How to repair an automatic umbrella with your own hands

Strong wind, downpour or careless use can cause the umbrella to suddenly break. Repair at home is not an easy task. However, knowing the design and repair features, you can repair the device yourself. In this article, we will talk about popular breakdowns and ways to repair an automatic umbrella with your own hands.

Repair of individual parts

Grooved spokes

They often break if the umbrella is exposed to strong winds. In this case:

1. Take an old, but not broken, grooved tube with a width of 6 mm and cut off a piece of 3 cm. In such cases, you can take an old TV antenna or transistor.
2. Straighten the ends of the broken needle, put on a new tube and clamp the ends with pliers.
3. If the tubular rivets at the ends of the spoke are damaged, insert a piece of stainless steel wire into the hole and twist the ends.

Tape

If the cause of the breakdown is a torn tape that ensures the tension of the umbrella dome, then it must be replaced.

1. Unscrew the upper plug at the top of the dome.
2. Remove the canvas.
3. Remove the retainer from the upper node.
4. Remove the knot completely, open the tube by placing your hand under it. Extreme caution is required, as there is a spring inside that can pop out.
5. After that, take out the rollers and replace the tape.

Traction

Sometimes it is necessary to replace the traction. This happens when areas of the tie rod end break due to excessive stress. For repair:

1. Place the top of the umbrella on a hard surface, compress the power spring with a dome clamp.
2. Restrain the compression of the spring, remove the rods from the hooks.
3. Make a plate from a tin can, bending it, tightly apply it.
4. Solder the broken ends with a soldering iron.
5. Fix one end of the rod with a clamp, put on an overlay and solder together.
6. Insert the second end into the pad and solder along the length.
7. After that, bring the rod connection to the starting position, close and open the umbrella several times in a row, checking the adhesion for strength.

Retainer

If the lock does not work and the umbrella does not stay closed, then perform the following actions:

1. Press on the locking protrusion, bringing it to the handle.
2. Remove the broken retainer from the rod handle and straighten it, then insert it back into place. If the metal is too brittle, replace the retainer with a new one.

If the breakdown is related to the fall of the tubular retainer from the hinge, and there are no tools at hand, then an ordinary paper clip will help. Pull the tip of the paper clip through the holes of the knitting needle and rod, and bend the end of the paper clip.

How to make a rivet from wire

If a rivet has fallen out of the hinged connection of rods and spokes, you can repair the umbrella by installing a homemade rivet made of copper wire.

1. Choose the wire depending on the size of the diameter of the holes of the spokes and the rod.
2. Before making a rivet, pull the wire through the draw hole and test for mobility. If it is too tight, rub the wire with sandpaper to reduce the diameter.
3. Form the “head” of the rivet: clamp the wire with a vise, “unrive” the edges with hammer blows. Treat the non-flat end of the wire with a fine file.
4. To install the rivet, you need to make the umbrella half-open, which the spring that opens the dome to the end will not allow you to do. Therefore, you need to tie the lower movable part of the umbrella to the handle with a rope.
5. The next step: insert the needle into the slot of the rod and insert the prepared wire. It is unnecessary to bite off with pliers, leaving a protruding part of 1 mm.
6. And the last thing: press the head of the wire to the anvil with any metal object and flatten the wire with light pressure until you get the head.

If there is no wire, you can use post nails. They are made of soft metal and therefore also rivet well.

How to disassemble an umbrella

Sometimes an umbrella can be repaired only if you disassemble it completely. This happens if you handle the umbrella in the wrong way, for example, do not use the special button, but close the umbrella with effort. The thread inside breaks, and the product does not open. In such a situation:

1. Dissolve the spokes and free them from the wire attachment.
2. Take out the pin of the base of the spokes, and carefully separate the axle from the top. At the same time, make sure that the small parts do not fall apart.
3. The handle is also detachable.
4. After the cord is replaced, the umbrella is collected.

If the threads were worn

Sometimes the complexity of the repair arises if the threads are worn. You can use a thread with a needle, and for stronger stitches you can use a steel thread.

How to remove rust

Due to the low-quality alloy, the parts of the umbrella can stain the fabric with rust stains. Rust can destroy the fabric, and the umbrella will become completely unusable. Therefore, it is better to immediately wipe with a piece of lemon and rinse with water. Grease and other pollution can be eliminated with the help of ammonia.

If the fabric is torn

Sometimes the material tears from the needle. In this case, taking a thin fishing line, you need to wrap the edge and fix it with a knot. You need to thread the ends of the fishing line into the hole of the knitting needle and fasten everything with several knots. The knots are cauterized with a lighter for greater strength.

In order to connect the dome and knitting needles, it is necessary to choose threads to match. The fabric is sewn to the needle with neat small stitches from the inside.

Umbrella repair is a procedure that requires attention and a neat attitude to details. The breakdowns listed above are quite possible to eliminate at home, while more serious problems will have to be solved by a craftsman or buy a new umbrella.