How to Hold and Bore Out Thin Shims 

This has GOT TO BE the most useful channel I have subscribed to as far as learning more about what I love!

Looking at all of your videos, I'd say you are teaching us how to think, not just how to machine. Thanks!

Even if I never use this trick the way you work up methods like this aids us all to think outside the box and approach things in a different manner. Another superb video.

Another master class from a master at his craft. Thanks Joe

Joe, that's a brilliant method for boring extremely thin shims. Your methods are mind-ticklers. Thanks for sharing.

This is a fantastic example of thinking outside of the box. Thumbs up!

Clever workholding is the difference between making a profit and losing your ass on a job. Another "hell yes I'm gonna use that" page in the book of Joe Pi tricks. Thanks, mate!

This is just what I needed. I have to make some thin shims. It's like you knew what I needed in my life.

WOW Real nice procedure. I wouldn't have thought of that one. You are a wealth of machining knowledge. Very nice of you to share this with all of us. Thank you. Dan

Great demonstration video. Love your teaching style, Joe Pie!

Fantastic Joe... Thank you for your teaching. I am a retired scientific glassblower and I am now learning proper techniques of using an engineering lathe... Thank you for your marvellous videos.

As always I am so grateful that you do these videos. Clear, concise, to the point and “full on” educational. Thank you, thank you and thank you...... Please keep making these videos.

I wouldn't have even tried that till you showed us how. I love your videos Joe, and I love how willing you are to share your skills, experience, and expert techniques. Thank You!

In the first part of the video I was wondering and trying to work out how you were going to do it. Really impressed with the lateral thinking and superb end result.

Awesome technique and video Joe! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!

Ingenious, as always. Thanks for taking the time and effort to pass on all of your tips and tricks.

I've decided. You're not an engineer, you're a magician. Thank you very much.

brilliant as always ,I see you used a small bit to cut down on the forces applied to the part and went in slowly to cut down on warping ,now that's outstanding work and out of the box thinking that we all need to see and understand thanks for taking the time to show us.

Your are the master of crafty machining

I always learn something great from your videos.

Old video, Timeless, Flawless information ! Absolute pleasure to watch a Master work at his craft. Joe Pie, you Sir, are appreciated more than you know ! Thank You !

This technique pretty much blew my mind. Hopefully I'll remember it when I need it.

Cool. Another solution to a problem I don't yet have! I know that I will use this somewhere in the future. Thanks for the great demo.

Another ceative work holding solution. I appreciate how accessible your techniques are to the hobby machinist.

It’s an honor to watch a Master at work. Thanks for another great lesson.

Elliot Lake Ontario Canada. Nice method Joe only wish I had found this sooner. Enjoyed watching it all come together thanks for sharing.

To the guy an old guy can still learn a lot. Enjoyed as always.

Hi Joe, good tip. I love all these tips, some I have used, some in the future. I think this is what makes one machinist stand out from another, the ability to come up with a great idea, and share it! Thanks!!

Always a cool approach to a difficult task! Thank's for taking the time to film and share this stuff, Joe!

Absolutely fantastic demonstration. I love these videos showing how to deal with situations that may not often be encountered. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and ingenuity. Cheers!

Joe's one of the few utube machining gods.

Joe , your the true meaning of. If you can't fix it well then it isn't broke. Your a true master at your trade. Love your videos and you always leave us thinking.

I must be getting to know you Joe. Every mental question that I was asking was answered by you a few seconds later. Another great technique. Thanks.

I've used a similar process for making OS engine gaskets except I ran them on my CNC mill. This was a great job Joe, my hat's off to you sir. Fine work.

Thanks Joe! You are truly the Master of work holding.

You're making smarter Machinists out of all of us, and thank you for sharing your ideas, tips, and tricks. This is one of the most valuable channels on RU-vid

Thanks Joe for sharing these tips and for having you here on youtube!

Joe, I really enjoy your videos. More importantly your ideas are just outstanding, including this one! Thanks for the information. Just a note, I have switched to a left handed threading tool, mounted it up side down, reversed the direction of spin on the lathe, and run my threading from left to right. Another great idea I picked up from your video. Thanks!

thx joe ur wealth of knowlage is amazing, thank you for making it easy for a simpleton like me

I imagined an arbor similar to yours but made from square stock with holes drilled and tapped in the corners using bolts to draw it together. After seeing your trick, I think your method is faster with much higher clamping force. Thank you for all of the awesome education you bring us Joe.

Joe- Elegant solution to an interesting problem, as we have come to expect from you. Many, many thanks for sharing your knowledge. Bill

Thank you. I keep having to purchase what's not exactly the I.D. and/or O.D. that I want from McMaster. Now I can make the right size in house. Thank you again. And I guess I got to say thank you RU-vid for making it possible for me to learn from this master and many others that I have watched on RU-vid. Thank you all...

once again a masterful display by the master . love your video's Joe . :)

Just used this trick for some pinion shims for an odd ball axle. Worked great. Thanks a million Joe.

one word comes to mind, RESPECT !

Great idea. Will definitely try it next time I need some thin shims.

I wish we could leave multiple "thumbs up" for your videos... just clicking it once doesnt feel adequate. Thanks again for sharing this knowledge and techniques!

Fantastic Tip Joe !!! You are the MAN !!!!!

once again, it is knowing the tricks! Learned something new again. Thanks joe!

Well now. A genuinely elegant and relatively simple setup that clearly works. My own background as a git-er-dun truck mechanic in a general duty repair shop absolutely does not require the same degree of precision as a machinist automatically thinks in,based on his training and approach . My own thought would have been to walk over to the bench with all our soldering doodads,actually tin with 95/5,then probably 30/70 on top for better strength. Solder the parts together with our old kerosene blowtorch,solder properly applied has great holding force,cut the now cylinder to appropriate diameters,then unsolder and so what the washers are a little thicker,the tin etc will help hold a nut from vibration. Now that will NOT work on aluminum tinfoil,but sheets of different thicknesses are generally available from truck brake supply houses so unless aluminum is a known requirement,doneskis. Shim stock is incredibly useful in a whole host of applications,so various remainders are sorted through to choose from. Yours is I think a better approach,no major heat and may very well take less time than my approach. No doubt there are other ways to the same end product,precision tools like a lathe are a luxury in my world but possibly one of the old brake drum lathes could be adapted. Whatever works. Cheers.

Hey Joe, I'm a Harley mechanic/engine buulder, went to vocational high school for machine shop, so I know enough to be dangerous! I've watched a bunch of your videos and have been impressed, but this one was over the top. Even made me subscribe, and I never subscribe to channels. Thank you so much for sharing your time and knowledge.

Greetings from New Zealand, I live where they grow all the Kiwi fruit, I think you call them "kiwi's. I have found ALL your video's helpful and professionally presented. Shalom.

Another inspired trick Joe - to add to the list of great stuff you have shown us - if only I can remember it all!

Thanks for sharing your immense practical knowledge so profusely it is extremely useful

Great video Joe, thx! I've faced this problem many times in my career rebuilding and adjusting hydrostatic drives and other hydraulic components. Very useful information.

Simple and highly functional. Nice tip, as per the usual.

Perfect work as usual. I love to see your tips and tricks. I really appreciate that you share these tricks. Keep up the great work!

Solves a problem I had. Thanks, John

I have successfully made G-10 spacers with the method you have shown. These spacers are .010, plus 0.0, minus .001 thick. When parting off the ID shreds, so I added .100 to the ID. Made the arbor identically and used poster board for clutch material. 100% perfection, Thank you so much!!!!

Great video Joe, thank you for making and sharing this.

Great tip Joe just What I needed

Feel sorry for the poor SOB that downvoted this. Thanks Joe

Joe, once again. Just pretty darn neat.

Great trick! Just used it for another job that needed very specific sized washers. Thanks for the lesson!!

Thanks for posting. This is a very clever way to hold shims!

BRILLIANT! Very nicely done and thanks for sharing!

Dang Joe, that was Awesome! Great idea. Just learned another trick. THANKS!

Super useful lesson, once again thank you.

These tricks you teach are invaluable, I've learned basic machining from other youtube vids, but have found your vids just in time. I was beginning to get discouraged ,as I would run into problems, this for one, in real life. So far I have found no substitute for your wisdom. In the past, in my former career, I was able to think "out of the box" and it served me well. I need to apply that way of thinking to my newer endeavor as my comfort level in my skills increase. Thanks Teach from your most recent Subscriber Saul Blade

Still prowling around. Great tips my friend. Never been faced with this but this is certainly one I will remember. Thanks eh !

HI Joe- great hints for tough jobs as usual . thanks

I find your topics really helpful. Very useful. I am from Johannesburg South Africa.

Excellent tip, Thanks for sharing Joe

You really come up with some brilliant ideas

Absolutely an amazing tip you just have demonstrated Sir! I aplaud your teaching skills, your knowledge and your emeritous camera taking skills!!! Thank you for posting.

Excellent trick, Joe, thank you.

What a great tip. Thanks Joe!

Joe Ur a great amazing piece of a Mastermind! awesome job. U will give a very good mentor for all of us keep it Up!!!

So so simple and yet so so clever. Thanks Joe. I've learnt some great stuff on your channel.

Great method, I probably would never have thought of it.

Always amazed. You are a genius.

Cool trick! We normally stack up shims and wire cut them . I like this idea better for small shims.

Hi Joe, on one of your earlier videos I just watched you asked those who comment to let you know where we are from. I am from the State of Queensland in Australia. Machining is a hobby. (I have completed a lathe course part-time - two evening a week over two years, as well as other mechanical oriented courses to enable me to get the most out of my gear. So I find your topics really helpful. You also asked if you should include the mathematical calculations behind the techniques you are showing. For me, yes please. The mathematics adds to the richness of the topic and for me (as I once worked in calculations and computing) I can more quickly see where you are going on the topic. Very pleased I found your channel. Thankyou (Your firm does some very interesting and highly technical quality work).

Very nice, why didnt I think of that. Joe you have a very mechanical mind

Awesome technique i already used the pressure turning to make shims which worked brilliantly love the videos keep them coming

Great stuff as always Joe, thanks!

I have no metalworking capabilities or tools whatsoever, but anyway: this is brilliant!

Great technique. Thanks for sharing.

"I think I got lucky" lol The more you practice, the luckier you get. Great technique. Thanks

very good joe ....love all your videos .....and do not get rid of your little hammer you used for pin ,its great for gasket making ..keep up the great work joe.

I learn a so much from your videos and really enjoy watching them, thank you.

you said “got lucky”...I say got GOOD...enjoyed, thanks for sharing

Thank youuuu sir ❤️. You are a benefit of globalization. If teletransportation was able, I would definilitely come to your shop with my stuff for the grill, fix your (and of course all workers) lunch, sweep your floor and leave. Thanks again!

Excellent Joe, as usual, you aced it again. Thank you for sharing and teaching.

Sweet. I learn something good/useful every day. Thank you Joe.

That was an amazing demonstration of tlhinking outside the box, thanks for the video!.

I like this tecnic very much thanks

I like that idea! I need to make thin spacers and have turned down washer o.d. by bolting them together and chucking up the bolt. Now, thanks to you, I know how to increase the i.d. Thanks!

Sorry, I did see your first video, turning the shims.... good video....thanks

Shim material... $0.01 Jig material.... $2.00 Dowell pin.... $0.25 Experience..... Priceless... ;)