This is a part from a motion picture film scanner I'm rebuilding. The black part is new: aluminum that we cut on a CNC router and just got back from powder coating. The steel spring-loaded clip mechanism is from the original machine. I'm trying to re-use these more complex parts where possible. This is the clip for a door on a housing that contains a mirror. it needs to be opened and closed fairly frequently, for cleaning.
In any case, in my excitement to assemble everything, I put the damned latch on the wrong side of the black part. Knocked it out with a punch and hammer and when I went to install it on the other side, it's loose. Well, not loose but once it's in I can spin it more or less freely by hand - it's a snug fit, but it rotates and it shouldn't. The issue is that the position (rotationally speaking) of the post that holds the spring is critical, as that sets the spring's tension, and holds the latch in the closed position. The spring will want to rotate the shaft so that there's no tension and because it spins relatively freely, this is what's happening.
So the question is - what do I do here to get this part to fit properly. I know Loctite is an option but i'm also not sure what the optimal position for the spring is, so I'll need to play with it a bit. And will it hold up with this being a part that will see frequent handling, as well as the spring putting constant tension on it?
I managed to do so much on this project with basically no machining experience, and wouldn't you know I make a major screw up after spending a small fortune on powder coating a bunch of stuff!
Any advice is welcome.
Thanks!
In any case, in my excitement to assemble everything, I put the damned latch on the wrong side of the black part. Knocked it out with a punch and hammer and when I went to install it on the other side, it's loose. Well, not loose but once it's in I can spin it more or less freely by hand - it's a snug fit, but it rotates and it shouldn't. The issue is that the position (rotationally speaking) of the post that holds the spring is critical, as that sets the spring's tension, and holds the latch in the closed position. The spring will want to rotate the shaft so that there's no tension and because it spins relatively freely, this is what's happening.
So the question is - what do I do here to get this part to fit properly. I know Loctite is an option but i'm also not sure what the optimal position for the spring is, so I'll need to play with it a bit. And will it hold up with this being a part that will see frequent handling, as well as the spring putting constant tension on it?
I managed to do so much on this project with basically no machining experience, and wouldn't you know I make a major screw up after spending a small fortune on powder coating a bunch of stuff!
Any advice is welcome.
Thanks!