Broke "roll pin" on Delta Mortiser -- now what?

[davidtu]

The roll pin is the little rolled cylinder of metal (basically a hollow cotter pin in effect) that holds the handle to the machine.

I can order from Delta for not too much money, but the shipping time for the only reasonable option will take up to 10 days--plus handling time... that puts me out of commission for almost 2 weeks (worst case).

Other choice is to get a replacement from a local hardware store (assuming I can find something).

My concern w/ the non-Delta specific part is that perhaps this pin was designed to break at a specific tension or stress (which I must have provided!), and an off the shelf replacement might allow too much stress to transfer before breaking possibly harming the machine or chisel.

Or am I over-thinking this and pretty much any hollow pin I stick in there will break way before I damage anything?

Thanks!

[LarryG]

Just get a rolled pin of the proper diameter and slap it in there; any decent hardware store should have them. You might also find them in those drawers full of hard-to-find hardware at HD/Lowe's (in the Fasteners aisle).

I can't think of any reason why the original pin would have been designed to shear under a certain maximum load. A "generic" replacement should be fine.

[LCHIEN]

I think pretty much your local hardware store should have roll pins available.

I very much doubt it,s a shear pin which is designed as a mechanical fuse to break at a certain stress load.

Go to www.deltawoodworking.com, follow to the user manuals (I think you get redirected to a dewalt-named site, register and you can download any delta user manuals. Look atht he parts list, if it calls out a roll pin, you're OK.

[bigsteel15]

If you have troubles finding one, there should be a B&D/Delta/PC service outlet in Seattle.

[davidtu]

I've made matters worse.... arrrrgh!

Went to the hardware store, got what looked like the same exact sized pin (don't have a caliper will get one now!) Delta calls it a roll pin. The H/W store's box was called Tension Pin.

I tried to drive the pin in and it went about halfway thru the Hub Assembly (basically the axel that the handle turns on). It doesn't seem to want to go further. In trying to convince it, I've also deformed the other end, so I am thinking it isn't going more.

I am assuming the pin should require some force, but not this much to get it in--right? Sounds like I got the wrong size? OR is this somehow related to it being a "Tension" pin and it is less willing to compress itself into the hole as a result?

Here are some pics for ya.... what should I do? If you say take it back out tell me how please... I drilled the original and pulled it with pliers.

In the pics, the comparison of pins is the original broken / somewhat deformed one on the left and a 2nd pin that should match the one I used (tho I used one of shorter length).

[LCHIEN]

off the subject, calipers are cheap and drill gauges even cheaper, there's no reason not to have both.

I've never actally heard of a stepped pin, but your photo the original on the left looks stepped...?

If you drilled the original partially out you could have left a step... You should drive roll pins out with a pin punch (or a smaller nail with the point flattened) of smaller diameter than the roll pin, not drill them out.

If you grab the new roll pin with pliers and close the gap it should come out unless you really jammed it in.

A roll pin should go in with gentle taps from a ball pein hammer.
The spring tension should be to hold it in place.
Size is important - are there metric and english roll pins? I'm not sure.

[davidtu]

The original is not stepped, it just looks that way because it deformed when it broke.

I hope I didn't leave a step when I drilled it out. Note that I didn't drill it out all the way, I guess I just took the walls of the original pin down a bit making them easier to pull out with a plier. (Thanks for the info on the pin punch, didn't occur to me that I could use one on a hollow rolled pin... good to know... of course I don't have one either.)

Sounds like its the wrong size and I should try to drive it out again w/ a pin punch, once I get one.

Thanks.

[mpc]

A small fine-threaded machine screw, a nail with the point cut off, etc. can make a suitable pin-punch for removing half-inserted pins like that.

They should not require Herculean force to insert either. I often just clamp parts with my vise to drive pins like that. To drive one out with a vise, use a piece of scrap wood with a small hole drilled through it for the pin to go into; that's gentler on the rest of the parts than beating on the pin with a hammer. Big pliers, like Channel-locks, can substitute for a vise too.

mpc

[sneezer17301]

the roll pin is metric, as is everything else on the mortiser. a 3/16" roll pin is about 10 thousandths too big. a 1/4" roll pin would be about 15 thousandths too big. Get one from MSC.

[LCHIEN]

the roll pin is metric, as is everything else on the mortiser. a 3/16" roll pin is about 10 thousandths too big. a 1/4" roll pin would be about 15 thousandths too big. Get one from MSC.

There you go.
You'll need to look in the metric hardware drawers at your lowes or HD.
Like I said, calipers can be invaluable.
The parts list should also say what size it is.

[just4funsies]

Just hammer a nail in and break it off...

[davidtu]

the roll pin is metric, as is everything else on the mortiser. a 3/16" roll pin is about 10 thousandths too big. a 1/4" roll pin would be about 15 thousandths too big. Get one from MSC.

What is MSC?

Thanks for the info!

[davidtu]

If anyone has a Delta mortiser, wondering if you can do a caliper measurement on that pin? I think it sticks out of the joint.

YES I am going to get a caliper, but even HF takes time!!

[LCHIEN]

What is MSC?

Thanks for the info!

Master specialties corp,
an industrial supply company.

www.mscdirect.com

but shipping will probably kill you for one roll pin.
also www.use-enco.com
and www.grainger.com
are similar companies.

What's the fractional inch measure of the one you bought that's too big?
One thing about metric hardware designers, they almost always use whole mm sizes (or sometimes to 0.5 mm if small)
so if the pin you got is 1/8" and its a little too big,
and its a given that Delta uses metric throughout your product, then its a cinch that the pin is 3.0 mm (.118" dia which is .007" less than 1/8).
I know for a fact that standard metric drill sizes are in whole mm, so roll pins would be made to fit the standard holes.

[davidtu]

Good suggestion Loring! I can probably deduce the metric as you say... of course I could also get a caliper tomorrow.... in any case, HD didn't have metric.

Now, the pin does require some work to get started, since it has to compress to get in, right? I should use a ball pein hammer, and it should go in pretty easily? Or does it take a pretty good whack to get it started?

(I may be gunshy now... had a hard time getting that one out... I won't even tell the whole embarrassing story... well, because it's embarrassing. Let's me put it this way: there is a children's rhyme that starts "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly..." Let's just say I got as far as swallowing a dog before the whole mess came up and out!)