First birdhouse ornament and a question.

[Bobostro61]

First off, Thank you to wood turner Bob Hamilton from YouTube for the video on making birdhouse ornaments. I used is as a model for my first try at one. It is made from Spalted Hackberry with Walnut for the roof.


My question is on the second ornament. The brass eyelet twisted right in half as I was screwing it in. Cheap Ace Hardware brass I guess. The hole was drilled straight through the finial so it didn't bottom out. The question is now to get the rest of the brass eyelet out of the finial so I can put a new one in. Had this happen on another ornament and tried drilling it out. The bit just side-stepped the brass went down the side of it. The ornament is all glued up as well. Oh, its Poplar with Bubinga finials.

 

[mark james]

Both ornaments are beautiful Bob! The bottom finial on the globe is aqesome.

Maybe get some small "cupped eye hooks" and grind off the screw portion and glue the cup/hook onto the top???

Just a random thought... Oh, same has happened to me!

National Mfg. N119727 Cup Hook-1-1/2" SB CUP HOOK - Walmart.com

I actually drill a very loose fit and glue in the screw.

 

[Charlie_W]

Very nice job on those Bob!

Perhaps you could just trim off the top ball , resend and finish. Then re drill and go at it again.
Another thought is to drill a couple of holes in the sides of the top ball and use a ring to just fit into the holes and be a loop that swivels sort of like a towel holder in a powder room. Then fill the top hole with a color stick crayon.

 

[Jim15]

Those look great.

 

[CREID]

You might want to drill a hole right through the top of the finial and run a string through to hang that way.
Just a thought. Both look fantastic.

Curt

 

[KenV]

3/0 gold Aberdeen hook and cut off the hook above the bend.

I have used a tiny end mill in a dremel and some times have success. When that fails cut the ball off and replace with a new one and a tiny tenon. The hook shank will reinforce the joint.

 

[Sataro]

Both look fantastic!

 

[jttheclockman]

Nice work with both ornaments. To the problem. My option would be to flaten the screw with a dremel and then use an awl to indent a starting hole. I would drill a larger hole to add a dowel of the same colored wood as the center then redrill for the hook.

 

[low_48]

You can chuck up a small diameter piece of steel tubing, and drill out the broken eye. I've used a triangular file and put on saw teeth on bigger tubing. Your size will likely drill it out with friction. Then plug it with a dowel. Use a bigger pilot drill next time.

 

[Jack Parker]

You can chuck up a small diameter piece of steel tubing, and drill out the broken eye. I've used a triangular file and put on saw teeth on bigger tubing. Your size will likely drill it out with friction. Then plug it with a dowel. Use a bigger pilot drill next time.

A small roll pin with an ID slightly larger than the OD of the broken screw eye could be used with this method, as well.