Door hinge question

[carrbowl]

So when we purchased our home, they put one of those high priced doors on the front ($1000) and builders have all they can do to keep them on the hinges until the house is sold.

So tonight I'm trying to take ours off the hinges so i can refinish it...I cannot for the life of me figure out whats' up!! The top pin came out no problem..the middle and bottom pin? the top of the pin, looks like the bottom of the pin and you can't just hit it out. So I think ok..lets just take off the hings and alll..,.they have two screws and two hex sort of screws in them.

So I'm thinking they did it this way because of the theft problem. So how do I get this dang door off the hinges???

carrbowl added 83 Minutes and 48 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

I have found out some information they are called fast-riveted crimp pins (just in case you couldn't sleep cuz you didn't know the answer!!!) and it appears the crimp the pin in at the bottom so even if you break the glass in the door and get inside, you can't take the door off the hinges to steal it.

I think this is the case of the adult asking the kid to open the child proof medicine bottle so the adult can get the medicine!! Geeeezzz

[kenw]

Yup, all sorts of clever ways to slow down the bad guys. We had an out-opening door on our 1st house, the builder "pinned" it by drilling a small hole and inserting a nail thru the pin that kept it from being pulled. In this case it was to prevent break-ins, no one would want the door! Bottomline is that removing the hinge from the frame or door was the only way to remove that door.

[carrbowl]

well it appears I have found something TPFers don't know something about. I will but this one in the records. I am amazed. Off to be flustered and find some bad customer care at the local hardware store. YUCK!!

[CaptainTom]

attach some photos. At least that way, if we can't help with the door we can at least criticize the photos

[Atfulldraw]

Sounds like a decorative cap on the bottom of the hinge.

Tap it with the edge of a chisel and it should pop right off. Then you can tap the pin out as usual.

[carrbowl]

Nope...not decorative..after much research and driving around...we have TWO security options and the freaking front door. Who has ever heard of such of thing!!

#1. they have a "crimp pin" on the bottom of the door hinge pin. Once they put the regular pin in from the top, they put the crimp pin in from the bottom and it crimps the other pin..thus making it virtually impossible to take the pin out without taking out the hinges. So a smart person just takes off the hinges right...

Security #2...there are 4 holes for screws in the hinge. Two are regular phillip head screws. Two are not. They look like a hexagon wrench should work, except there is a nipple in the middle. You have to have a special anti theft bit that specifically fits.

Go figure....but I'm happy I finally have my door up...with a beeeeautiful piece of plywood there for now....

[DanielSeth]

This does not solve your problem but what are you trying to do that you can't do with the door in place? I would imagine you'd be able to do any sanding, buffing, staining.. while it hangs.

[carrbowl]

The door has been getting afternoon/evening sun for 9 full years. Although we have half heartly attempted at some refinishing in those years..it is beat up bad. We don't hire out anything...well almost nothing. Can't think of the last thing we paid someone to do...so yeah I could stand on my head for 3 or 4 full days, sanding, staining and putting on several coats..but since I have to take off all the hardware anyway...why not make it a comfortable 3 or 4 days, instead of a miserable 4 days?? As if it will be fun anyway????

[kenw]

the "special" screws are what we call a security Torx drive. It uses a Torx bit (a funky kinda-sorta hex) with a hole in the driver's center.

A well placed small screwdriver with a hammer can be used to break off that pin inside the torx recess, then a regular torx bit (available at Sears, Ace, etc) can be used to remove that screw. Then find an equivalent one but with phillips drive (or whatever you like, personally i hate phillips...) instead of torx for "next time".

Or now that you have a torx bit and have removed the security pin, reuse that screw...

We refinished ours so many times that we finally gave up and bought some replacement doors. 20+ years of poorly aimed sprinklers and afternoon sun took their toll. Not cheap but well worth it. Since we had double doors, it was doubly painful.

[carrbowl]

Yes Ken, that is probably them. But I found the exact head that will take them out without much work. They are amazingly long..like 2 1/2 inches...and they are used to protect doors just like the ones you installed. I guess because our house was the first in the neighborhood they thought they better be safe...

I'm assuming you know that when you refinish the new ones you need to use marine finish not just the regular stuff? (I'm assuming because I know you know more than me...but I thought I would make sure!!!)

[kenw]

Originally Posted by carrbowl

I'm assuming you know that when you refinish the new ones you need to use marine finish not just the regular stuff? (I'm assuming because I know you know more than me...but I thought I would make sure!!!)

yup, and after doing it several times we found it much easier to use the telephone to refinish them......

[carrbowl]

lol

[Cope]

Originally Posted by carrbowl

Yes Ken, that is probably them. But I found the exact head that will take them out without much work. They are amazingly long..like 2 1/2 inches...and they are used to protect doors just like the ones you installed. I guess because our house was the first in the neighborhood they thought they better be safe...

I'm assuming you know that when you refinish the new ones you need to use marine finish not just the regular stuff? (I'm assuming because I know you know more than me...but I thought I would make sure!!!)

ken is correct that there are tamper-proof Torx bits, but there are also newer design tamper-proof hex bits. My son-in-law encountered them on an overhead projector mount. Naturally they threw away the "cheezy" allen wrench that came with the mount, and only when they needed to adjust the angle did they see the tamper-proof bolt.

[picman]

4 or 5 coats of spar varnish to start and if you want to keep it spiffy - a touch-up coat every year.

FYI Harbor Freight sells a 32 piece security bit set for $9 that will crack just about anything.