Edison reproducer hinge blocks

[bobsled48]

Anyone have any tips or tricks on removal of broken hinge blocks on Edison C or H reproducers ? Thanks, Bob

[VintageTechnologies]

Anyone have any tips or tricks on removal of broken hinge blocks on Edison C or H reproducers ? Thanks, Bob

I have never seen a screw extractor that tiny, so the prospect of backing that broken screw from the hole seems remote. I could envision several approaches to repair.

1) The hard way - Drill out the hole to a larger size, then press fit flush a tight plug of metal, such as a brass rod. Then drill a new hole into the center of the plug and then tap the threads. Good luck finding a tap that matches the original threads.

or

2) The easy way - Salvage all good compoents from the broken reproducer. Original or replica reproducer tops and hinge blocks should be readily available.

[phonojim]

I have removed several broken hinge blocks. If you are lucky, there is enough of the shank left above the surface that you can get ahold of it with tweezers or pliers.If not, you can usually use a sharp pointed tool to turn the screw out far enough to work with. If you have to resort to drilling it out, use a drill that is smaller than the hinge block screw. Put the drill in a pin vise and drill by hand from the top of the reproducer casting, drilling down through the hinge block mounting hole. Most of the time, the drill will bite into the screw and rotate it so it comes out the bottom. Stop drilling as soon as you can get a tool on the screw to finish removing it. When drilling, keep the bit centered so the threads in the hole won't be damaged. Just be very careful because you are dealing with very small parts, fine threads and very thin walls around the hole.
Often, a broken hinge block is caused by the reproducer having been dropped which may cause the hole wall to partially break out.
In this type of situation I have made repairs by filling the hole with JB Weld then drilling and tapping it for a new block. You have to work very carefully when drilling and tapping because the JB Weld is relatively soft and may crumble. I've had mixed results with this method, but I have saved some reproducers as well.
Ron Sitko has excellent reproduction hinge blocks and may have the proper tap as well. I bought one from him years ago and I don't know if he still has them.

Jim

[bobsled48]

Thanks for the info, wish me luck,Bob

[RefSeries]

I guess that by now you have fixed your hinge block, but after going down the "drill and tap oversize" route on a couple I had a real go at getting the old bit of broken screw thread out on one which had been damaged for a while and I had left on the side as being one of my 135 priority jobs.

I soaked the reproducer top in penetrating oil for a couple of days, then drilled a hole down the centre of the broken screw. This was done using a Proxxon modelmakers' drill mounted in a drill stand to keep it vertical, wearing a watchmakers' eyeglass and holding my breath.

I drilled the reproducer from the top down, in order to ensure the thing was flat, and after I had drilled about half way through the screw it started to come out by itself. I have used the technique now on a number of reproducers, and even if they don't unscrew while drilling the screw can be removed using a very fine screwdriver and a little pressure into the newly drilled hole.

It is a very fiddly process, and requires a very small and sharp drill, but saves the risk of having a split in the side of the reproducer top if the outsize drilling is near the edge. Good luck!