupped ("Belleville") washers work better, and can be used as replacements - Lyman, and many tool and hardware suppliers, also have them - and you can stack them, either nested or face to face, to get the thickness and tension you prefer.

Floodgate

[leftiye]

I replace all split "lock" washers with flat washers. The split washers only bear on the sprue plate at one point, and that point always seems to be where the sprue plate will cant away from the blocks and make unsquare boolit bases. A good wave washer on top of the flat washer if you want spring pressure. Otherwise, tighten just enough to produce a little drag and lock down the sprue plate bolt. Then add bullplate lube. One half drop!

[Buckshot]

.............I like to use a flat brass washer with a wave washer over it.

..............Buckshot

[happy7]

Where can one buy these wave washers. I have come up empty at my local hardware stores, but I occasionally get to the big city. Do they have them at Lowe's or the like?

[leftiye]

Amazing what you can't get in our IT driven economy nowadays. I'm having trouble getting a squirrel cage fan to exhaust my swampuckler into the garage. If every person down the street doesn't want one, they don't carry it. Try a real auto parts store for the wave washers - if there are still any where you live! (you know, the place with the bank of "Dorman" cases).

Sorry Leftiye, I hit Edit instead of quote. See my post below

[beagle]

I'm with floodgate on the bellville washers under the lock ring. THis gives you a positive bearing surface no matter the tension. Available through Lyman for $.25 each last time I ordered some./beagle

[Buckshot]

...............I get the wave washers at Lowe's.

...............Buckshot

[JIMinPHX]

I like the Beleville (cup) washer with a flat washer under it, but that's just me. I haven't tried the wavy washers yet. A little high temp grease doesn't hurt anything either.

[Bret4207]

Okay, I gotta know. Whats a sawampuckler? and whats a Dorman case?

[JIMinPHX]

Dorman is a brand name. Dorman fasteners are frequently sold in NAPA auto parts stores. The Dorman stuff is usually in a stack of draws with orange & black labels.

[happy7]

The auto parts store tip did the trick for the wave washers. Only one guy there knew where they were or even what they were, but I did get some of them.

[Bret4207]

Dorman is a brand name. Dorman fasteners are frequently sold in NAPA auto parts stores. The Dorman stuff is usually in a stack of draws with orange & black labels.

Gotcha. Still wondering about the swampuckler?

[JIMinPHX]

Gotcha. Still wondering about the swampuckler?

Gotcha? What do you mean gotcha? I answered one of your two questions for you because I had a good solid answer for that one. I'm not sure what Leftiye was talking about when he said "swampuckler" so I left that one for someone else to pick up on rather than give you an uncertain answer. If I had to guess, I would say that he was probably talking about something that we call a swamp-cooler around here. It's basically an evaporative air cooler. They are very cheap to run compared to a compressor-based air conditioner, but they only work with very low ambient humidity. I'm not sure that's what he was talking about, so I let it slide. Gotcha indeed.
:coffee:

[leftiye]

Jim's got that one too. Swampukler. Swamp cooler. Found some nice squirrel cage blowers on evilbay today, but I might take a bit of a bath on shipping.

[Bret4207]

Gotcha= I understand, roger-wilco, I see, oh! I shoulda figured that out on my own, etc.

A swamp cooler eh? Heard of them, never seen one. If low humidity is needed they'd not work up here in the NE. Thx

[carpetman]

Wave washers are found in Navy ships stores in the feminine hygiene section.

[leftiye]

Wave washer: "Showers for female naval personnel." Or you could send them to the laundry.