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Hi Parmb,
Many thanks. I followed the advice & used the hacksaw blade to saw through the two sides of the 3mm steel loop.
I found that the pin on the diecast section that releases the latch was sheared off. Clearly this diecasting is somewhat of a "weak link".
In case anyone else is interested, I fixed it myself as follows:
a. I drilled through the diecast where the pin used to be I usd a 60 thou drill bit with a miniature drill [like a Dremel]. I then drilled the hole out to 5/64ths. You could use a normal 1/4" drill if you have good eyesight and a steady hand.
b. I then cut the shank of an old 5/64ths drill bit to be 9m long, expanded the end slightly by hammering the bit on one end with the shank in a vise. This was to make the end slightly thicker.
c. I then pushed the new pin through the hole I had made, with a liberal coating of epoxy resin to keep it in the hole.
d. I then welded the two pieces that I had cut, back together. This was a bit tricky, but I used a standard electric arc welder with 1/16th rod. It is nice and solid and the weld did not need grinding as there is plenty of room and the welds are not even visible when it was all reassembled.
e. I then re-assembled things and it all works fine. I suspect my steel replacement pin will be a little stronger than the diecast item it replaces.
Cheers,
Dave
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