This may be stupid, something every body knows, or something that dos'nt even deserve thinking about, but the other night I was watching TV rolling a lock washer between My fingers as you might a coin or a smooth rock when I noticed that a normal lock washer always has its edges pointing clockwise, so what you probably say,well I realized after 60 years of thinking that they worked only by the spring action they provide. Not so I realized,the sharp edge of a new washer is purpously faced so no mater how you put it on, the edge cuts in and prevents both sides from sliding counter clockwise (or loose). OK again so what, well I routinely place a flat washer under my lock washers to prevent maring the surface of whatever, wich actualy prevents the lock washer from doing its job wich is again to grip both serfaces. WOW, have I been that stupid all My life? And if this is so, do they make a left handed lock washer for left handed threads? This simple fact blew Me away.LOL I know I have entirery to much time on My hands, Dont laugh, imagine being in my head. LOL LOL LOL. Hold one and see what I meen,I had to go to the garage to see if they were all the same.

 

Thanks
Now I'm supposed to go to bed and go to sleep, Ya right

 

It's hard to believe, but cut-ring lock washers don't do much good in most applications where you really need something to stay together. OK for BarBQ grilles and such.

Mechanical engineering other topics - Studies on the use of lock washers?

 

Okay I'll give you my twisted thoughts on this as well. Once a regular lock washer gets tightened, it becomes flat. So, in my mind, the ability of the lock washer to cut into the surfaces would be cancelled out because it will lose its cutting angle. Secondly, I never understood how a lock washer really helped UNTIL you're getting ready to lose the nut altogether and the spring tension hangs onto it just a tad longer and keeps it from spinning the rest of the way off the bolt. Don't feel like you're crazy Jim. I think about things like that all the time. An old man once asked me "How many crows have you seen in your life?" I obviously told him thousands if not millions. He then asked me "Okay, how many baby crows have you ever seen?" That blew my mind.

 

smoking that stuff will give you all kinds of silly things to think about. LOL LOL

 

OK DOC I got one for ya . You seen them big orange ants called COW KILLERS ? never see but one but were do they nest ? You can't kill the dag thing even if you cut it in half.

 

So am I weird if I thought this video from the above link was really interesting?
NORD-LOCK Junker Video - Nord-Lock
You don't need to answer that.

 

I wish I had a lock washer under the nut on my coil studs today.

 

That video tells the whole story!

Notice that flatheads don't use any lockwashers on conrod bolts, head bolts, or any other engine bolts I can think of. But they do need up to several re-torques on head bolts. Maybe Nordlocks are the answer?

 

I was staring at the thread title for almost a minute trying to figure out what the hell an apithemy was. I even Google'd it. I swear to you this.

Then I read the post.. and realized the thread was about an epiphany... LOL.

P.S., them damn split lock washers were an unbearable pain when I was tearing down my F500! And they all worked correctly... a lot of them had shaved some of the metal while turning!

 

never really thought about that. Ever see people put teflon tape on flared fittings and such? that kinda gets on my nerves a little. I guess some times people don't stop and really think about what is really going on.

 

I guess some times people don't stop and really think about what is really going on.[/quote]
i know your right, but heres the real deal. if i did stop to think about what was really going on---i would be sooo involved in my own conversation that i would---hang on, what's that dear? ok, right away. now what the heck was i thinking? oh yeah, no, that's not right, damn, better start over.

 

oh allow me to throw in my wierdness also! We all use crescent wrenches/ adjustable wrenches somewhere in time.( not on our trucks though right?)
I was always taught to use an adjustable wrench in the right direction.
Adjustable Wrench, proper use - YouTube
I am amazed at how many people don't know this. I know..I know...maybe **** retentive right? Same applies to channel locks, and I even use vise grips that way. Of course vise grips sometimes get used however I can get the most amount of teeth biting, but yeah I know, it's just a pet peeve when I see some people using tools improperly.
How many people call a ratchet a "Socket Wrench"? I like to correct those especially intelligent people...yeah the "know-it-all" The person with the Masters Degree in marine biology who THINKS they know everything. We all have our strong points and we all have our weak point too. I only pick on the know-it-all's
they drive me nuts!

 

Makes me think about Somebodys signature on here that said " those of you who think you know it all are really annoying to those of us who really do..." I liked that a lot.

 

Do you guys ever call an adjustable wrench a monkey wrench? Here in PA that what we called it when I was a kid.... anybody else?