[Test-Equipment] 3/8" Potentiometer/Switch Dress/Trim Washers

[Steve]

At 04:08 PM 4/19/2021, Barry wrote:
>Anyone know where I could get a few "trim" or "dress" washers for a 
>switch or potentiometer with a 3/8" thread?  I can't seem to find 
>them sold separately and don't want to buy sets of nuts, 
>lockwashers, and washers.  These seem to have gotten hard to find...

Nope; available by the onesies, or thousands, from Antique 
Electronics. Here is both a nut and washer (albeit you pays through 
the nose at 70 CENTS per pair, plus shipping): 
https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/nut-washer-panel-38-potentiometers 
Here is the nut, alone, for 35 CENTS each: 
https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/nut-cts-38-32-nickel-450-series-potentiometers 
... and a package of 12 for (gasp!!) $4.45: 
https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/nut-cts-38-32-nickel-450-series-potentiometers 
And finally, here's the Holy Grail, a package of 10 washers for just 
$1.25: 
https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/washer-cts-flat-potentiometers 
(Of course, they wouldn't sell you just ONE washer... that just 
wouldn't be economical, would it??  8-)

Whenever old-timey hardware like this is needed, always remember to 
check the so-called "antique electronics" dealers. Most of them cater 
to the guitar amp restoration crowd, who seem to think Black Beauty 
capacitors are their Holy Grail even though we radio freaks know 
those Black Beasties are often leaky or shorted, to the capacitor, in 
every 1950's/1960's radio we've ever recapped.

Another decent electronics part emporium is All Electronics, but they 
carry mainly excess surplus inventory like wall warts of every size 
and description plus the odd lot of high quality small power 
transformers (I have to confess that since I've been buying their 
great small power transformers, they seem to have gotten wise and 
raised their prices in an effort to cut back my small quantity buying 
in lots of 3 or 4 each  8-)

Antique Electronics also has old-fashioned solder-type terminal 
strips from one to eight terminals; and even solder lugs for both 
4-40 and 6-32 hardware. And much, much more besides. Check out their 
stock of Hammond and LMB chassis, for example; they're usually priced 
a bit lower than many guys try to sell an old NOS chassis on eham or 
QTH.com or elsewhere... and almost ALWAYS lower than you'll find on 
epay (except for the odd single-lot individual seller). Their chassis 
prices are usually competitive with DigiKey but not always; I 
recently stocked up on some small Hammond chassis from DK in lieu of 
ordering from Antique simply because the price was pennies apart, but 
DK offered much cheaper shipping. Shipping costs is often what makes 
the difference between one vendor or another.

ALL of these places ship very quickly; I usually get my goods within 
2 days, sometimes 3, and when I buy ordinary drill bits, taps, 
screws, washers, etc. from McMaster-Carr, I usually get their schtuff 
overnight. Perhaps that's because they have a depot only 20 miles 
from me here in SoCal, however....

I am not affiliated with any of these dealers, I'm just a 
mostly-satisfied customer. (From time to time, I find certain items 
that were a waste of money; but most is well-worth spending my 
allowance on  8-D  )

SteveH K0XP