Chain splitting. Or not, as the case may be.

Ok, I need some advice, by tomorrow morning please as I've got to go to the Fraserburgh show. I'm struggling to remove a few links from Cubbie's new chain, yes, struggling. A simple task, isn't it? Well here's how I've attempted it, and perhaps someone can put me right.

First, tried it like this....

...but that only pushes the pin less than half way through, like zis... ...because the pointy bit on the splitter isn't very long, so then after looking through some books, I saw a picture of it being done like this...

but same result of course, plus the bottom plate gets distored as the pin goes through and there's nothing to support it. So I got a bit cross, and took the grinder out. Ground off the top of the pin, put it in the splitter to start the pin moving and then got a punch out (approx same size as the pin) and beat the living daylights out of it, like zizz...

The problem with all the ways I've tried is that the pin gets stuck in the 'bottom' plate and if I give it one too many hits, it bends the plate. I've tried gripping it with a pair of grippy things but it doesn't shift.

Any advice? Please? Help me? It can't be that hard, can it? I did think about griding through the roller and the pin and Bob's yer wotsit, but I need the roller to go on the new joining link thingy.

Depressed.

At Cubbie Towers.

PS, and I wish this blog thing would stop adding extra spaces between my photos and paragraphs!!!

PPS- how about I grind off the top and bottom of both pins, flip the plates off and the pins should fall out...yes? I'll wait til after my chocolate pudd I think.

**********PPS I've done it, I've done it! Ground the tops of the two pins off on the link I wanted to split it at, then used the splitter to push the pins out as far as they would go, then the plate popped off and hey presto, the chain was split. Sometimes it's so darned simple it's too difficult to think of. So as it was only about 11pm by then, I fitted the chain, put the new link and plate in, was about to fit the spring clip, and noticed that the new link pins are much longer than those in the rest of the chain, meaning they stand proud of the chain face by quite a large amount. It didn't look right, but that's what came with the chain. So I lined up the old link and it's a much better fit, so popped the spring clip on, snapped it in place, wound up the adjusters to take the slack, and will set it up properly in the morning. Good to have you connected Larry - hope the chicken wasn't too hot??**********