Looking for undersized hinge pin

I need 6 feet of 0.080" (approx.) stainless-steel hinge pin but no joy from the usual suspects (McMaster Carr, Aircraft Spruce, and Van's). Any suggestions for a source?

Thanks,
Joe

Check out your local blacksmith or welder. Some welding wire lengths, widths, and alloys may meet your needs.

Perhaps Grainger?

Ironflight (and google search) for the win ...

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=88516

+1 for welding rod, or

https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Unpolished-Finish-Precision-Tolerance/dp/B00CNLXNW6

and keep hitting 'next page' 'til you get to the size you want.

Wire

A search using .080 piano wire or music wire will turn up multiple sources. Welding rod is ok for temporary but should be piano wire for permanent. Hobby stores are best possibility for small quantities.

Can you please explain the advantage of using a carbon steel wire in an aluminum hinge?

Disadvantage of using stainless?

Thanks, everyone. Guess it shows: you have to know what you want in order to find it with a search. I had searched McMaster for "stainless steel rod" and "hinge pin" but whoda thunk "tool steel rods" was the key. I searched VAF for "broken cowl pin" with no hint of these.

None of these are stainless BTW, but is that a disadvantage for engine cowl hinge pins? Not worried about corrosion or ultimate strength; just brittleness.

"Drill Rod"

These pins are called drill rod because they are offered in the same sizes as the drills in your 1-60 (and larger) drill index, using the AWG (American Wire Gage) nomenclature.

Many people think "drill" and immediately equate that with hard and brittle - both of which are wrong in this case. The yield point of the O-1 rod is 50 ksi - not much more than A36 mild steel, and the ductility is adequate as referenced by the low Rockwell hardness rating. These pins are quite a bit "softer" than those that come with the hinges, but with careful use can provide easier installation because of their small reduction in diameter as the number size increases.

I have used drill rod for my cowling installation for more than 25 years and 3000+ hours and have not had one break. YMMV!

Distributors typically don't tell you this, but drill rod is (usually) made in 12' lengths and then cut into shorter sections for retail sale. McMaster-Carr sells them in 3' lengths, but as a special order, will cut them any length you want - up to 12' (or at least they did the last time I ordered some). For my Rocket I needed 4 footers, and just for the heck of it I got some 6 footers.

Drill rod can be heat treated to a "tougher" condition, but careful treating processes are necessary to insure straightness after treatment. It has to do with the "dunking" into the cooling solution - lowered vertically at a controlled rate, you get a straight rod. Lowered horizontally, or worse yet, haphazardly dropped into the solution without regard for orientation, and you get a waviness that looks like a ruffle potato chip - ask me how I know! After my failure at having them treated I reverted back to using them as delivered, taking care as to how they are installed and removed.

Not cowling related, but I've replaced almost all of the standard hinge pins on my control surfaces and gear doors with 3/32" Alloy 321 welding rod. The fit is much snugger. Weld shops sell it by the pound.

I use the inner wire from Bowden cable .078 readily available and inexpensive from aircraft spruce

I purchased some tool steel wire from McMaster-Carr for use on my upper cowling. Lots of choices on page 3755. I ordered p/n 8890K127, 0.0880" diameter.

As the eylets wear, I will try the larger stock wire.

Mitch G.