On Sat, 07 Feb 2015 15:12:56 -0600, philo wrote:

On 02/07/2015 01:43 PM, Nil wrote:
On 07 Feb 2015, philo wrote in alt.home.repair:

Now fixed

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1i8n4r42fl...erbar.JPG?dl=0

I decided not to get a new spreader bar as the replacement would
have been as flimsy as the original.

In the time it would have taken me to drive to the parts depot, I
disassembled it and plated in two places... put it back together
and it works better than new.

So you reinforced the original arm with that one extra metal piece? Or
is there a second one, too? Were you able to buy those reinforcement
pieces as-is, or did you have to fabricate them?

I think my attic door needs a similar operation.




I made two reinforcement pieces, just cut then to size with a Sawzall.
They were 1/16" thick... same thickness as the arm which really should
have been 1/8" anyway.

One of the pieces is visible in the photo and the other is on the part
of the arm that attaches to the spring, If you look close you will see
that it's doubled up.

From up inside the attic with the door closed,. the spring is easy to
take off and replace. Do not try it with the door open!
You will need an assistant to close and open the door for you.

On the far left you will see a nut and bolt. Originally there was a
rivet there which was easy to drill off.

In the center of the photo is a lag bolt (3 1/2") that I put there to
replace the pin that fell out of the plate. I lost it but it would not
have worked anyway due to the increased thickness of the doubled up arm.

I also drilled a small but deep pilot hole for the lag bolt.

My entire time fooling with it was maybe an hour.


It works better than new because more than likely the arm was warped
from the first time it was used. I left the other spreader arm alone as
it is still ok.


Good job. Now ask the wife if she will take you to lunch