steel for miscellaneous pin replacement

[deafrn]

Has anyone used unhardened O1 or W1 tool steel rods to make slightly oversize replacements for pins in old guns that have had the originals pounded out one too many times/had the pins' holes battered until they were oversize?

[TedH]

No, but I have used old drill bit shanks of the proper size to make replacement pins.

[Mike Hunter]

W-1 or O-1 Drill rod makes excellent pin material

[deafrn]

Hmmm... all I have for drill bits around here is cheapo HSS, but maybe they have soft enough shanks to be workable. Since they are not useful as drills anymore, I'll check them out.

The box of tool steel rods I have access to may turn up something good, but I haven't gone through them to see what diameters are in the lot. No one here knows whether they are O-1 or W-1, but being as I'm not hardening/drawing them, it probably doesn't matter much.

Thanks for the replies!

[Sixgun]

I've used all kinds of stuff for pins. Most steel is fine for most pins, just use your head when making a pin for a part that requires strength. I do draw the line as far as using paper clips though. Just look around the house, there's always something that can be taken apart and used. Old car parts usually have good steel for pins.-----------Sixgun

[soon 2 retire]

If you need hardened pins you can buy Class Z Gage pins from McMaster-Carr for less than $4 each. They are 2 inches long and come in .0005" increments. They are hardened to 60-62 Rockwell C.

Bob in Friday Harbor

[Pete44ru]

No, but I have used old drill bit shanks of the proper size to make replacement pins.

+3 - Drill the hole with the sacrificial bit, then grind the hardened shank to length, for use as a pin in aforementioned hole.

.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

No, but I have used old drill bit shanks of the proper size to make replacement pins.

I never discard old drill bits for this very reason. The only part of the drill bit that is hardened is the fluted part. The shanks are left soft so the chucks can grab them better. So, the shanks can be easily turned to size and then hardened as needed. I can't begin to tell you how many replacement shotgun firing pins I have made from old bits.