What's a roll pin ? You're kidding right ?

[rfuerst911sc]

Bought a hardtop for my S and the seller pointed out a broken latch. I figured it was probably just a roll pin so that didn't bother me. When I arrived at home I removed the latch and sure enough the tiny roll pin had sheared. So I drove out the pieces and off to Home Depot to get me a roll pin. I looked through the hardware bins so I figured I'd ask someone. Elderly guy working in THE HARDWARE DEPT. so I ask him do you have roll pins ? I get the deer in the headlight look with a statement " what's a roll pin " ? . I show him the broken one and I said " one of these " . Frozen deer look continued and he said " I have no idea what that is " . Hey at least he was honest I went to Lowes and they had a bunch of roll pins and I purchased what I needed. When I got home I asked my wife do you know what a roll pin is ? She said yeah and gave a brief description which was spot on. I'm fortunate that I worked in hardware stores/home centers in my youth and learned a bunch..........I assume others are the same and that's not a safe assumption.

[jyl]

Plenty of people don't know what a roll pin is. I doubt more than 25% of my friends and family know. But an older guy working at Home Depot should know. Anyone working in a hardware store should. Unless he was working in the garden department or something.

[winders]

Some people call them "spring pins". Fastenal calls them spring pins.

[rattlsnak]

Totally surprised your wife didn't describe the baking 'rolling pin' !

[Hugh R]

Ask for a Woodruff key.

[fanaudical]

Your story doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Home Depot is a "building supply store" - not a hardware store (and employees don't know squat about "hardware"). I've given up looking for any serious hardware at Home Depot.

[Bill Douglas]

Yeah, what's a roll pin

I can show you the Makita area and I can show you the DeWalt area.

[BK911]

I didn't know what they were until I tried to drill one out. Couple of bits later I knew I was dealing with something different.

[DanielDudley]

Common to call them split pins around here.

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by DanielDudley

Common to call them split pins around here.

There are also spiral roll pins as well.

[id10t]

I was explaining how I was doign some stuff via a web api to a "senior software developer" in a different department. I mentioned that the entire GET string after it was built was salted and then hashed, and she looked at me and said "what is a hash?"

[wdfifteen]

Hash is potatoes and corned beef. Put a fried egg on top, ya got breakfast.

A guy I worked with taught me to call snap rings "Jesus clips" because when you put one in place you say, "Jesus I hope that thing doesn't come out."

[HardDrive]

I had no idea what a roll pin it.

[sugarwood]

Your wife is not normal. Not even close.

[rattlsnak]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Ask for a Woodruff key.

Totally different item which would probably lead to the same results!

[Baz]

The older gentleman at the HD was probably the father of the kid at Greyhound who asked how to spell your name....don't ya think?

[Hugh R]

Originally Posted by rattlsnak

Totally different item which would probably lead to the same results!

They wanted to send me to the key kiosk.

[Jrboulder]

Home Depot is mainly focued on component level and above repairs, remodels and new construction of houses. I really don't think I've ever encountered a roll pin in that sort of situation. IMO it's like asking for sushi at McDonald's. Lowes is more interested doing the whole hardware thing and ace is even better.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Bought a hardtop for my S and the seller pointed out a broken latch. I figured it was probably just a roll pin so that didn't bother me. When I arrived at home I removed the latch and sure enough the tiny roll pin had sheared. So I drove out the pieces and off to Home Depot to get me a roll pin. I looked through the hardware bins so I figured I'd ask someone. Elderly guy working in THE HARDWARE DEPT. so I ask him do you have roll pins ? I get the deer in the headlight look with a statement " what's a roll pin " ? . I show him the broken one and I said " one of these " . Frozen deer look continued and he said " I have no idea what that is " . Hey at least he was honest I went to Lowes and they had a bunch of roll pins and I purchased what I needed. When I got home I asked my wife do you know what a roll pin is ? She said yeah and gave a brief description which was spot on. I'm fortunate that I worked in hardware stores/home centers in my youth and learned a bunch..........I assume others are the same and that's not a safe assumption.

Guy at Home Depot probably knows where the ENTER key is? How about your wife? Show her your post!

G

[nota]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Ask for a Woodruff key.

home depot does stock them

I bought two there for a sail boat prop shaft

always buy two you are going to drop one in the bilge