I just got pair of Starrett #1 - 5-1/2 carbide tipped nippers. They look
like this

http://www.pianorepairtools.com/images/P/WC-S.gif

Go there if you want new ones, I suppose.

The rivet sticks up from the surface on both sides about 1/16" or so and
is completely flat. The ones I got had a rough life and have far more
play than was acceptable due to the wear on the rivet. I ground it out
with a die grinder with a bit of fuss.

The form was as expected, a rivet with a washer-ish side peened over on
the other side with the connecting gap barely visible. They did a nice job
blending it all together. It was not easy to tell which side to grind away
at first. When I saw the gap I tried to break it out with an arbor press,
but that did nothing at all.

The shaft of old rivet was quite worn and had a weird staggered offset to
it. I machined a new one out of 1/2" 1018 round, and got a nice fit to the
jaws. Next step is get the washer side in place and make it look good. My
guess is the washer side should have a real tight fit and a radiused
outside face where you peen the shaft over for a solid fit.

My question is, how do I do this and not bind up the tool? There was no
shoulder or step on the original part to prevent the washer side from
being pressed against the jaw too hard. There were also no antirotation
type patterns like star shapes, cut-outs or anything like that. Was the
washer heat fit by chance? I can get this tool mostly up and running the
ugly way, buy really want to know what they did at the factory.

It's got to be similar magic to the joint in wire cutters of needle nose
pliers. Not really sure how how they get such a precise fit.

The only other part I broke was a screw for one cutter. It's a 6-40 thread
screw with a shoulder. Sort of a screwy item. If I jump in and make one of
those is 1018 ok or is there something better to get for medium+ strength
screws? I've made leaded steel screws and stuff like that, but none really
needed any strength. This screws is available from starrett, but I'm sort
of curious about how to just make it. The original one broke from being
stretched too much. It turned greyish white and the threads popped off.

On Thursday, December 8, 2016 at 2:13:32 PM UTC-8, Cydrome Leader wrote:
I just got pair of Starrett #1 - 5-1/2 carbide tipped nippers. They look
like this

http://www.pianorepairtools.com/images/P/WC-S.gif

Go there if you want new ones, I suppose.

The rivet sticks up from the surface on both sides about 1/16" or so and
is completely flat. The ones I got had a rough life and have far more
play than was acceptable due to the wear on the rivet. I ground it out
with a die grinder with a bit of fuss.

The form was as expected, a rivet with a washer-ish side peened over on
the other side with the connecting gap barely visible. They did a nice job
blending it all together. It was not easy to tell which side to grind away
at first. When I saw the gap I tried to break it out with an arbor press,
but that did nothing at all.

The shaft of old rivet was quite worn and had a weird staggered offset to
it. I machined a new one... [and am ready to peen the end]
My question is, how do I do this and not bind up the tool? There was no
shoulder or step on the original part to prevent the washer side from
being pressed against the jaw too hard.

What if, instead of being a single piece, the main joint pin was two halves, with
a central pin knurled or glued to hold them together? That would limit
the travel as the two halves were pressed into place, and would fit
with all else you describe. There's no huge force spreading that
axle, what matters is mainly the diameter matching the socket holes
in the arms.

That would explain why you find no sign of peening.

On Thu, 8 Dec 2016 22:13:28 +0000 (UTC)
Cydrome Leader wrote:

I just got pair of Starrett #1 - 5-1/2 carbide tipped nippers. They look
like this

http://www.pianorepairtools.com/images/P/WC-S.gif
snip

...My question is, how do I do this and not bind up the tool? There was no
shoulder or step on the original part to prevent the washer side from
being pressed against the jaw too hard. There were also no antirotation
type patterns like star shapes, cut-outs or anything like that. Was the
washer heat fit by chance? I can get this tool mostly up and running the
ugly way, buy really want to know what they did at the factory.

I would have made some threads on the pin and used a thin nut. Probably
hit the nut by the threads in several places with a sharp punch once I
got the tension where I thought it was good. Thin lock nuts are hard
to source...

You may be able to put a thin shim in between the jaw and handle.
Maybe fork shaped. Then just peen over your "rivet". Then pull, work
out the shim and hope there is a bit of play.

snip
The only other part I broke was a screw for one cutter. It's a 6-40 thread
screw with a shoulder. Sort of a screwy item. If I jump in and make one of
those is 1018 ok or is there something better to get for medium+ strength
screws? I've made leaded steel screws and stuff like that, but none really
needed any strength. This screws is available from starrett, but I'm sort
of curious about how to just make it. The original one broke from being
stretched too much. It turned greyish white and the threads popped off.

Usually hex head bolts have a spec, hopefully this link works:

https://www.mcmaster.com/#socket-hea...crews/=15e66lu

Maybe make a custom size washer in place of the shoulder?

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

"Leon Fisk" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 8 Dec 2016 22:13:28 +0000 (UTC)
Cydrome Leader wrote:

I just got pair of Starrett #1 - 5-1/2 carbide tipped nippers. They
look
like this

http://www.pianorepairtools.com/images/P/WC-S.gif
snip

...My question is, how do I do this and not bind up the tool? There
was no
shoulder or step on the original part to prevent the washer side
from
being pressed against the jaw too hard. There were also no
antirotation
type patterns like star shapes, cut-outs or anything like that. Was
the
washer heat fit by chance? I can get this tool mostly up and running
the
ugly way, buy really want to know what they did at the factory.

I would have made some threads on the pin and used a thin nut.
Probably
hit the nut by the threads in several places with a sharp punch once
I
got the tension where I thought it was good. Thin lock nuts are hard
to source...

You may be able to put a thin shim in between the jaw and handle.
Maybe fork shaped. Then just peen over your "rivet". Then pull, work
out the shim and hope there is a bit of play.


You could set the rivet with its head supported, then place the tool
over a hole that doesn't support the head and tap the other end until
it's loose enough.
-jsw

On Friday, December 9, 2016 at 8:57:24 AM UTC-5, Leon Fisk wrote:
On Thu, 8 Dec 2016 22:13:28 +0000 (UTC)
Cydrome Leader wrote:

I just got pair of Starrett #1 - 5-1/2 carbide tipped nippers. They look
like this

http://www.pianorepairtools.com/images/P/WC-S.gif
snip

...My question is, how do I do this and not bind up the tool? There was no
shoulder or step on the original part to prevent the washer side from
being pressed against the jaw too hard. There were also no antirotation
type patterns like star shapes, cut-outs or anything like that. Was the
washer heat fit by chance? I can get this tool mostly up and running the
ugly way, buy really want to know what they did at the factory.

I would have made some threads on the pin and used a thin nut. Probably
hit the nut by the threads in several places with a sharp punch once I
got the tension where I thought it was good. Thin lock nuts are hard
to source...

You may be able to put a thin shim in between the jaw and handle.
Maybe fork shaped. Then just peen over your "rivet". Then pull, work
out the shim and hope there is a bit of play.

snip
The only other part I broke was a screw for one cutter. It's a 6-40 thread
screw with a shoulder. Sort of a screwy item. If I jump in and make one of
those is 1018 ok or is there something better to get for medium+ strength
screws? I've made leaded steel screws and stuff like that, but none really
needed any strength. This screws is available from starrett, but I'm sort
of curious about how to just make it. The original one broke from being
stretched too much. It turned greyish white and the threads popped off.

Usually hex head bolts have a spec, hopefully this link works:

https://www.mcmaster.com/#socket-hea...crews/=15e66lu

Maybe make a custom size washer in place of the shoulder?

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

I had a couple of pairs of very high-quality shears that they gave me when I left Ranger Yachts many decades ago. They were used for cutting fiberglass fabric, and they considered them to be worn out. I said I thought I could fix them, so they told me to take them.

Anyway, the pivots were threaded on the end but the screw slot on one side was ground off. There was a thin washer and a thin nut on the other side. The "rivet" was peened over the nut -- with a good rivet set, because they were nicely rounded -- and there was no other way to adjust the tension.

I also have a range of rivet sets, which I inherited, and I adjusted the loose pivots by carefully tapping the rounded head with a rivet set, laying the flat side -- the ground-off end of the threaded "rivet" -- on my rivet plate, which is a 1-foot square of 1/2-inch c.r. steel.

I found them very easy to adjust that way. Just keep trying them after each modest whack on the rivet set. Make sure they're cleaned, sharpened, and re-curved, if necessary, before whacking the rivet.

It sounds like it should work with your nippers -- and you don't even have to worry about re-curving them. The rivet set is a neat touch but I'd just use a ball-peen hammer if I didn't have them.

--
Ed Huntress

"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
news
I just got pair of Starrett #1 - 5-1/2 carbide tipped nippers. They look
like this

http://www.pianorepairtools.com/images/P/WC-S.gif

Go there if you want new ones, I suppose.

The rivet sticks up from the surface on both sides about 1/16" or so and
is completely flat. The ones I got had a rough life and have far more
play than was acceptable due to the wear on the rivet. I ground it out
with a die grinder with a bit of fuss.

The form was as expected, a rivet with a washer-ish side peened over on
the other side with the connecting gap barely visible. They did a nice job
blending it all together. It was not easy to tell which side to grind away
at first. When I saw the gap I tried to break it out with an arbor press,
but that did nothing at all.

The shaft of old rivet was quite worn and had a weird staggered offset to
it. I machined a new one out of 1/2" 1018 round, and got a nice fit to the
jaws. Next step is get the washer side in place and make it look good. My
guess is the washer side should have a real tight fit and a radiused
outside face where you peen the shaft over for a solid fit.

My question is, how do I do this and not bind up the tool? There was no
shoulder or step on the original part to prevent the washer side from
being pressed against the jaw too hard. There were also no antirotation
type patterns like star shapes, cut-outs or anything like that. Was the
washer heat fit by chance? I can get this tool mostly up and running the
ugly way, buy really want to know what they did at the factory.

It's got to be similar magic to the joint in wire cutters of needle nose
pliers. Not really sure how how they get such a precise fit.

The only other part I broke was a screw for one cutter. It's a 6-40 thread
screw with a shoulder. Sort of a screwy item. If I jump in and make one of
those is 1018 ok or is there something better to get for medium+ strength
screws? I've made leaded steel screws and stuff like that, but none really
needed any strength. This screws is available from starrett, but I'm sort
of curious about how to just make it. The original one broke from being
stretched too much. It turned greyish white and the threads popped off.


Ugly Way - I repaired a knife my son gave me once by turning a shoulder bolt
and a nut that were a matched set domed on both sides on the lathe. When
assembled I made two uniform punch marks at the seam between the nut and the
bolt. When you look at it all you see is the two punch marks that look more
like a driving feature in a security screw head than anything else. The
belt clip broke and other things on the knife has worn over the years, but
my home made shoulder bolt is still nearly perfect and the knife swings up
and closed easily. I used an old stainless bolt as the working stock for
both parts. It looks almost like a rivit except for the two peen marks. It
was the first really useful thing I did on the mini lathe back in early
2006. (My wife gave me the lathe for Christmas 2005)