I am looking to build/purchase some pin drivers for my shop. Any one have any suggestions? I have used a few different styles but none that worked really great. I would like to come up with something that could be used by one person for field use. Most of the ones I have used are just a large drift welded to a steel handle but they vibrate like crazy.
Cut up old hydraulic cylinder rods for the punch end. Use heavy pipe for the handle. Give the guy holding the handle gloves!
My favorite for big pins is a piece of 2.5" hot rolled round bar about 40" long. You don't need a hammer and works great for bucket or stick pins. Other than that I have a selection of what you described. Smaller round bar with handles welded to them. That's the tool that weeds out the sissy shop helpers.
For tough horizontal pins I have a large I-beam with one inch plate welded on one end and an eyelet to attach it to the crane. I get the crane up high so I have swing and use it as a battery ram. I weld an extension to to the pin being driven. Works well . It still takes effort but not as much as a sledge hammer.
A must have in my book for a single mechanic in the field is a Slide Sledge. I'm a meager 140 lb fella, I don't have arms like Popeye, I wouldn't be without one. A man my size don't do so good by myself with a sledge and a drift. I have knocked out the bucket pins on a 400 size excavators several times by myself with a Slide Sledge. Also use it to change those stupid side pin teeth on Cat buckets. They're a bit expensive, but it's a must have on my truck. > http://www.slidesledge.com/
+1 for the slide sledge. BTW, if you do use hydraulic cylinder rods to make pins of, please make sure that the rod is not induction hardened! First off you won't be able to touch it with any kind of saw except abrasive so that's your first clue, the second would be if you do get it cut or machined off, you will see a dark ring at the outside diameter of the steel showing the hardened area. This type of hardened steel rod can shatter and send hard steel shrapnel into your body when impacted!
Thanks guys all great ideas, Those of you using the slide sledge what size are you using? I noticed that they make a few different ones. I would be tempted to get the 21lb one... Go big or go home right????
I agree that this is the easiest option but my problem is that most of my field guys are on their own so I need something that can use without a second set of hands.
I liked two or three inch drill steel. Two of the companies I worked for years ago used air track drills for rock drilling and I saved the worn out steels for drift pins. I would torch them off to length and then grind the ends smooth. I've never seen one mushroom or slab off. They are so hard that they will dent the face of a hammer.
Slide sledge. Accept no substitute. While work provides ours, I am going to purchase one for home use when I find one for a good deal. You will not find a conventional sledge in our shop. Slide sledge use is mandated by the safety folks as we have had several people seriously injured by flying fragments from striking hardened metal with metal objects. And personally, for me while the slide sledge will still wear your ass out it's a lot easier on the body to use a slide sledge vs. conventional sledge, especially when you start talking about overhead or sideways use. I can't swing worth a damn sideways. We do have a huge deadblow rubber sledge hammer, but I hate it. We've got various style tips...offset pin ones for punching out the bucket teeth pins, flat face tips for pounding on stuff, and longer but large pin driving tips for bucket pins.
I have the 14lb with the extra 5lb weight. I love it but, sometimes you still need to break out the 16lb sledge to get it moving.
as far as handles for your driving pins find 1" or so cable cut to handle length and have ends swedged on weld swedges to pins, this eliminates most of the vibration while still having very good control over driving pin. I use the biggest slide sledge with the heavy ball on the end in wont even come close to moving what i can with a 16 pound sledge with someone holding a driving pin..........TIO
you can find someone to hold the pin while you swing a hammer at it?? I cant even find a good helper that will show up 2 days in a row here, let alone hold a pin while I hit it... help is real hard to come by here..thats the only reason I have the big slide sledge with all the attachments my favorite tool for BIG pins is a bobcat tho!!!
You got that right! More than once I've used a hydraulic breaker on a Bobcat to bang on big stuck pins. If it don't move then...fa git about it!
Hello again all, I'm also a fairly small sort of bloke and I struggle to bash anything with a sledge hammer normally... Forget about sideways. This slide sledge looks like a good plan at least until I get a little stronger. However, I worry a little about cutting up old rams.... As Lantraxco pointed out. I don't know that I would try that myself. Be careful everyone!
The big ones will wear you out quick. When I have to use the big one I try to sling it from the crane if possible so I can devote more force to slamming it good. For the big one, if I've got somebody to help me hold and aim it, I can throw all of my strength and body weight into slamming it and really give it some force.
My helper is with me every day. Takes me to and from work most of the time. Keeps me warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Got a big crane on the back to help hold my rigged up drift's. If that doesn't work i'll cut it out and weld it back in.
That fellow forum member that you had a visit with a while back, you know... the one from way up north... 'worded' this a bit different. Lol, but I got the point... Oh my, they are... I find no fault, though... you always did have 'a thing' about hammers... ... :lmao Happy Thanksgiving Day, Willie, my old friend... :thumbsup OCR
I have a few cut up tie bolts from hydraulic hammers, cut the hex head and threads off and they work great for pounding pins out
Yeah, the Minnesota Bush Bunny stopped by one day, took me by surprise. I won't say why he took a southern road trip, he's got a reputation to keep ya know. I hope you have an excellent Thanksgiving Holiday! :drinkup
I use a large air hammer it works great in most cases pick it up and lean into it pushes pins right out.