Shims, what to use and where to get them

[Ray Bersch]

Spent many hours setting up my 6" jointer over the past few days. The tables were not exactly parallel so I started the shimming process - a frustrating chore. I used all sorts of stuff but found I could never get it just right. So, I got two sets of feeler gages out of my tool box and was able to get it pretty close using different combinations of thicknesses. I'd rather not break up the feeler gage sets so what do I use for shims, and where can I get some - is brass sufficient? Do I have to buy a sheet or is there a strip material available?

Also, what is a decent tolerance to accept. With both feeler gages stuck in the machine, I can only estimate the remaining gap - I can see some light under my straight edge, but I can't fit a thin sheet of paper (actually a register receipt from HD which I measures at about .002" thick) under the straight edge. Close enough??

[Chris Barton]

You should be able to find them at a good hardware store, even a Borg might have them. Some folks use paper shims.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Ray.....I needed some brass shimstock recently. I got it at a machine shop. I bought a 8x10 sheet of of 0.003 brass ...cheap. Just used some good scissors to cut what I needed.

[Jerry Olexa]

For the leveling process, ordinary cedar shims are available @ both the Borg and Menards. Come in a bundle for under $5..

[Chris McKimson]

I've cut pieces of an alumminum pop (soda) can before to shim. worked great for my table saw wings.

Chris

[tod evans]

I've cut pieces of an alumminum pop (soda) can before to shim. worked great for my table saw wings.

Chris

this works well.....02 tod

[Brian Hale]

Aluminum foil works well also.

Brian :)

[Mark Carlson]

Lee Valley sells brass shim stock in various thicknesses. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=40946&cat=1,43456,43407

[Gary Swart]

I would use brass to shim machine work like the jointer. You should be able to find it locally at an automotive supply store or a machine shop. You could order some on line, but it would cost $5-$6 just for shipping! Shims for other projects can be other media such as described in early answers. What you use just depends on what you are working on.

[Byron Trantham]

I've cut pieces of an alumminum pop (soda) can before to shim. worked great for my table saw wings.

Chris

Cool idea! Thanks.

[Steve Cox]

Another source for brass or aluminum would be a hobby or craft store. Most of them have display of various shapes and thicknesses by K & S

[William Bachtel]

Beer cans work. If I remember right its 005

[Steven J Corpstein]

I bought a cheap set of feeler gauges from Sears. They were just the 3" straight ones and I was able to get several pieces from each size just in case I needed one for different places. I think they only cost me $2.00 or $3.00.

[Mark Singer]

this works well.....02 tod

Me TOO! That

[Frank Chaffee]

this works well.....02 tod
Actually, my recollection puts pop and beer can sides at .002”, rather than…..02.
I don’t drink either these days so I can’t check that that out right now, but I would not be surprised to learn that they are now .0015” thick. This aluminum shim stock will work well unless used under a punch press for more than a few thousand or hundred thousand cycles.
Ace Hardware may also have shim stock in brass and stainless steel.
Frank

[Ray Bersch]

All great ideas, thanks. I have both aluminum and copper flashing sheets around, but thought these too thick and too soft. I spent the afternoon yesterday riding around looking for some brass stuff to no avail - never thought of a hobby shop - who has time for hobbies. I went to a place called Force Machinery in NJ which I was certain to have something because they do tool repairs on-site - still no go, but I was able to spend a hundred and fifty bucks on other sundries there so I guess the trip was worth while.;)

Even though I searched the web prior to posting the question, I never found the Lee Valley listing - so that goes into my favorites list for next time. Beer cans? Gave up drinking 20 years ago, damn!...and we don't drink "pop" in New Jersey - guess we should (soda is in plastic bottles around my house, don't know why, but I don't do the shopping so I won't complain to she who does.)

And the winner is......!!! Leave the feeler gage shims in place and buy a new set - $5 at Sears!! Simple, done...well, not quite, I'll take them out this morning, break up the set and reinstall them.

By the way, with the new feeler gage I can't fit the .0015" under the straight edge where the light can be seen - so I guess that is close enough.

Thanks for all the replies.
Ray

[Barry O'Mahony]

Actually, my recollection puts pop and beer can sides at .002”, rather than…..02.
I don’t drink either these days so I can’t check that that out right now, but I would not be surprised to learn that they are now .0015” thick. I read an article about aluminum cans a few years back in Scientific American. There's actually an incredible amount of continuing engineering that goes into them. They are essentially miniature pressure vessels, and there's great incentive to make them cheaper and cheaper by using less material. Bottom line is that they tend to get thinner every year. So it's not nearly as impressive to crush one as it used to be.

[Bill Fields]

Agree w/ S. Corpstein--think of your time/money driving/chasing/waiting--then go to/order from Sears (or HF) several cheap feeler gauge sets and take out what you need --save the rest.

I live 15 miles from a borg--12 miles from Ace Hdware--my mileage is 14mpg--and gas is $2.50 a gallon. The rest is math.

BILL

[Randy Meijer]

I just had occasion to measure some aluminum foil the other day. the stuff I had was about 0.0007". A piece of computer paper is about 0.003" so I' m guessing a soda can is somewhat thicker. Will try to remember to measure one when I get home Sunday night.


Trivia: Seems to me that I remember reading that the skin on the Lunar Lander was about the thickness of a Coke can??

[Randy Meijer]

Sprite can measured 0.004".

[Mike Parzych]

Some good ideas on shims here.

But in any case Ray, .002 is good enough - escpecially when you consider that most machining tolerances on stamping dies for instance, are +-.005.
Then consider the variables in the actual planing process - variable downward pressure on the piece, various relative densities of different wood species, etc. And then many jointed pices are glued with clamp pressure that can surely compress the wood .002.

I think sometimes chasing tight tolerances in woodworking are more excercise than necessity.

[Ray Bersch]

Some good ideas on shims here.
I think sometimes chasing tight tolerances in woodworking are more excercise than necessity.

I certainly agree with that....but the effort, however short of perfect, was worth for it is nice to have four square for a change. i am off and running.
Ray