How do you peen the end of a stainless steel bolt ?

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guernseyman

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I need to replace the stud welded bolt on a stanchion base. The original retaining nut at the distal end of the stud bolt was retained by peening the bolt - for a more compact assembly, I guess.
Never having peened stainless steel before, I wonder whether anyone here can describe the tools and technique required.
 
As Rigger M has said use the rounded end of an engineers hammer, that's what it is generally for.
However, I can't think it is necessary, it is a brutal proceedure more suited to steam engines and aeroplanes.
How about using a nylock nut?
If you must, it may be better to use a centre punch and just biff the thread in a couple of places where it exits the nut.
 
guernseyman said:
I need to replace the stud welded bolt on a stanchion base. The original retaining nut at the distal end of the stud bolt was retained by peening the bolt - for a more compact assembly, I guess.
Never having peened stainless steel before, I wonder whether anyone here can describe the tools and technique required.
Click to expand...

A ball pain hammer that's what you usually use.You need to support the thing while bashing the thread rivet style.It's a technique.
For someone not familiar with it a nylock nut would probably do the job.
 
VicS said:
which is a variant spelling of peen
meaning the opposite end of a hammer head to the face (noun); or to strike with a peen (verb)

I'd have spelt it pein though!
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we were taught as apprentices, we would use a ball pein hammer to peen a rivet. Usual weight, two and a half pounder.
Stu
 
skipper_stu said:
we were taught as apprentices, we would use a ball pein hammer to peen a rivet. Usual weight, two and a half pounder.
Stu
Click to expand...

I would not worry about it though.

It is said that Einstein was dyslexic and could not spell very well.

If the SEN people had known they might have given him more time to work out his theory. ;)
 
TQA said:
Good size weight against the head of the bolt too.

Or if you are very good you can swing a second hammer against the head, in time of course.
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Fred Drift,
working on the coal face as part of my apprenticeship, one of the night shift jobs was to add a "pan" in to the panzer chain conveyor belt, we had to split the drive chain to do this. It was held together with 5/8th bolts (9/16" whit spanner) I had two ring spanners about 18"s long. The coal dust and dust suppressing water would "glue" the nuts so tight that we had to break the bolts to get them out, on a good night I could break the bolts with the spanners, literally twist them to breaking point, on a bad night it was a cold chisel and a BALL PEIN hammer! If One of the colliers was feeling like showing off, I would hold the chisel and he would use a sledge hammer to split the nut! I shudder now when I think about it!
Stu
 
TQA said:
Or if you are very good you can swing a second hammer against the head, in time of course.
Click to expand...

The original question was about a stanchion base. Might need longer than average arms for the two hammer technique.
 
For added security, I'd use a shakeproof washer with a nyloc nut. You do need to get them off sometimes or indeed tighten them up (more frequently in my experience).

Whatever you do to the thread to lock it using the hammer and/or the punch would be rendered useless by either action.
 
Peening the stud over the nut, unless done properly, would give you very sharp edges that are a cutting hazard to bare feet.

A neat short-cut for what you propose is to drill a small hole down the centre of the stud, say 5mm deep, and then open the weakened stud material out with a wide-point centre punch. If you can get hold of one, a centre-drill such as is used on lathes will be best for drilling the hole as it is short,chubby and strong. They are quite inexpensive.
 
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