knowschad Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 I'm betting that somebody here has kept a list of the sizes of replacement O-rings for the various types of cache containers that require them (bison tubes, matchstick containers, nanos, maybe drugstore pill containers), and even better, has found the best place to order them online. They used to cost pennies at the old-style hardware stores, but they are all coming pre-packaged now and way too expensive. Quote Link to comment
+NanCycle Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 For a matchstick holder I used 15/16" ID 1-1/16" OD 1/16" Wall For a pill fob (the larger size that Harbor Freight Tools sells) I used 11/16" ID I don't consider the little packets I bought at Lowe's too expensive--how many do you need to buy?? Quote Link to comment
+Davequal Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Most Auto parts stores still have that grey box full of them in the back, last one was given to me. Quote Link to comment
+The Jester Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 I've been buying mine locally for about 39 cents each. For the bison tube a #6, for the aqua-lung a #28. Quote Link to comment
+msrubble Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Like DoubleBent, for the larger pill fob, I use 11/16" ID. They're 7/8" OD, 3/32" wall thickness. I got a pack of 4 in the plumbing section at Fleet Farm, and I don't think they were expensive. Quote Link to comment
+wiseye Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Try a TRU-Value Hardware store or ACE...they have the big open display boxes...then try them on your various containers. Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted September 25, 2011 Author Share Posted September 25, 2011 Try a TRU-Value Hardware store or ACE...they have the big open display boxes...then try them on your various containers. Those are the "old-fashioned hardware stores" that I was referring to. Used to be (not that long ago) they would just be bulk-stocked in a bin and cost pennies. Last time I bought some, they were like a quarter apiece. Quote Link to comment
Mr.Yuck Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Try a TRU-Value Hardware store or ACE...they have the big open display boxes...then try them on your various containers. Those are the "old-fashioned hardware stores" that I was referring to. Used to be (not that long ago) they would just be bulk-stocked in a bin and cost pennies. Last time I bought some, they were like a quarter apiece. Yeah, we have a regional chain with about 40 locations in NW Pa. and Central and Western NY where you can get them in bins, but that won't help most of the people reading this. Good information though. Most have called out O-Rings the correct way they are specified; I.D. and Diameter (although calling diameter "thickness" isn't technically wrong I suppose). Quote Link to comment
AZcachemeister Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 O-rings are correctly 'called out' by their DASH number. E.g. -256 O-ring dimensional charts Quote Link to comment
+Ltljon Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 How about 382 in 30 sizes for 8 bucks? O-rings Quote Link to comment
Mr.Yuck Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 O-rings are correctly 'called out' by their DASH number. E.g. -256 O-ring dimensional charts Well yeah, that too. Just don't use the wrong size. Quote Link to comment
AZcachemeister Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 And almost as importantly, don't use the wrong material (elastomer) ! In the linked chart, you will note that Buna-n rates 'marginal' for sunlight exposure and ozone exposure/weathering. O-ring materials chart Quote Link to comment
Suscrofa Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 O-rings are correctly 'called out' by their DASH number. E.g. -256 O-ring dimensional charts Well yeah, that too. Just don't use the wrong size. Standard O-rings are given as ID x Chord diam in mm that is 40x3 is 40mm inside diam 3mm chord diam, so OD is 46mm. True some old standards still exist in the US, based on archaic measures likes inch, fraction, decimal, gage etc... but dying fast with the companies using them. Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted September 26, 2011 Author Share Posted September 26, 2011 So, nobody has cataloged a comprehensive list of sizes? I'm surprised. I half expected to see a full spreadsheet posted within the first 1/2 hour. Quote Link to comment
Suscrofa Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 (edited) So, nobody has cataloged a comprehensive list of sizes? I'm surprised. I half expected to see a full spreadsheet posted within the first 1/2 hour. You welcome ! Anyway, there are so many different sizes that in case you don't find the right one, just buy a larger one having the same chord diam. and make your own O-ring with a cutter or razor blade and cyanoacrylate Super glue ! For this type of low tech application, it does the job. O ring sellers market O ring splicing kit to do that. BTW, O ring is one of the most sophisticated while one of the simplest item used in technology. So vital that during WWII, the US govt refused to pay royalties to one of its inventor (it had been invented before but not well understood and did not catch up). Edited September 26, 2011 by Suscrofa Quote Link to comment
+A & J Tooling Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 I carry about 80 different sizes to fix any old o-rings I come across. I've used about 30 different sizes so far. Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 I've been buying mine locally for about 39 cents each. For the bison tube a #6, for the aqua-lung a #28. I picked up some #16's today to replace the gaskets on some matchstick containers. Got them at Menard's (a midwest competitor to Lowe's and Home Depot)... for $0.59 apiece. I am not out of touch with the fact that everything costs more, but these things used to be mere pennies. I mean, like five or dime, and I don't think it was all that long ago. Considering that the matchstick safes themselves sell for less than a buck, I think that is pretty darned high! Quote Link to comment
+Johnny And Jewels Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I've been buying mine locally for about 39 cents each. For the bison tube a #6, for the aqua-lung a #28. I picked up some #16's today to replace the gaskets on some matchstick containers. Got them at Menard's (a midwest competitor to Lowe's and Home Depot)... for $0.59 apiece. I am not out of touch with the fact that everything costs more, but these things used to be mere pennies. I mean, like five or dime, and I don't think it was all that long ago. Considering that the matchstick safes themselves sell for less than a buck, I think that is pretty darned high! save big money at Menards! Quote Link to comment
+Team Dennis Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 I've been buying mine locally for about 39 cents each. For the bison tube a #6, for the aqua-lung a #28. I picked up some #16's today to replace the gaskets on some matchstick containers. Got them at Menard's (a midwest competitor to Lowe's and Home Depot)... for $0.59 apiece. I am not out of touch with the fact that everything costs more, but these things used to be mere pennies. I mean, like five or dime, and I don't think it was all that long ago. Considering that the matchstick safes themselves sell for less than a buck, I think that is pretty darned high! I grabbed a 10 pack of #17's at Lowes last night for $2.27. For whatever reason they seemed to fit better than the #16's they had there. Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 I've been buying mine locally for about 39 cents each. For the bison tube a #6, for the aqua-lung a #28. I picked up some #16's today to replace the gaskets on some matchstick containers. Got them at Menard's (a midwest competitor to Lowe's and Home Depot)... for $0.59 apiece. I am not out of touch with the fact that everything costs more, but these things used to be mere pennies. I mean, like five or dime, and I don't think it was all that long ago. Considering that the matchstick safes themselves sell for less than a buck, I think that is pretty darned high! I grabbed a 10 pack of #17's at Lowes last night for $2.27. For whatever reason they seemed to fit better than the #16's they had there. Funny you should say that. I checked at Lowe's yesterday and was going to update this thread. That is considerably cheaper than the Save Big Money place, with the bonus that I don't have to listen to that danged stupid jingle of theirs! Quote Link to comment
+A & J Tooling Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 (edited) If you happen to be able to catch any local auctions when a machine shop goes out of business, you can usually pick up a ton of 'extras' in the maintenance departments. So you can find a few thousand o-rings and other stuff. Sell the other stuff in a garage sale and keep the o-rings. I think I have a few thousand o-rings that, so far, have fit every cache I've come across that needed an o-ring. Cheap too. I think my total cost other then going to pick them up was $6.12. Edited November 4, 2011 by A & J Tooling Quote Link to comment
+kwcahart Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 I buy mine in "kits". Most hareware stores have "kits" with ten or so different sizes. This is the best way to buy them in my opinion. Quote Link to comment
+kwcahart Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) Oops. Edited November 5, 2011 by kwhart Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 I use rubber washers, not o-rings in matchstick containers. We pick up replacements (for the crappy originals) out of a lift box at the hardware store. Two micro drops of super glue (or similar) keeps the washer in place. Most problems we see in matchstick containers is missing washers and/or incorrectly replacing it with an o-ring. Matchstick containers have a "base" to set the washer onto, unlike a bison tubes "collar" for an o-ring. Pressure (tightening the lid) makes the course plastic threads bite into the o-ring, causing it to eventually fail. We've also seen many O-rings that weren't sized correctly (stretched to fit) fail. They aren't made to stretch, but to squash when pressed, filling a gap. Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted November 5, 2011 Author Share Posted November 5, 2011 I use rubber washers, not o-rings in matchstick containers. We pick up replacements (for the crappy originals) out of a lift box at the hardware store. Two micro drops of super glue (or similar) keeps the washer in place. Most problems we see in matchstick containers is missing washers and/or incorrectly replacing it with an o-ring. Matchstick containers have a "base" to set the washer onto, unlike a bison tubes "collar" for an o-ring. Pressure (tightening the lid) makes the course plastic threads bite into the o-ring, causing it to eventually fail. We've also seen many O-rings that weren't sized correctly (stretched to fit) fail. They aren't made to stretch, but to squash when pressed, filling a gap. Great point! I never thought to look for rubber washers, or to cement them in place. Thanks for the tips! PS: How much do you pay for the washers? Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Great point! I never thought to look for rubber washers, or to cement them in place. Thanks for the tips! PS: How much do you pay for the washers? Last month we had some "project time" and they were .13 each. Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 As a side note, I've also seen many o-rings that "fit", but with walls way too thick for bisons and similar. When tightened, these things roll out-of-the-way and off the threading and are usually found "somewhere" on the bison instead of where intended. Take the piece left (or a good one if you have it handy) to the hardware store and match the wall thickness too. Most of the o-ring sets at home centers are for plumbing and usually too thick for what we need 'em for. Quote Link to comment
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