The Historic District

Lost one of two pintels for exterior shutters. Original about 3 inch to wood but can only find 1.5 inch replacements. And less robust/appears more fragile. See photos attached. I don't think the replacement can work (well) with the original and don't want to replace all four pintels for both shutters in this window. Replacing only one shutter would space the differently.

Any suggestions about where to find pintels in this size, or in a variety of sizes? And more substantial pintels? Pintels removed from windows of other houses is one option but no success searching these so far.

Or is there an effective way to use the new pintel with the existing?

Thanks.

Dave

Those originals are enormous, I pulled out my box of spares and they are all the same as your smaller one unfortunately

Mick_VT wrote:Those originals are enormous, I pulled out my box of spares and they are all the same as your smaller one unfortunately

Thanks. No wonder I haven't found a match. Guess I need an alternate plan, as they say.

Look on Ebay but do a search for more than pintels like "shutter hardware""shutter hangers", etc.

There is also Kilian Hardware (online and in Philadelphia, I think ?)that has some hard to find parts for old houses.

Willa wrote:Look on Ebay but do a search for more than pintels like "shutter hardware""shutter hangers", etc.

There is also Kilian Hardware (online and in Philadelphia, I think ?)that has some hard to find parts for old houses.

Kilian is great--I've ordered so many parts and pieces from them. Also, Hippo Hardware in OR has some unique stuff from time to time.

Have you explored options for a recast? There's a place around here (NJ) that does sand castings but it can be a bit pricey. A friend of mine used them for some hard-to-find 3-wheel tractor parts (used for dragging a baseball infield) and was happy with the result, just not thrilled about the cost...

I'd look for someone that can do metalwork. If you have an oxy-acetylene torch and the skills to heat and bend the metal rod and you can grind and shape metal you could reproduce that. I could do it, albeit it is some work but it certainly isn't the impossible. You heat it red and it bends easy, weld to build more metal, grind to remove metal. bend the basic shape then weld and grind until happy with your shape. then clean and paint. I'd just weld it up to imitate the knuckle and the bulbous shape on the end. The rest is just scraps of iron rod. the countersunk screw hole can be made afterwards on a drill press. If you want the arrow shape that can be added. I;d be tempted just to drill and tap the end of the rod to take a bolt and you can screw in what you want there depending if you want to stick it into the wood like the sample or maybe just bolt right through if the other side is accessible.
You could stick a lag bolt with the head cut off in the end if there is clearance to swing the thing to get the lag bolt to screw in.

If there is no room to turn the bracket I'd just make it so the not threaded part of the lag bolt goes into a hole in the bracket (cut the head off a lag bolt) Use a setscrew to lock it in place. ( drill and tap the bracket to accept a setscrew) then you can screw in the lag bolt leaving only a dowel showing. (by holding the lag bolt with head cut off with vice grips.) Then stick that in the hole in your bracket and tighten the setscrew.

you could visit a machine shop or maybe if there are guys that restore old tractors, or most farmers have those skills, a welder or even a farrier could likely do it or any blacksmith. take them a sample or at least printed out photos and accurate dimensions so they have something to copy.

Also check your local Craigslist. Have you looked at other houses of a similar age, with intact shutters ? The XL size may be a local peculiarity.

Sellers may not know what they are selling so the part may be listed as a hook, hanger, machine part, etc.

interesting how it's installed. it looks like even the new one would have to penetrate the arrow head thing about 2 inches into the wood. I guess that's ok if you drill a hole first and you have 2 inches. Easy when the wood is green, with our old houses made of petrified lumber you might have to be a bit gentle as to not split it. Where the missing one belongs, it might have a big hole and maybe some wood rot there?

I have to agree with Phil here - these pintels can be somewhat hard to come by even at the regular size. I'd bet a half decent blacksmith could make a repro for you given an old one as a pattern

Enot, thinking along the same lines as Phill. I would bet a local blacksmith could knock you out a couple that would look pretty close. If you get a pair made,know one would notice the difference from the cast units.