Don’t you hate it when it’s Sunday morning, after waiting all week to work on your project, you have just started and the die you really need breaks. That tinniest of cracking sound, the knell of doom. Three thoughts pass through your mind, darn no spare, darn waste of money and double darn I need to get this part done.
Been there and got the tee shirt. After holding a broken die in the die holder and managing to hold it together just enough to scrape out a last thread, I decided that it hadn’t given up the ghost just yet. I can say that this is my idea as I never came across this hack.
Essentially, the broken die pieces are held in a ring by means of a hardened pin driven where the die holder screw would go. The ring’s inner diameter, where the broken die goes, must be equal to the die's outer diameter. The inner diameter should have a shoulder for the die to abut, as in a die holder. The ring’s outer diameter should fit your next size up die holder. The ring must be drilled radially. In final assembly, this hole will be aligned with one of the holes on the die’s circumference. The latter is necessary to drive the die.
Since the repaired die will not be adjustable, you have to be careful to set it to cut the proper size thread before driving in the pin. The die can be adjusted by inserting a shim between the die outer diameter and ring inner diameter. The die should be a snug fit over a section of the corresponding male thread. Once happy, find a bit of hardened pin that fits in the opening. The latter may be ground to accommodate what pin is available. Whack that pin in place and viola the die that died is back with the living (now practically immortal) and you are back in business.
Been there and got the tee shirt. After holding a broken die in the die holder and managing to hold it together just enough to scrape out a last thread, I decided that it hadn’t given up the ghost just yet. I can say that this is my idea as I never came across this hack.
Essentially, the broken die pieces are held in a ring by means of a hardened pin driven where the die holder screw would go. The ring’s inner diameter, where the broken die goes, must be equal to the die's outer diameter. The inner diameter should have a shoulder for the die to abut, as in a die holder. The ring’s outer diameter should fit your next size up die holder. The ring must be drilled radially. In final assembly, this hole will be aligned with one of the holes on the die’s circumference. The latter is necessary to drive the die.
Since the repaired die will not be adjustable, you have to be careful to set it to cut the proper size thread before driving in the pin. The die can be adjusted by inserting a shim between the die outer diameter and ring inner diameter. The die should be a snug fit over a section of the corresponding male thread. Once happy, find a bit of hardened pin that fits in the opening. The latter may be ground to accommodate what pin is available. Whack that pin in place and viola the die that died is back with the living (now practically immortal) and you are back in business.
