MR-16 Birdie Parts

[wowiamsarah]

I am looking to repair a few MR-16 Birdies, and I have all of the pieces except the pieces to hold the body to the back of the fixture. Does anyone know where I could find replacements for these?

I have pictures of the pieces from complete birdies I have. The black screw is about 5mm, and the silver one is about 2mm.

 

[Amiers]

I would call Barbizon and ask them if they can source parts as they sell them or if they have specs if they are over priced. Then find a local hardware shop take the pieces in and ask for something similar. If you don’t have a small mom n pop shop you can try the big boys McMaster Carr Fastenal or Grainger.

 

[ship]

McMaster and Grainger might try but this is an assembly that will confound them. TMB directly made the fixtures, or others copied them in similar enough to this (missing a spring and some washers in photo) part assembly and stock the parts... Though I'm not sure what that last photo is a picture of. Kupo, Creative Stage Lighting, Thomas etc. also were making similar PAR cans also that I think probably have this assembly standardized to purchase from. Barbizon amongst many suppliers like I work can also source out that part often with dealer discounts no more expensive.
The photo's you provided were great, other than the last one in figuring out what assembly you need. If not washers provided, add them to both sides of the spring. Fairly standardized part I have bought many of.
Some question in terms of "Birdy" I define as a 12v MR-16 fixture as per the studio industry. Not sure what that third photo is.

 

[almorton]

Our birdies have a fixed pin opposite a sprung pin (like a full sized PAR can) - I've not come across those pictured before.

 

[ship]

Photos?

 

[almorton]

If that's for me, I won't be in the theatre again for a couple of weeks. If it's still unresolved by then I'll try to get a photo.

 

[ship]

wowiamsarah, in new thought, do you mean a rivet nut in the body of the fixture which failed/became loose? Became screwing with the knob in not tightening or loostening, just turning?​

Look up the term rivet nut on the web or thru McMaster Carr to verify in how they work even if slightly different from what you see.​

If the case, if you can remove the lamp out of the front of the fixture, grab that rivet nut with long nose pliers and hold it so as to remove the Knob.​

If you cannot extract the lamp in doing so, try some penetrating oil and let it sit so as to remove the knob hopefully later. If it turns out you cannot by way of knob loosen that cap, I remember latching curled parts or something on the other side of the can's knob. See if you can screw driver wise or something sort of bend the lamp cap out in extracting it.​

Once lamp cap off... First I would attempt to save the failed rivet nut in doing the easy first. Clamp that rivet nut down on a bench vise with a little less than gorilla tension. Than remove it from the vise and run a tap thru the rivet nut. Hopefully all is good now. If you don't have a bench vise, Vise grips is option #2. Once re-rivited, and re-tapped it will probably work again. If not, figure out what size screw it is and a McMaster rivet nut might work in replacing it. In this case, you would want a more heavy duty fluted rivet nut to replace the old one, because the hole size has already been compromized. The more heavy duty ones have a slightly larger hole size. Pay attention to drill bit required, and the manual of the rivet nut tool. Smallest size of material thickness size of heavy duty fluted rivet nut should be used. But only if you cannot fix what rivet nut is already on the fixture.​

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Me imagining what problem you are seeing for the fix I would do in remembering it's just a screw into a rivet nut to mount cap to body of fixture.​

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