Washers for Pots etc.

thegummy

Are the washers that go on the pot shaft before the nut only for wood finishes to stop the nut biting in to the wood?

Is there still a benefit of using them on a plastic pickguard?

streethawk

That's the way they come from the factory, so I would say so. Probably distributes the nut tension over a wider, flatter area? Matches the lock washer area underneath the guard. 

But I always try and remember that this is guitar building we're talking about, not aerospace. 

aord43

Also stops your spanner or whatever from scratching the surface.

normula1

And stops the nut scratching the surface as its tightened too.

ICBM

streethawk said:

That's the way they come from the factory, so I would say so.

USA Fenders don't usually.

sixstringsupplies

streethawk said:

That's the way they come from the factory, so I would say so. Probably distributes the nut tension over a wider, flatter area? Matches the lock washer area underneath the guard. 

Spot on.

I spent a few years in the fastener industry and never knew what the point of a washer was until after I had been working in the industry for 5 years! 

Flat washers serve two functions in any application 

1) to evenly distribute tension otherwise the tension is on the bolt once tightened (in our case the pot shaft) 

2) hex nuts need a flat surface to adhere to, otherwise the nut will easily come loose.

Granted, the tension in this application is minimal.

as a bonus, as mentioned above, no one wants the nut to mark the finish in a guitar. If you tighten it enough on a nitro finish im sure you’d get a mini indentation anyway. 

Gagaryn

sixstringsupplies said:

streethawk said:

That's the way they come from the factory, so I would say so. Probably distributes the nut tension over a wider, flatter area? Matches the lock washer area underneath the guard. 

Spot on.

I spent a few years in the fastener industry and never knew what the point of a washer was until after I had been working in the industry for 5 years! 

Flat washers serve two functions in any application 

1) to evenly distribute tension otherwise the tension is on the bolt once tightened (in our case the pot shaft) 

2) hex nuts need a flat surface to adhere to, otherwise the nut will easily come loose.

Granted, the tension in this application is minimal.

as a bonus, as mentioned above, no one wants the nut to mark the finish in a guitar. If you tighten it enough on a nitro finish im sure you’d get a mini indentation anyway. 

You'd have to have the pot fixed in a strange way to put the shaft under tension.

sixstringsupplies

Gagaryn said:

sixstringsupplies said:

streethawk said:

That's the way they come from the factory, so I would say so. Probably distributes the nut tension over a wider, flatter area? Matches the lock washer area underneath the guard. 

Spot on.

I spent a few years in the fastener industry and never knew what the point of a washer was until after I had been working in the industry for 5 years! 

Flat washers serve two functions in any application 

1) to evenly distribute tension otherwise the tension is on the bolt once tightened (in our case the pot shaft) 

2) hex nuts need a flat surface to adhere to, otherwise the nut will easily come loose.

Granted, the tension in this application is minimal.

as a bonus, as mentioned above, no one wants the nut to mark the finish in a guitar. If you tighten it enough on a nitro finish im sure you’d get a mini indentation anyway. 

You'd have to have the pot fixed in a strange way to put the shaft under tension.

Yes of course - it wouldn’t matter on a guitar. Was just explaining what a washer does in general

thegummy

ICBM said:

streethawk said:

That's the way they come from the factory, so I would say so.

USA Fenders don't usually.

See I couldn't be sure I remembered correctly but I don't think mine did.

Is a nut more likely to scratch plastic than a washer?

ICBM

thegummy said:

Is a nut more likely to scratch plastic than a washer?

Yes, although the scratch will be hidden by the nut.

But on a USA Fender, it won't anyway because they leave the protective clear layer on the pickguard when they assemble the guitar.

So you then have to remove the knobs and loosen the pots to get it off without leaving torn fragments under the knobs, where they make an irritating rustling noise when you turn them .

Gagaryn

Even more annoyingly they leave the blue plastic film on the latches of G&G cases when they rivet them on meaning you are always left with scraps of blue plastic.

thegummy

I can remember when I was a kid and didn't know it was safe to take the guitar apart, I just lived with remnants of film under screws and switches etc. Lol

What about the kind of spikey washers for the other side, what are those used for?

mrkb

Third function of a washer is to allow for tolerances in holes and bolt sizes to ensure there’s enough clamp area.

spikey washer is to prevent the nut or bolt turning which could reduce the clamp force.

ICBM

thegummy said:

What about the kind of spikey washers for the other side, what are those used for?

The spikey washers - technically called 'shakeproof' or 'grip' washers - are to stop the pot/jack/whatever turning against the plate and working the nut loose. They're better used on the underside than between the nut and the plate, although you will sometimes see them there instead.

Don't worry about doing the nut up tight enough that the grip washer bites into the pickguard, that's what it's meant to do.