making a fridge hinge pin to replace lost part?

[Baron Conal]

In the move I seem to have misplaced the hinge pin for the large door to the
beer fridge*. A tragedy made worse by the fact Frigidaire wants $20 for the part
and shipping when I would guess that it costs them less than $1 to make one.

Its fairly simple but I do not have the metal working tools to turn one and I lack
the experience to forge one....

Suggestions?

I have considered a bolt with a nut ground down thinner and some kind of sleeve
on the door side to cover the threads and give me a smooth surface like the
original pin...

I have not yet taken exact measurements but it was about 2 - 2 1/2 inches long
and the larger center section was about 3/4" to 1" in diameter. The center 'disc'
is fixed and sits on the top of a bracket screwed to thee body of the fridge and can
rotate freely in the bracket and the door. I do not think the pin MUST rotate in the
bracket to work properly as long as it can rotate in the door.


The length of my drawing is probably a little longer than the part, but it gets the
idea across...

* I had to remove the door of the fridge to get it into the basement.

[AwP]

I think a narrow not on a threaded rod could work (probably JBWeld the nut in place), but I donno about the sleeve. Might be easier to get a slightly oversized threaded rod and grind the threads off except where they hold the nut. Of course you realize that as soon as you have a workable replacement you'll find the old one, right?

[Baron Conal]

Of course you realize that as soon as you have a workable replacement you'll find the old one, right?

Yeah I know that. Looking forward to it. But I figure I'll have to make at least one part
that does not work quite right first.

[John S.]

Might be able to take a piece of non-threaded rod over to the galvanized pipe section and get them to tap some threads in half of it....

[Maeryk]

See if you can find the right size in drill rod, and a washer that fits. Set the washer at the right height (middle) and peen it into the drill rod with a punch on both sides.

Not sure how to draw it, but basically, you hit it right near the joint with a punch at the cardinal compass points to mush the washer against the rod.

[Baron Conal]

See if you can find the right size in drill rod, and a washer that fits. Set the washer at the right height (middle) and peen it into the drill rod with a punch on both sides.

Not sure how to draw it, but basically, you hit it right near the joint with a punch at the cardinal compass points to mush the washer against the rod.

How tight can that be made.....? under best conditions that is...

[Maeryk]

See if you can find the right size in drill rod, and a washer that fits. Set the washer at the right height (middle) and peen it into the drill rod with a punch on both sides.

Not sure how to draw it, but basically, you hit it right near the joint with a punch at the cardinal compass points to mush the washer against the rod.

How tight can that be made.....? under best conditions that is...

You don't need it that tight. Just enough to keep it from dropping all the way through a hole, right? I'm assuming it's the middle pin.. between the door and freezer?

[Baron Conal]

See if you can find the right size in drill rod, and a washer that fits. Set the washer at the right height (middle) and peen it into the drill rod with a punch on both sides.

Not sure how to draw it, but basically, you hit it right near the joint with a punch at the cardinal compass points to mush the washer against the rod.

How tight can that be made.....? under best conditions that is...

You don't need it that tight. Just enough to keep it from dropping all the way through a hole, right? I'm assuming it's the middle pin.. between the door and freezer?

Its the very bottom pin... the other pins are all part of their brackets..... I guess they have to make one that can get lost and be different than the others.

[Seamus Yanger]

You might check with repairclinic.com I've always had good luck with appliance parts at resonable prices with them.

[Kindyr]

Looking at the peice, My first thought is an appropriate sized peice of round stock, and a washer. Inner hole of the washer just smaller than a friction fit around the round stock.

round stock in the freezer, washer in the oven. Then once the round stock has chilled and the washer has expanded, press fit washer to round stock. Same way a lot of bearing are press fit. I'd leave the round stock long and trim to fit once the washer has been press fit in.

Not sure it'd work, but it seems one of the simpler ways to try.

[Kerry Pratt]

Or you can tack weld a washer to the pin and then clean it up with a file...

[Ingelri]

I was thinking the same thing. If fitted properly they won't come apart.

Looking at the peice, My first thought is an appropriate sized peice of round stock, and a washer. Inner hole of the washer just smaller than a friction fit around the round stock.

round stock in the freezer, washer in the oven. Then once the round stock has chilled and the washer has expanded, press fit washer to round stock. Same way a lot of bearing are press fit. I'd leave the round stock long and trim to fit once the washer has been press fit in.

Not sure it'd work, but it seems one of the simpler ways to try.

[AwP]

Shrink fitting a washer on as Kindyr suggests is a really good idea, assuming a washer is thick enough for your purpose.

[Baron Conal]

Do you think I could set the rod into a hole drilled into a block of wood and tap the washer down around it
using something hollow big enough to accept the rod? Like setting a burr on a rivet?

How much size change can I expect?
How quickly am I going to have to work?
How much size difference between the washer and the rod do I need to start with to get a good end result?

[AwP]

You could, but depending on size difference you might not need to, so be prepared with pliers or some other method of keeping the washer in place just in case it's able to just fall right down.

Size change varies on how hot you get it, and how cold you get the rod. Unless you have dry ice and acetone or liquid nitrogen handy, the hot end will be easier to vary. If the oven doesn't expand the washer enough, use a propane or mapp torch.

How much time you have depends on how much expansion you need and how much you heat-sink it while working with it. Whatever you hold the washer with will probably suck a bunch of heat out unless it's heated too (have fun holding on to it), your best bet is probably using the thinnest needlenose pliers you can find and barely holding the edge. If you use a torch you can heat it and be ready to plop it right on, in which case you don't have a lot of time, but you shouldn't feel rushed.

I can't answer the last one exactly, though there are mathematical formulas that can give you an exact answer. As a guess, I'd say of you can cover the end of the rod with the washer and barely not be able to see any of the edge through the hole then that should probably be good. Maybe get a few different washers to be sure unless you are setup to drill it bigger by very small increments.

[Agnarr]

maybe go to the scrap yard and buy one from them for pennies?

[Baron Conal]

maybe go to the scrap yard and buy one from them for pennies?

assuming I wouldn't spend forever trying to find something that would work....

[losthelm]

Another option would be just to heat both the pin and spacer/washer with a torch and add a little brazing rod. Usualy around 1250 or so when the pieces glow add just a little flux coated brazing rod and let the heat wick the puddle into the spacer assembly.
Does the hinge pin need the spacer attached to keep it from dropping through?

[Baron Conal]

Does the hinge pin need the spacer attached to keep it from dropping through?

Yes.... unless I can come up with another way to hold it in place.



Hmmm.... a Chicago screw with the flange on the upper side ground off?
The part with the slot for the screwdriver down... a little Locktite... That might just work.



just have to find one the right size....

[Maeryk]

So you have a bracket that is actually bearing the weight. The washer on the pin is just to keep the pin from sliding through, and as a bearing place for what I assume is a nylon or HDPE washer that the door rides on, right?

_IF_ that is correct, then the pin only has to fight gravity, as the washer and bushing will put the weight of the door on the bracket itself.

[Baron Conal]

So you have a bracket that is actually bearing the weight. The washer on the pin is just to keep the pin from sliding through, and as a bearing place for what I assume is a nylon or HDPE washer that the door rides on, right?

_IF_ that is correct, then the pin only has to fight gravity, as the washer and bushing will put the weight of the door on the bracket itself.

thinking about it that way does make it easier.... I would think you are correct that the bracket does hold the weight.

[Agnarr]

maybe go to the scrap yard and buy one from them for pennies?

assuming I wouldn't spend forever trying to find something that would work....

You pay neighborhood kids to find one for ya!

[Milan H]

Do you have dimensions on the part you need?

Cheers,

[Baron Alcyoneus]

Get a set of drill stops and put one on an appropriate sized rod.

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-dr ... 38336.html

[The Iron Dwarf]

find some plain steel rod the right size, a large nail or a long bolt will do.
get a tap ( faucet ) washer, a plain rubber washer with a hole in and make sure the hole is much smaller than the rod and also place something under the bracket to stop he rod from dropping too far.
the washer may hold it in place but if not a small block of wood would do

[Baron Conal]

I hate it when the answer is SO STUPIDLY EASY you do not think of it because
of the subconscious thought " It can't be that easy."

3" long 3/8" bolt with an un-threaded section at the end.

a 3/8" t nut with the teeth cut off.

a washer or two for spacing.


Thread the t nut onto the bolt tightly up where the threads end.

Cut off the head of the bolt and whatever extra length you do not need.

Grind the end to a slight bevel.

Put the door back on and plug the fridge in.

Done.

Less than twenty minutes including the time it took to find the hacksaw give
up on the that due to a really dull blade and get the bolt cutters out. ( imagine
that... using bolt cutters to cut a bolt... why didn't I think of that first... lol )

Oh and I saved $18.50 vs. what Frigidaire wanted for the part and shipping.

I think I'll spend the money I saved on beer.


I'd take a picture of the replacement pin but I'm not gonna take the door back
off to do it.

[The Iron Dwarf]

you could post a pic of the beer you bought instead

[Baron Conal]

That was what I had already..... I have not been shopping yet.


The Landshark Lager was left behind at a prior party.... I didn't buy it.
So was the Miller GD on the door....