steel pin in brass doorknob

[JohnD]

I got an old brass handle set for my front door lock (3R35). New ones are amazingly expensive.

It has a small brass thumb-snib to hold back the latch. This has a square steel shaft in it.

The steel has bar been cut back by a previous owner flush to the snib. I have a new piece of square steel, but can't see how to get the old one out. It is not pinned in place. I can remove the snib from the assembly.

Thinking of how it would have been made, I should think the shaft would have been pressed into place. For a small part it takes a fair amount of torque. I don't know if it would have been turned to fit in a round hole or not. The snib is quite thick-walled and does not look deformed out of round.

I'm trying to think of how to get it out so I can fit a new bar.

Any clever ideas? I do not have a drill press.

 

[Hitachimad]

How long is the bit in the hole?

What about drilling into the remainder of the bar, then putting in a screw (the bar is what, 1/4"?)
Then a gentle heat around the brass bit (watch out if its lacquered)
Brass expands more than steel with applied heat.
With it in a vice, pull on the other bit. Or a bar under the vise grips, levering on the vice jaw

Maybe

 

[Hitachimad]

Failing that, just drill it out, then use a small punch to push the corners in so it just falls out.

A good centre mark and good sharp drill bit will be required. It is easy to drill, as long as you hold it securely, and can drill a hole straight

 

[JohnD]

it wouldn't shift, I tried drilling it out. One of the corners fell out while I was drilling but I couldn't winkle the others out I ended up using a larger drill and giving the outside a squeeze to make it squareish and now have a tight enough fit to work.

"as long as you hold it securely, and can drill a hole straight"
workshop practice is one of my many failings

My new piece of square steel is very hard, I suspect it is from stock used for keyways. I tried to dremel through it for a retaining split-pin and just make a slight dimple the old one drilled fairly easily.

p.s. it is 1/8"