Flat washers might seem like small, inconspicuous pieces of hardware, but they play a crucial role in many DIY projects. Whether you’re assembling furniture, repairing household items or building a treehouse, knowing when and how to use flat washers can make all the difference in ensuring your projects are sturdy and long-lasting. In this blog, we’ll cover some essential tips to help you use flat washers more effectively.
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Flat washers are invaluable components in both mechanical and everyday setups, offering a multitude of benefits despite their simple design. Their primary function is to distribute the load of a bolt head or nut uniformly, preventing it from pulling through softer materials like wood or plastic. Beyond load distribution, they shield surfaces from potential damage during the tightening process, serve as spacers or shims for precise alignment and reduce the adverse effects of vibration, ensuring that fastenings remain secure even with motion or intermittent shocks. Furthermore, when different metals are in contact, washers can deter galvanic corrosion by acting as a protective intermediary. Their utility also extends to aesthetics, providing a polished finish by hiding misaligned or oversized holes, and to functionality by increasing the bearing surface in softer materials and optimising tightening efficiency by minimising friction. In essence, flat washers, though seemingly inconspicuous, play a critical role in ensuring the durability and efficacy of various applications, making them indispensable to both DIY enthusiasts and professionals.
At their core, flat washers are designed to distribute the pressure of a nut or bolt evenly over a surface, preventing damage and ensuring a tighter fit. They also help reduce friction when tightening, and in some cases, they can prevent corrosion between dissimilar metals.
Flat washers come in a variety of materials including steel, stainless steel, brass, copper and even plastic. Your choice should depend on the application:
We would recommend using Stainless Steel as they offer the most beneficial features and it suits most projects.
Ensure your washer fits snugly around your bolt or screw. The inner diameter of the washer should be slightly larger than the diameter of your fixing. Too big, and it may not serve its purpose; too small, and it might not fit.
If you’re using a bolt of one metal and attaching it to a material of another metal, a washer can act as a barrier, preventing the two metals from reacting with each other.
Keep an organised collection of washers in various sizes and materials. This ensures you always have the right washer on hand for the job. Little compartmentalised storage boxes or magnetic trays can be handy for this purpose.
Flat washers are ubiquitous in a vast array of applications due to their utility and versatility. In construction, they are often employed alongside bolts and screws to ensure structures, from decks to buildings, maintain integrity by evenly distributing pressure and preventing fastener pull-through. In automotive assemblies, washers are essential for securing components, reducing vibrations and preventing metal-on-metal contact that might lead to wear or corrosion. Home appliances, from washing machines to refrigerators, utilize them to ensure parts are firmly attached and to reduce noise caused by operational vibrations. In electronics, they can act as insulators or spacers, ensuring components sit at the right height or are shielded from electrical currents. Additionally, in DIY and furniture assembly, they provide both a polished finish and an added layer of security. Regardless of the context, from heavy machinery to delicate electronic devices, flat washers serve as silent yet crucial guardians of stability and durability.
In conclusion, while flat washers may seem minor in the grand scheme of DIY projects, their role is indispensable. By understanding when and how to use them, you can ensure your projects not only look professional but also stand the test of time.
As always, thank you for checking out our blog. We hope that this helps you with your project.
Please also check out the other articles in our helpful guide series. We have written about penny washers recently so why not check it out.
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Stainless flat washers fall under the same ASME dimensional standards as your typical plain steel flat washer, which is ASME B18.21.1. Under ASME B18.21.1, dimensional tolerances for plain washers, there are two types specified, type A and type B. Type A has two series sizes to consider which include narrow and wide, while Type B... Read more
Looking through both the ASTM specification F Grade A325 and the Research Council on Structural Connections (RCSC) website, we have found neither mentioning the use of lock washers in a structural steel connection. We interpret this as neither allowing nor forbidding the use and that it would ultimately be up to the engineer of record... Read more
This is a term that is frequently used across the industry. More often than not, “bridge washers” will refer to cast iron malleable iron washers. These washers are typically used in dock and wood construction. Malleable iron washers are specifically designed to prevent bolt heads and nuts from pulling into the wood. Detailers will also... Read more
If a purchaser specifies an ASTM F844 washer with the dimensions of Portland Bolt’s plate washers, then the washers do meet the requirements of F844. According to ASTM F844, a specification for general use steel washers, the washer dimensions must conform to ASME B18.21.1, Type A, Tables 1A and Tables 1B, unless otherwise specified. The... Read more
Standard flat washers are a mass-produced item that Portland Bolt stocks as an accessory to accompany custom sized bolts we manufacture. A washer is a steel ring placed under a nut and/or bolt head to spread the pressure when the assembly is tightened. A washer also creates a smooth bearing surface for the nut to turn... Read more
Timber bolts, also referred to as economy bolts in the Pacific Northwest, are designed with a round oversized head which eliminates the need for a washer underneath the head. The underside of the head has two nubs which bite into wood and prevent the head from spinning in the timber. The nubs under the head... Read more
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Per the RCSC section 16.2-12, multiple washers are permitted under the nut in order to resolve this problem.
Yes, in some cases the stacking of F436 washers seems to be allowed, but not in all cases. The Research Council on Structural Connections (RCSC) in Specification for Structural Joints Using High-Strength Bolts, December 31, , page 16.2-12 says, “If necessary, the next increment of bolt length can be specified with ASTM F436 washers in... Read more
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