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Author Topic: Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?  (Read 1206 times)

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Offline wreckhog

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Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?
« on: December 28, 2009, 06:36:27 PM »
Bought my first set of feeler gauges at Ace Hardware today. $9.99. On a used 45-70 barrel and the preferred SB2, it almost locked up perfectly with no help. Tiniest side to side wiggle. An .0015 feeler gauge (the thinnest in the set) would not pull out. Guess I needed thinner, but I was unwilling to hack a $10 feeler gauge up. Tried a seltzer can. Too thick. Barrel would not lock up.
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Offline trotterlg

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Re: Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2009, 07:26:36 PM »
You only need to cut a half inch off the .0015 gauge for a shim, so you will still have a lot of it to work with.  You have already spent the $10.00 so go for it.  Larry
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Offline MSP Ret

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Re: Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2009, 06:32:09 AM »
feeler gauges are getting harder and harder to find at yard sales, garage sales, and estate sales but I still look everytime my wife and I stop at one. She goes into the house and I hit the cellar, garage, and outbuildings, and we each enjoy ourselves. As Larry says you just need a small piece of feeler gauge, so go for it....<><....:)
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Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2009, 06:36:54 AM »
you could smack that can metal with a hammer to convince it to thin out a bit ?
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Offline cwlongshot

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Re: Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2009, 07:45:45 AM »
I'm lucky enough to have a good friend that works at a machine shop. He keeps me well stocked with shim stock. If there is one near you, you can get the stuff down to tissue paper thickness!!!

Maybe try Brownells as well!!

CW
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2009, 08:24:29 AM »
Brownell's sells a shim stock kit for $25. If you have a local Harbor Freight store, they sell feeler gauge sets for $3.

Tim
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Offline Mac11700

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Re: Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2009, 08:59:53 AM »

Auto Zone..$6.95 Part Number:   25025

Mac
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Offline mdi

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Re: Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2009, 09:35:25 AM »
McMaster Carr has shim stock avail. in several materials; brass, plastic, steel, etc.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#shim-stock/=559ug3
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Offline wreckhog

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Re: Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2009, 09:53:43 AM »
Harbor Freight huh? One about 45 minutes away. I got an oil change this am and there was an Auto Zone across the street. Bought the $6.99 one. Looks the same as the Ace Hardware one.

Even better, I stopped at fun store on the way home and picked up another 22-250. Non matching S/N on barrel, non monte carlo pallet wood stock without buttplate, but with Limbsaver slip on, H&R scope base, but no hammer extension. Got home and the 45-70 barrel plus seltzer can shim is a perfect fit. Maybe I'll return the feeler gauges now....lol
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?
« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2009, 10:04:14 AM »
Congrats on the new to you Handi!!

Here's the shim discussion in the FAQs barrel fitting info, my source was smallparts.com they carry steel shim stock by the sheet for $3-$6, you don't have to buy a whole pack like McMaster-Carr requires.

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,139005.msg1098545008.html#msg1098545008
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Offline jeepmann1948

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Re: Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?
« Reply #10 on: December 29, 2009, 12:51:26 PM »
Bearing Stores, Industrial Supply Stores, Machine Shops (the small ones are the best) are good places to find Shim Stock, At mine we keep brass, stainless and steel from .0015 to .032. most stores sell by the inch or by the roll but expect to pay more by the inch than per foot in the roll.
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Offline 26-t

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Re: Where do you get the cheapest steel shim stock/feeler gauges?
« Reply #11 on: December 29, 2009, 01:46:03 PM »
McMaster Carr is a great place to deal with. Grainger ,Enco or KBC  also carry shim stock. I use stainless steel shim with no problems.  Good Luck 26-t
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