Connecting Pins - Need help on first build

[Brianh526]

Hi - I need to link these 2 parts.  What is the best way to cap both ends of the wire to create a pin that will not fall out?

 

Brian

[rhephner]

I'm no expert so take this with a grain of salt. I would be tempted to try to put a bit of solder on each end of the wire. The tricky part would be doing that without the white metal melting. Maybe a soldering iron vs. a torch would give you the control you need.

[reklein]

I'd use a fine brass pin with a head already formed on one end. Insert the pin and then flatten the other end by squeezing it in a hefty pair of pliers till it flattens a little. Then orient the part so the flat side is out of sight if possible. Good luck.

[RussR]

I would like to know as well.  Because I was trying to flat'n a brass nail in a hinge recently and when the nail turned slightly in the pliers and ended up crushing the hinge. 

I ended up not doing anything and let gravity do the work.

[Brianh526]

Good suggestion Bill.  I'll try it and let you know how it works.

[Maury S]

I use "Amnesia" black monofilament (fishing) line.  It comes in at least 4 thicknesses (15, 20, 25 and 30 pound test).  I gently touch one end to a heat source (Heat gun or soldering iron) flattening it a bit, insert, clip off leaving about 1/16" + and touch it with the heat source.  It's like rivets or bolts on both ends.  Takes some practice.

Maury

[kurtvd19]

16 minutes ago, RussR said:

Because I was trying to flat'n a brass nail in a hinge recently and when the nail turned slightly in the pliers and ended up crushing the hinge. 

The brass pin needs to be annealed before trying to flatten the end.  Once it's annealed it is easy to flatten.

 

[Brianh526]

I tried a variation of Bill's suggestion and flattened both ends of the brass wire (used nail set and hammer).  I then folded down the flattened pieces.  

 

Maury - I'm going to try the monofilament as well.  That sounds easier.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Brian

[Roger Pellett]

If you take a piece of brass wire and carefully heat it with a torch until it melts , it will form a ball on the heated end.

[BETAQDAVE]

   

On 6/1/2020 at 10:10 PM, Roger Pellett said:

If you take a piece of brass wire and carefully heat it with a torch until it melts , it will form a ball on the heated end.

    And hopefully the brass wire will melt before your fitting does.  The "Amnesia" black monofilament (fishing) line method sounds safer to me since it has a much lower melting point and doesn't need to be blackened.  

[Maury S]

If you choose to use the monofilament line, practice on making the end flat (with an iron of some sort).  It will melt and create silk-like strings if not careful.  I use a torch to heat a flat steel punch and and then press the flat end against the end of the line.  No risk of melting your fitting!

Maury

 

[druxey]

Well, the easiest way, if you don't have a suitable brass pin, is to take a short length of brass rod of the diameter you need. Place it vertically in the vise and tap the end to slightly mushroom it. Slide the rod into place and use a flush cutter to cut the end off just proud of the other side of the assembly. Place this, mushroom side down, on an anvil or hard surface and tap the cut end to mushroom it as well. 

[wefalck]

Perhaps one could/should look also how such connection would have been done in real life. I gather this is a pump(-spill) related connection rod and cross-head ? Then the bolt with a cylindrical or semi-circular head would be either threaded at the other end and a sequence of a washer, a nut and a locking-nut would be screwed on, or, more commonly, the bolt would have a square slot; a washer would be put on and then a metal wedge would be inserted. Hexagonal nuts are easy to file from either thick-walled tube or drilled-out round brass rod. Washers can be produced with a hollow punch from styrene sheet or paper/cardboard. A wedge can be simulated by a tiny piece of styrene sheet. For the bolt I would use a brass or copper pin, but give it a more defined shape in an electrical drill.

 

BTW, I would also file away the flash from the cast white-metal parts and straighten them a bit.