Steel Shim Stock

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Kbore
Posts: 299
Joined: Sun Jun 25, 2017 3:58 pm
Location: St. Louis area

Steel Shim Stock

Post by Kbore »

StewMac has a Tech Tip video where the guy uses a adhesive sandpaper stuck to a sheet of .008 thk spring steel to sand sides. Great, I got a couple of 8x12 sheets. When I was cutting the holes for my fingerboard dots, it was impossible for me to accurately adjust the depth stop on my $100 drill press. Near perfect depth should help eliminate cupping the fingerboard from leveling and should make leveling quicker and easier. Since I just couldn't adjust the crappy depth stop, I got it close on the shallow side and used shim stock to raise the finger board to the bit. Also used the shimms to raise the double dots to the bit since they were .010 lower than the single dot ( hey, I'll take any simple reduction in material removal time). Very very happy with how well that worked! I also had some plastic router table shims and a beer can ( or two) allowing me to adjust the depth almost perfectly for every position. I bought my steel shim on eBay but it's not that expensive from McMaster Carr.

Three uses for the 314 stainless steel shim stock:
  • Attach adhesive sandpaper and sand sides
  • Shim work on drill press for depth control
  • Bending strap on heated bender
Any more?
Measure Twice,

Karl B
Danl8
Posts: 733
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 7:50 am
Location: Chadds Ford, PA

Re: Steel Shim Stock

Post by Danl8 »

If an edge can be drawn, flexible steel can be a useful scraper, especially on curves.
Bob Gleason
Posts: 412
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 2:45 pm
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Re: Steel Shim Stock

Post by Bob Gleason »

You can also get shim stock at an auto parts store. I never knew there was a use for canned beer before!
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