Setting a Hollow Pin

[Citroënbender]

I’ve got four of these to do, they’re window regulator guide blocks:

The back of the pin is heavily counterbored as shown, the receiving hole is not chamfered at the exit side.

I need to make/adapt a tool to set these pins very solidly. Thinking of using a vice with appropriate tooling, to progressively deform the piece.

Would I be better placed to form a bevel on my “setter” or a domed end? Dry or greased?

[roKWiz]

Sort of like an eyelet making tool ??

[Citroënbender]

Hadn’t thought about craft gear. It’s probably a few levels above usual upholstery or couture strength requirements though.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Hadn’t thought about craft gear. It’s probably a few levels above usual upholstery or couture strength requirements though.

I bought one for canvas and is very robust. My old man had several commercial style ones being an upholsterer.

[aussiblue]

Something here perhaps https://www.birdsall-leather.com.au/...pl.php?pager=1 or something (likely a stud or grommet anvil) from a marine sailmaker or tarp supplier perhaps.

[aussiblue]

If you have an arbor press or hydraulic press some of the dies & dimple accessories for them should work too. These sort of things https://www.gizmoplans.com/best-shop-press-accessories/

[aussiblue]

.... or https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/27524996...Bk9SR6aJxoeVYQ or https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/29483649...Bk9SR6aJxoeVYQ etc

[Citroënbender]

It’s getting way overthought here. Once these four are done, I plan to set fire to the car hope to never encounter another such piece.

Wiz has indirectly furnished a detail, the setter should be closer to domed than chamfered. I’m thinking my big vice, a suitable socket on the “blocking” side and my improvised setter to the counterbored side. A sacrificed 8mm high tensile bolt should do it - the pin shank is only about 6mm across.

[aussiblue]

It’s getting way overthought here.

Ok then just invert the pin on your bench and place the round end of a ball-pein hammer on the end of the pin and give the flat side of the ball pein head a sharp rap with a bigger hammer.

[Citroënbender]

Methodology, shown in a photo. I used my setter and a large vice to perform the task.

The plastic guide with metal pin, on the pin head side the guide’s cap snugly holds a quarter inch socket (shown with a spare guide). That provides strong, even backing support. On the counterbored side, the bullet tip ground onto my random bolt works with a little moly grease to spread the pin base as I clamp it all in a vice. I backed off the vice slightly and rotated the “setting tool” a one-third turn twice over.

A much more calm-inducing approach than wallering away with a ball-pein hammer and the pin head precariously supported on a benchtop.