patio umbrella pole repair

[blaframb]

I need to know the name of the little spring loaded button that holds the upper part of the umbrella pole in place in the bottom portion of the pole. The wind grabbed my umbrella the other day and sheared the button off. The manufacturer wants $100+ dollars to replace the whole umbrella frame, when all I need is that little button. I've had no luck finding what it is really called or where I can purchase them. So, to be clear, the pole comes in two parts. The bottom part is attached to the weighted umbrella base. The upper part is held in the bottom by a button that sticks through a hole in the bottom. When you want to remove the umbrella for storage, you just push the button and lift the upper part of the pole with the umbrella on it out of the lower portion.

I need to know what the name of the button is, and where I might buy a replacement.

Thanks

[Edwin Pawlowski]

It is called the button. Doubt you will find on any place aside from the manufacturer, but you may be able to find an umbrella at a yard sale and steal it from that one. Or maybe just slip a bolt into the hole when the umbrella is in the stand.

[Jim McLaughlin]

I think its a "detent button", but where you get one to fit your specific patio umbrella I have no idea.

I wonder if you can't, especially as the summer season ends, find a replacement umbrella for a lot less than a hundred dollars.

I know a couple of years ago I piked up patio umbrellas at Costco for about $ 20.00 a piece. Not real fancy items, but servicable.

[Tony Hwang]

Hmm, Detent button? Any how I wouldn't bother. End of season sale going on. Buy another one. I doubt it is only a button. it is part of some integrated mechanism.

[Jeff Wisnia]

I fixed the same problem on our deck umbrella a few years ago, and if you value your leisure time at less than say $5 per hour, here's what I did.

I turned a button with a smaller diameter stud on its back end out of brass rod on my lathe, and made a new leaf spring out of a piece of hacksaw blade with the teeth ground off it. I drilled holes in both ends of the spring after first torch annealing the ends by clamping the spring in a vise with just the end sticking out.

I attached the new button to one end of the spring by peening over the stud and secured the other end of the spring inside the pole with a pop rivet through the pole wall.

There are two kinds of people, those who'd rather just get a new item, so th4ey can spend their free time whacking a golf ball, and guys like me who get a bizarre thrill out of doing stuff myself just for the s**ts and grins of it.

Jeff

[Jim]

replying to Jeff Wisnia, Jim wrote: Punch it through so its open inside to the other side of the pole. Get your drill with a good alum or steel bit, drill through the hole ot make a hole on the other side. Get a bolt and washer and nut that will fit throught all the way and put the nut on and tighten it.

[Kip]

I can't find any alum bits.  However, I got some Guhring cobalt twist drills in my box.  Would those work?

[Terry Coombs]

  He used a poor choice of words , probably meant bits intended to drill aluminum . Whatever , the answer is yes , the bits you have should work fine . Run 'em fast and use light pressure . And for sure center punch where you want the hole , bits tend to skate on small diameter round stuff .

[Jc03]

Drill a hole thru the pole and stick an Allen wrench in it. When you remove the umbrella, just pull the Allen key out and voila, problem solved. Takes 5mins and you don't have to replace the button at all.