How to Extract Broken Shelf Pin?

Submitted ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨1100000011110@lemmy.world⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

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I am re-arranging the shelves in an old bookcase, and I’m having trouble removing a few broken shelf pins inside the holes I want to use. They don’t protrude enough for me to get any kind of grip with the needle-nose pliers that I used to take out the other pins.

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The shelf pins are this style. Quarter inch diameter. Not sure what kind of metal they’re made out of. The pin itself is hollow, which rules out most of the common solutions for this kind of problem.

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Does anyone have any suggestions for how to remove these?

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Comments

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TootSweet@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Superglue something to it, wait for it to dry, and then pull?

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- Kethal@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Super glue may be too brittle. Epoxy or JB Weld may work better, but be sure not to get any on the shelf.
  
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- Death_Equity@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  It has a rib that locks the end in, so it needs to be turned to not blow the hole out.
  
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Windswept@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Try threading a wood screw into the hollow pin until it grabs, and pull it out while twisting with a pair of pliers.

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TheKracken@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Get a screw extractor bit and remove the broken piece. If the hole is too large use super glue and toothpicks or matchsticks to fill the hole in. Let it set for 24 hrs then use the proper sized drill bit to recreate the hole.

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Lophostemon@aussie.zone ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
The hollowness is a benefit, not a drawback in this situation as other posters have described.

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confusedwiseman@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Finish mail from the other side?

Small drill bit might bite enough to pull out

Ez-out bit? (Effectively a left handed thread on a cone shaped bit used to remove stripped screws).
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y0din@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Have you tried inserting a screw in the opening of the pin and pulling it using the now attached screw as a handle? Or gluing it if screwing is not possible and then pulling?

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Death_Equity@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
The twist on the shank means you need to left-hand twist it as you pull. So an easy-out or a broken schrader core removal bit/tool would work best, so as to not rip out the hole.

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