Where to buy neoprene felts?

[bort2.0]

I want to try my hand at a piston valve alignment with neoprene "felts." Where can I get some? This is for my Martin Eb.

Thanks!

[Worth]

If you know your size requirements, this person may be a help

https://www.ebay.com/itm/113211499084

or at JL Smith @
https://www.jlsmithco.com/shop/?s=valve+washer
I've gotten some from them in the past after Bloke stopped selling them or
maybe since you guys go back a ways together he can hook you up

[bloke]

I'm selling them for more, because the time ended up being over a half hour from original inquiry to dropping them in the mail...oh yeah, and post-2020 hyperinflation.

Also, I'm now requiring people to report the thicknesses they're needing, rather than me looking down through a list.

If they are thick enough, I'm trying to supply a firm and a soft for each of the two applications (under-button and under-cap), but some thicknesses are too thin to be able to do that.

[Yahnay-san]

Harbor Freight O ring assortment, about $5 and maybe a free screwdriver too.

[Sousaswag]

Bort,

I went to my local craft store for my little (POS) Eb, and bought a square of felt about equal to the thickness of the original ones. I cut out tiny circles from the big sheet, poked a hole in it, and had quiet valves. Well, relatively quiet, anyway. All for about 99 cents and 30 minutes. If you’re not looking to spend a lot of money, try that!

[YorkNumber3.0]

.

[bloke]

Most thicknesses are some sort of metric thickness: either an even or plus-half millimeter size.

American ones are often 1/8 inch (aka 3mm), with some of them being a bit less (3/32 - roughly 2.5mm) on the same instrument for the other application.

I don’t like making videos, I don’t like editing them, and I don’t like hearing my voice or seeing my face on them, but someone needs to make a video about measuring pistons in their casings to determine the correct washer thickness for their instrument. Required are a hook tool - with a sliding stop, and calipers. Some people forget to look up (measure) inside the valve caps to see if the inside surface butts up against the top of the casing, or whether it sits above the top of the casing - when screwed all the way down. Even with careful measuring, it’s still a good idea to get a visual inspection on one of the valves as a failsafe.

I’ll supply a set for forty-something bucks and postage someone will supply me with under cap and under button thicknesses. Even sorting them out, wrapping them up, labeling them, writing an invoice, collecting the funds, depositing the funds, putting washers in an envelope, addressing and stamping the envelope uses up - as expressed immediately above – considerable (otherwise) shop time. Having these things cut to specific thicknesses out of various hardnesses of air impregnated rubber costs a lot more per washer than felt washers, but the washers themselves are not the most expensive part of this proposition.
A workaround is to buy the 1/8 inch thick Besson washers and shim them to whatever thickness is needed, but with some of the European and American washers being thinner than an eighth of an inch, some people who are seeking synthetic felts - and wish to do it themselves are SOL, regarding the Besson’s.
My favorite material, frankly, is the Besson material, but again: it’s only available in 1/8 inch thickness.
Moreover, I’m not a bits and pieces seller. I buy bits and pieces in order to get my work done. I will give or sell bits and pieces to other tradesmen who also helped me out with bits and pieces, but I really don’t find it convenient or profitable to sell bits and pieces retail.
Today, I am mailing off a piece to a professional player (most here know of them) overseas, but that’s a multi-hundreds dollars part…and something that I don’t think I will ever need for repairs, here…and they claim to need it, so it makes sense to mail off that piece to them.

[Doc]

Most thicknesses are some sort of metric thickness: either an even or plus-half millimeter size.

American ones are often 1/8 inch (aka 3mm), with some of them being a bit less (3/32 - roughly 2.5mm) on the same instrument for the other application.

I don’t like making videos, I don’t like editing them, and I don’t like hearing my voice or seeing my face on them, but someone needs to make a video about measuring pistons in their casings to determine the correct washer thickness for their instrument. Required are a hook tool - with a sliding stop, and calipers. Some people forget to look up (measure) inside the valve caps to see if the inside surface butts up against the top of the casing, or whether it sits above the top of the casing - when screwed all the way down. Even with careful measuring, it’s still a good idea to get a visual inspection on one of the valves as a failsafe.

I’ll supply a set for forty-something bucks and postage someone will supply me with under cap and under button thicknesses. Even sorting them out, wrapping them up, labeling them, writing an invoice, collecting the funds, depositing the funds, putting washers in an envelope, addressing and stamping the envelope uses up - as expressed immediately above – considerable (otherwise) shop time. Having these things cut to specific thicknesses out of various hardnesses of air impregnated rubber costs a lot more per washer than felt washers, but the washers themselves are not the most expensive part of this proposition.
A workaround is to buy the 1/8 inch thick Besson washers and shim them to whatever thickness is needed, but with some of the European and American washers being thinner than an eighth of an inch, some people who are seeking synthetic felts - and wish to do it themselves are SOL, regarding the Besson’s.
My favorite material, frankly, is the Besson material, but again: it’s only available in 1/8 inch thickness.
Moreover, I’m not a bits and pieces seller. I buy bits and pieces in order to get my work done. I will give or sell bits and pieces to other tradesmen who also helped me out with bits and pieces, but I really don’t find it convenient or profitable to sell bits and pieces retail.
Today, I am mailing off a piece to a professional player (most here know of them) overseas, but that’s a multi-hundreds dollars part…and something that I don’t think I will ever need for repairs, here…and they claim to need it, so it makes sense to mail off that piece to them.

For future reference...

Do you happen to know the size of the felts on the JP 377? Is it the same 1/8" as Besson? I'm not at home with calipers at the moment, and I might forget to ask later.

[bloke]

They look just like the Besson washers (to me).

Most thicknesses are some sort of metric thickness: either an even or plus-half millimeter size.

American ones are often 1/8 inch (aka 3mm), with some of them being a bit less (3/32 - roughly 2.5mm) on the same instrument for the other application.

I don’t like making videos, I don’t like editing them, and I don’t like hearing my voice or seeing my face on them, but someone needs to make a video about measuring pistons in their casings to determine the correct washer thickness for their instrument. Required are a hook tool - with a sliding stop, and calipers. Some people forget to look up (measure) inside the valve caps to see if the inside surface butts up against the top of the casing, or whether it sits above the top of the casing - when screwed all the way down. Even with careful measuring, it’s still a good idea to get a visual inspection on one of the valves as a failsafe.

I’ll supply a set for forty-something bucks and postage someone will supply me with under cap and under button thicknesses. Even sorting them out, wrapping them up, labeling them, writing an invoice, collecting the funds, depositing the funds, putting washers in an envelope, addressing and stamping the envelope uses up - as expressed immediately above – considerable (otherwise) shop time. Having these things cut to specific thicknesses out of various hardnesses of air impregnated rubber costs a lot more per washer than felt washers, but the washers themselves are not the most expensive part of this proposition.
A workaround is to buy the 1/8 inch thick Besson washers and shim them to whatever thickness is needed, but with some of the European and American washers being thinner than an eighth of an inch, some people who are seeking synthetic felts - and wish to do it themselves are SOL, regarding the Besson’s.
My favorite material, frankly, is the Besson material, but again: it’s only available in 1/8 inch thickness.
Moreover, I’m not a bits and pieces seller. I buy bits and pieces in order to get my work done. I will give or sell bits and pieces to other tradesmen who also helped me out with bits and pieces, but I really don’t find it convenient or profitable to sell bits and pieces retail.
Today, I am mailing off a piece to a professional player (most here know of them) overseas, but that’s a multi-hundreds dollars part…and something that I don’t think I will ever need for repairs, here…and they claim to need it, so it makes sense to mail off that piece to them.

For future reference...

Do you happen to know the size of the felts on the JP 377? Is it the same 1/8" as Besson? I'm not at home with calipers at the moment, and I might forget to ask later.