Question about washers - the nuts and bolts kind

[dullard]

Ok simple question - I feel silly for asking it. How do you properly use washers? How do you choose what kind to use?

I've got a project using nuts and bolts to bolt some metal sheets together. But the nuts keep coming loose. Will a washer help? If so do I use a spiked one, flat one, slit one, bent one, stared on the inside/starred on the outside, etc?

 

[HiTek21]

You can try using a nylon locking nut. Like this

 

[Heisenberg]

A washer probably won't help that much in your case, but a lock-washer might. Why is it coming loose? You could try a little Loc-tite (sp?) on the threads or maybe put two nuts on it.

Edit: Platinum - woo-hoo.

 

[dullard]

Are locking nuts reversible? If I want to take it off and then reuse them, can I? There is a lot of vibrations on the machine, and the nuts keep coming off. Congrats on the platnum level.

 

[d33pt]

you can use a lock washer too.. it has a cut in it and is spread open a little to put pressure on the nut so it won't spin

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: d33pt
you can use a lock washer too.. it has a cut in it and is spread open a little to put pressure on the nut so it won't spin

There are a hundred types of these of various shapes and sizes sitting in my drawer. Which do you use and when?

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: d33pt
you can use a lock washer too.. it has a cut in it and is spread open a little to put pressure on the nut so it won't spin

There are a hundred types of these of various shapes and sizes sitting in my drawer. Which do you use and when?

Just find one the right size. The hole should be a little bigger than the bolt but not oversized. Outsize diameter is just based on what you need it to do. The specific type of lock-washer probably won't make that much difference.

 

[Howard]

Try the nuts with the plastic inside them? They hold quite well.

Failing that, weld the whole linkage together.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: dullard
Are locking nuts reversible? If I want to take it off and then reuse them, can I? There is a lot of vibrations on the machine, and the nuts keep coming off. Congrats on the platnum level.

They're reversible and can be reused many times w/o any problems.