Thread: Brass shim stock - natural, what is it?

Hi All.

Anyone know what "natural" brass is vs the "standard" yellow stuff? Is it literally just the finish or something else? Suitable enough for shim stock?
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/shim-kits/0681249/

My guess would be that is has no surface treatment or finish.

Originally Posted by China

My guess would be that is has no surface treatment or finish.

Do you think that's okay for shimming a machine in that case?

Whats wrong with using the normal stuff ?
It seems expensive once you get it posted here.

Grahame

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

Whats wrong with using the normal stuff ?
It seems expensive once you get it posted here.

Nothing at all. Website was an example.

Having said that I have never seen 'cheap' shim stock. Let me know if you have a good source.

Edit: at a glance the natural looked comparatively cheaper when I was looking which is why I was considering it.

I agree with Grahame, that seems a bit pricey to me. I bought a pack of various shim stock from Enco when they used to post to Australia, and it wasn't especially expensive. What exactly are you using it for and does it need to be brass?

I think ebay is your friend these days, and I'd be surprised if you couldn't get something much cheaper than that. What I also use are large feeler gauges and just break open the set. Some sets are large enough for shimming, and they're available for peanuts from the usual suspects. Even the cheapest are remarkably accurate from my experience, but I may have just got lucky. Good enough for shimming in any case.

Shim stock is the sort of thing that accumulates so if you can say how much you need (and where you are) you may find someone has a small piece that they can spare. Typically the minimum amount that you can buy and the amount you need never matches very well...

Michael

I found this in a few moments.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Shim-Bra...75.c100623.m-1

That 6 assorted brass shims for &19 plus a $9 ship charge.
Not real bad given you can load the box with other desirable engineering items from the same site.

The natural brass could be I suspect a lower copper alloy that is used in decorative drawer pulls and the like with lower tarnishing properties. There are lots of sites that I found that mentioned as "natural brass". Why and where it applies in the context of shim I can't say.

Grahame

Thanks for all of the comments.

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

I found this in a few moments.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Shim-Bra...75.c100623.m-1

That 6 assorted brass shims for &19 plus a $9 ship charge.

Haha... It's nice how we can "clean up" seemingly brash posts on this site after submitting isn't it? I've looked at those packs on eBay in the past, seems okay for an assortment pack. I didn't buy them in the past as I needed to go down to 0.001" at the time.

Originally Posted by Michael G

Shim stock is the sort of thing that accumulates so if you can say how much you need (and where you are) you may find someone has a small piece that they can spare. Typically the minimum amount that you can buy and the amount you need never matches very well...

Yeah, agree - I already have quite a bit but not enough in the size I need (300mm length x 0.38mm thick). I need them as one piece rather than laminating for reasons I won't delve into. I should have been clearer on that but was more of an interest thread to see if anyone knew what "natural" brass was. I'm sorted (I think) found a local supplier that has the size I want - just have to wait for them to come back from holidays next week rather than purchasing an assortment pack

Originally Posted by Pete F

I agree with Grahame, that seems a bit pricey to me.

I think ebay is your friend these days, and I'd be surprised if you couldn't get something much cheaper than that.

As mentioned that website was only an example of "natural" brass. Some sites have this "natural" comparatively cheaper that than the other types they have which is why I was wondering it's make up. Unfortunately eBay (AU) just doesn't have the size I want, don't want to wait for an overseas order...

Originally Posted by Pete F

What I also use are large feeler gauges and just break open the set..

I've done that in the past, they just aren't a large enough area for what I want at the moment.

Not sure how any brass can be "natural" It does not as far as I know occur in nature.

Hi Guys,

I suspect that "Natural" refers to the colour and lack of heat treatment to anneal the brass, i.e. it is left in the work hardened state as it would be after rolling.

I recall from way back, that brass shimming used to fill an uneven gap, had to be softened so that it would give / flow into a void between surfaces, rather than a hard packing as used to adjust clearances.


Changing the subject a little, there has been about 100 mm of snow here with ice underneath it.

Hi Baron, The only thing I can say about that is BRRRRRRRRRRRRR. That's cold.
Kryn

Hi Kryn,

Yes it is ! The temperature dropped to minus twelve centigrade last night and it's down to minus four at the moment (19:20h) here. Yet the weather forecast for tomorrow is 8 to 10 degrees C, along with flood warnings.