With this I agree. I’ve replace a few trundles trying to peen over the top & hated it. Bought a crows foot tool & still hated it. For whatever reason, my trundles don’t want to stay put until I get dangerously to the point of using my BF hammer.
Then I tried Loctite. Beautiful. Easy. They ain’t going nowhere.
Simon, if you experienced difficulty retaining replacement trundles in lantern pinions without using Loctite, then I suspect there is a problem with your technique. First of all, "peening (
to strike with a hammer or the peen of a hammer) over the top" will not work. Second, a crow's foot is not the correct tool for this. For the benefit of others who may be experiencing the same problem, lets take a look some things that can cause problems.
The problem can go back to improper removal of the old trundles. There are basically three options:
1) force the trundle through the previously staked or knurled openings in the shroud.
2) cut the trundles in the middle and remove in two pieces.
3) press the arbor through the shroud (slip the shroud back and allow the trundles to fall out.
Using method 1 or 2 one may be faced with the need to "relieve" the opening in the shroud in order to get the old trundles out and/or get the new ones in. It can be tempting to use a small drill for this purpose but this can chamfer the opening of the hole and remove the very metal that needs to be there when the openings are staked or knurled. It is critical that the openings in the shroud not be opened beyond the diameter of the trundle, otherwise, attempts to secure the trundle can be compromised and fail. I have found that a length of the same pinion wire can be ground flat on the end and shaped like a "spade drill" and used to ream the openings to the size of the trundles that will be cut from the same piece of pinion wire.
The replacement trundles
must be the correct length, and the ends should be ground flat with no burr. If the trundle is too long there wont be enough head room for staking or knurling to close the opening and the trundles will not stay in place.
There are numerous ways to retain trundles including knurling, staking, Loctite retaining compound, JB-Weld, solder, and pressing a solid brass blank against the lantern shroud and each comes with its own set of problems. Knurling and staking have been used by manufacturers for over a hundred years which proves that those methods do work. Knurling requires a lathe and a special knurling tool so I'll confine my comments to staking.
Once the old trundles are removed the shroud needs to be supported around 360 degrees. This is done using a "split stake" which can be purchased or made. A crow's foot only supports the shroud at two points and will not hold it in position for staking. Staking (not peening) is the method here. The stake is a punch with a thin flat end. The thickness is a little less than the diameter of the trundle, and the width is a little wider than the opening to be closed., and the tip is slightly curved but with sharp edges. The stake is placed across the opening and tapped with a hammer. It will leave an impression in the brass and cause metal to be forced toward the opening to retain the trundle. While it may not look as nice, I find that placing the stake at 90 degrees from the original staking to use "fresh meat" gives the best result. I've done hundreds of trundles this way and have never had one come out.
If you remove the old trundles using method 1 above (slide the shroud back) you can replace the trundles and slide the shroud back into position and retain the original staking or knurling. This has the advantage of making an invisible repair. The disadvantage is that once disturbed, the shroud may not grip the arbor quite as tight. However, many professionals prefer this method.
RC
