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Jeff Wisnia

wrote:

I need to know the name of the little spring loaded button that holds
the upper part of the umbrella pole in place in the bottom portion of
the pole. The wind grabbed my umbrella the other day and sheared the
button off. The manufacturer wants $100+ dollars to replace the whole
umbrella frame, when all I need is that little button. I've had no
luck finding what it is really called or where I can purchase them.
So, to be clear, the pole comes in two parts. The bottom part is
attached to the weighted umbrella base. The upper part is held in the
bottom by a button that sticks through a hole in the bottom. When you
want to remove the umbrella for storage, you just push the button and
lift the upper part of the pole with the umbrella on it out of the
lower portion.

I need to know what the name of the button is, and where I might buy a
replacement.

Thanks

I fixed the same problem on our deck umbrella a few years ago, and if
you value your leisure time at less than say $5 per hour, here's what I did.

I turned a button with a smaller diameter stud on its back end out of
brass rod on my lathe, and made a new leaf spring out of a piece of
hacksaw blade with the teeth ground off it. I drilled holes in both ends
of the spring after first torch annealing the ends by clamping the
spring in a vise with just the end sticking out.

I attached the new button to one end of the spring by peening over the
stud and secured the other end of the spring inside the pole with a pop
rivet through the pole wall.

There are two kinds of people, those who'd rather just get a new item,
so th4ey can spend their free time whacking a golf ball, and guys like
me who get a bizarre thrill out of doing stuff myself just for the ****s
and grins of it.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."