I have a set of mid-century modern dining chairs. The seat is supported in four corners by four metal dowel pins that insert into the legs, but have a hole in them for a screw to pull the seat down against the metal dowel pins. We're missing several of them and I'd like to repair each chair with similar parts if possible. They're about 8mm in diameter and maybe a few centimetres long.
I've added an image of the part, but I have no idea what it's called to search for replacements. I've tried searching for metal dowel pins, but none seem to have any holes in them through which a screw could pass. Is there a special name for this part? I'd love some links to a place where I could buy them online (in Canada if possible!).
Best Answer
If these chairs are from 50 years ago or so the metal pins may very well be 5/16 inch diameter. It turns out that 5/16" is 0.3125" and that is very close to 8mm which is 0.3149". If the peg is a nice fit an 8mm size would not fit into a 5/16" hole. If your pegs are indeed 5/16" in diameter you could try making your own pegs.
You can cut them with a hack saw without too much effort. A vice to hold the parts can be very helpful. Then use a file to smooth the ends and taper the end corners a bit to get rid of sharp edges.
A center punch and a hammer can then be used to make a divot into the side of the rod to make a place to start the drill bit to make the cross hole. With a properly located center punched guide it should be relatively easy to drill the hole with an electric drill.
It is possible to also purchase an eye bolt that looks like the following that would also have a smooth shank. With this you would only need to make one cut per bolt and then use the eye for the screw to secure the seat. Since the hole is going to be larger it may be necessary to use a pah head screw and a small washer on the screw.