Hello AT,
I'm a new homeowner and I've already managed to break the hinge on my medicine cabinet -- as you can see from the photo, the pin is missing its bottom part.
As you can also see from the photo, the hinges were painted over quite thickly so it would be difficult to unscrew the old hinges and replace them with new ones, even if I was patient enough to sand off the paint. I don't really want to replace the whole cabinet because it's a) serviceable now b) recessed into the wall and c) I may decide to redo the whole bathroom in a couple of years. And tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks! Matilda
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Dear Matilda,
What a great name. Those old hinges are lovely and usually very well made (which is why they lasted so long). Do you really need to fix this? Does the pin fall out? Is the door wobbly because of this?
We would advise not removing the hinges, but replacing the pin if you must. We would then look first at a few vintage hardware stores to see if they have anything similar and then head over to the regular old hardware store.
This is not a great answer. We are basically advising that you limp along until you to a total makeover, but perhaps someone else can be more helpful. Anyone?
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Comments (13)
I'd rig it with a piece of wire while I kept my eye out for a replacement pin and decide the longterm fate of the bathroom. But I'm a bit of a scavenger . . .
also, if you know anyone with a heat gun, that would be the way to loosen up that paint if you can't dislodge the pin fragment.
I'm not sure how easy it will be to find a replacement pin for an old hinge, but it's not too difficult to find reproduction replacement hinges these days. It would be less trouble to get the paint off of the hinge than you might think, so that you could replace it/them. You could invest in a heat gun and a decent scraper (I'm guessing that you have other painted-over hardware in your house), or simply use a razor or awl to scrape the paint out of the screw heads, so they can be unscrewed with a drill.
How about screwing in a piano hinge on the inside edges?
That should take the pressure of that bottom hinge and then you would not need to do anything with it.
Picture of piano hinge here:
http://wwhardware.com/showimage.cfm/type=spec/productid/LA11248%2014A
I have not actually used a piano hinge before so maybe someone with experience can asy whether or not the closed thickness of the hinge would not allow for the apparent tight spacing in the picture.
I would be too lazy to remove that paint. A piece of wire of the right diameter is all that is needed.
I'd just use a nail. (in lue of a pin)
A nail and a screw are not the same things.
Get a few nails till you find one that fits about right in tersm of width (or take the other pin from the remaining hinge if you feel brave) Match it up, and throw it in. If it's a bit tight, a bit of wd-40 will go a long way.
Prior to inserting the nail, cut it down to size with either a hacksaw or a grinder (I love my grinder...any exuse to send sparks flying) thus removing the sharp edge and any possible hazard.
The hardware store may even do this for you.
If you do find a replacement hinge though, be sure to take a razr and outline the current hinge. That way, when you pull it up (and out) you will not also be pulling away years of latex based paint (unless thats what your going for...)
Although I would use this as an excuse to take down the doors (via removeing the other pin) and get some paint stripper.
Thanks for all your help! The pin itself is still there, but the part where it fits in on the bottom is gone. (In other words, the pin is still attached to the frame on the upper part but not lower.) It annoys me because 1) the door is wobbly 2) I'm a bit peeved at myself for breaking it in the first place 3) it leaves a small pile of dust/paint chips whenever I open and close it.
I was afraid I'd have to use paint stripper/sandpaper/razor blades to replace the hinges -- and they are great hinges that were probably there since the 1950's. Perhaps I will limp along until The Great Bathroom Makeover of 2008?
And thanks for the compliments on my name -- it took me years to make peace with it and learn to love it.
This type of hinge was very popular during the early-mid 20th century. If you cannot fix it, diy style, you can find a replacements. I've found them at Ace hardware. Here's a link to some pretty nice brass ones. http://houseofantiquehardware.com/s.nl/sc.11/category.105/.f
If the door is wobbly and the pin does not need replacing then my suggestion shuold work, as long as there is sufficient space for the thickness of the hinge when the door is closed. It will solve the wobbly door problem without having to touch the original hinge. Seriously, you should give it some thought or ask more questions if I was not clear enough.
I've done this before. You can put a little paint stripper over just the hinges and remove that paint. Then you can remove the hinges, sand what is left, paint with a sort of matching white and add new hinges. Buy yourself a good screwdriver while you're at it.
if you decide to opt for J'pups suggestion, may i suggest you embed the hinge in to place.
Let the chisel do the work, out line the hinge, and then remove the remaining debris. It should take only a few extra minutes and help in ensure the doors close properly.
jamie pup,
your suggestion is great -- thanks -- and I think I get the idea (the piano hinge goes on the inside of the cabinet, thus eliminating the futzing around with paint stripper, etc.).
Todd,
Thanks for the link! It's a nice primer on architectural styles.
Guido, Michelle, Heidi, me of me inc., Andrea,
Thanks so much for the tips! I'm going to consider all these ideas when I go off to the hardware store this weekend.
Matilda IS a very beautiful name. If Simon's Hardware is still around, it's worth a trip. It's either on 2nd or 3rd Avenue, in the 20s, I think. They are known for their treasure-trove of hard-to-find hardware. I found some impossibly obscurue bookshelf braces there a few years ago, literally for pennies. Maybe someone else can confirm that Simon's hasn't gone the way of the 2nd Avenue Deli and so many other NYC gems. Good luck.