Small project

[Stytooner]

I installed all the door and windo hardware in a hospital here a while back. Some of the hardware did come with their own tools.
The spanner that came with this was likely just stamped steel. The pin was likely filed round but still part of the stamp.
Shoot me a cad drawing and I can whip you out a quicky in some scrap steel on my mill.

[mpc]

I'd just find a screw or metal rod that snugly fits into the locking nut pin-hole... something about 2 or 3 inches long. Stuff it in there and then beat sideways on the free end with a hammer.

I tend to not do things the "graceful" way with a properly fitting spanner wrench...

I'll bet there is supposed to be a rubber gasket/washer between the handle and door. This allows tight compression without deforming the door and it'll act like a lock washer on the nut, holding it in place. If you've ever opened up a car door and looked at how the window is attached to the regulator mechanism (the stuff that raises/lowers the window) you'll see similar "pads" on the mounting bolts/rivets.

If was feeling particularly mean to the landlords I might also loosen the locking nut to the point where things are about to fall off... then slop in some 2-part epoxy and re-tighten it. If the landlords won't come and fix it right, make it last right through whatever future efforts they make to eventually remove/replace the whole door.

mpc

[LCHIEN]

I'd just find a screw or metal rod that snugly fits into the locking nut pin-hole... something about 2 or 3 inches long. Stuff it in there and then beat sideways on the free end with a hammer.

I tend to not do things the "graceful" way with a properly fitting spanner wrench...

I'll bet there is supposed to be a rubber gasket/washer between the handle and door. This allows tight compression without deforming the door and it'll act like a lock washer on the nut, holding it in place. If you've ever opened up a car door and looked at how the window is attached to the regulator mechanism (the stuff that raises/lowers the window) you'll see similar "pads" on the mounting bolts/rivets.

If was feeling particularly mean to the landlords I might also loosen the locking nut to the point where things are about to fall off... then slop in some 2-part epoxy and re-tighten it. If the landlords won't come and fix it right, make it last right through whatever future efforts they make to eventually remove/replace the whole door.

mpc

don't want to mar the handle, also the hole dia. for the pin is a very skinny .10" so it would bend rather than tighten using your technique.
Not a all-glass door (see pics)
I think part of the problem is that the way the handle is angled it puts side load on it, this tends to compress the laminated wood allowing it to work in and out and eventually loosen.
i thought about some loc-tite.

[jackellis]

Loring, I think you're right about something made of metal. Couple of suggestions for your next try:

1) Make the semicircular part of the spanner wider. It appears to be about a half inch. Maybe a one inch wide part would be strong enough.

2) Use a longer pin that's buried deeper into the wood.

[LCHIEN]

Here's version 2.
First pic shows I put a metal brass insert into the arc, the insert goes perpendicular tot he grain so it spreads the load across the width rather than cocnetrating it in the small section of the pin which was parallel to the grain. Also I put a nut in the bottom of the pin socket, this gives more support to the pin.
I also shortened the handle to give less leverage/mechanical advantage.

This time the pin held OK, the mods for that were OK, but, the second photo shows where the wood started to split. Again, confirming that wood is not a good material for tools. I suppose I could, Jack suggested, increase the beam from 1/2" to larger, but the handle would get unweildy and start to get hard to get into the place where it needs to be.

[pelligrini]

What about adding in some cross pins into the wrench driven perpindicular and next to your .10 pin?

Looking at the tearout, there isn't enough material to resist all the force that the .10 pin puts on the wrench. Cross pins on the lower left and upper right should distribute the load through the wrench material more than just having it concentrated in one area.

[pelligrini]

OK, looks like you solved the pin part.

You can laminate some hardboard or the side that would be away from the door slab. Probably could still use the existing cracked wrench, glue on some rough cut tempered hardboard, and use the wrench as a template with a pattern bit in your router table.

[cgallery]

OK, looks like you solved the pin part.

You can laminate some hardboard or the side that would be away from the door slab. Probably could still use the existing cracked wrench, glue on some rough cut tempered hardboard, and use the wrench as a template with a pattern bit in your router table.

I agree. Or even some HPL (High Pressure Laminate) on both sides. In fact, I'd finish the crack (break it), reglue it, laminate it on both sides, and give it a shot.

I also wonder whether, now that the pin issue is worked out, whether BB plywood would work. My concern in suggesting it in the first place was that I didn't think it would hold the pin that well. But maybe with this newer pin mounting technique the BB would be worth a shot.

[LCHIEN]

it's a rather skinny piece, .36" thick dictated by the pin socket location being just .18" from the door face and needing theoretically to be able to both loosen an tighten the nut.

There's not much room to laminate anything to the side and I spent a lot of time (relattively speaking) worrying about the dangers of drilling away too much cross section and weakening the arm.

I suppose I could make two spanners thicker with the pin offset .18" from the working edge and one spanner would to for "on" and the other for "off".

I did put a 1.25" screw through crotch of this thing, perpendicular to the crack, drawing the crack back together, and reinforcing it, and will try one more time next week.

[Charlie R]

http://www.mcmaster.com/#adjustable-...enches/=1m63rc

I use one like "C" pictured in the MacMaster cat link above. The hinge is useful and solid.

[Tom Slick]

Schlage supplies these wrenches for that nut but yours looks much nicer.
http://www.notableweb.net/slocksmith...category=Tools

[SARGE..g-47]

In haste (as usual) I most have miised this thingy. Nice job and nice solution which is a testimonial to field expediency at it's finest.

Sarge..