detent ball questions

D

dfarm

Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Messages
365
Can someone give me a link, or a quick run down on how to install a detent ball in a liner lock?

I'm thinking drill to just past half of the thickness of the ball, stick the ball in the hole and then peen around the ball?

Thanks in advance.
 
If you are useing a 1/16" ball drill your hole with a #53 drill bit and the ball will be a press fit.No need to peenit will stay put.
Stan
 
Last edited:
As pointed out what works best with 1/16 is a number 53 drill size. For a 2mm ball you can use a 5/64 drill bit. You can use an arbor press to put them in place but if you don't have one just use a washer from the pivot and a flat end punch with a small ball peen hammer to tap it in place. The washer should stop you short of tapping it in too deeply just don't really whack away on it or anything. It just takes a quick tap and they are usually seated and good to go.

STR
 
A small c-clamp works well, also. Not as expensive as an arbor press, much lighter also. Less nerve wracking than peening. Ditto on the washer. You can also drill into the c-clamp, just the amount that you need.
 
dfarm said:
Does it matter how deep the hole is?
Click to expand...

Technically no but personally I drill my holes all the way through the lock so there is a hole on the outside and for the simple reason that removing them is fairly straight forward and quick. Sometimes the balls flatten out over time. Other times you may forget to cover one and anodize or bead blast the frame refinishing it out and make the ball gritty or stuff like this. Turning a number 53 drill upside down in a drill press chuck is pretty easy and you can pop one right out over a board with a hole in it pretty fast. If you don't go all the way through the only way to remove one is an acid bath overnight to eat out the ball bearing and then refinish the titanium frame after you are done. If you don't use titanium well. Then you are looking at trying to hit it just right coming in from the outside with a new hole hoping to push the ball out and not miss.

STR
 
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