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Hello,
I’m about to start a career as a doorhanger, so I’m just beginning to ‘learn the ropes’.
A quick question, if I may: when I’m about to remove an old door and the screws on the hinges have been painted over, what’s the best/quickest way to remove the paint on the screws so that I can get the old screws out quickly?
Thanks in advance,
Adrian.
Replies
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Try an razor knife to find slot, then a small chisel (one not used for finish work) and tap out slot of paint.
*Congratulations on your new career, Adrian!We just take an ordinary screw driver, place it in the screw slot, and give it a whack with a hammer. That is usually enough to dislodge the paint and seat the screwdriver.With multiple layers of paint, the razor knife is used, but it can scratch and deform the screw slot, so be carefull.Other tips: Build a door buck, a combination sawhorse and verticle vice to hold the door on edge, so you can rout or chop out the mortises. Buy the best hinge template you can buy, and a good doorset router/horizontal drill for the actual lock. It clamps on the door edge, and drills the holes for the doorset. Real nifty, and a great time saver.
*The lock jig -- you mean those $600 contraptions? Don't real carpenters drill freehand? (I am more likely to screw up attaching a jig and get perfect holes in the wrong place than to mess up freehand with a hole saw.)Made my own hinge templets out of plywood, just cheap i guess, but they match the hinges exactly. If you are doing a number of identical doors (and most slab doors are pretty much the same) make a full-length plywood template that you can tack to the door and rout away (with a top-bearing bit). Then there are prehung doors....
*Congratulations on your new career, Adrian!We just take an ordinary screw driver, place it in the screw slot, and give it a whack with a hammer. That is usually enough to dislodge the paint and seat the screwdriver.With multiple layers of paint, the razor knife is used, but it can scratch and deform the screw slot, so be carefull.Other tips: Build a door buck, a combination sawhorse and verticle vice to hold the door on edge, so you can rout or chop out the mortises. Buy the best hinge template you can buy, and a good doorset router/horizontal drill for the actual lock. It clamps on the door edge, and drills the holes for the doorset. Real nifty, and a great time saver.
*Andrew,The jig would not make much difference to you since you would only be doing a few doors.If this young man intends to do this professionaly he will soon find the jig money well spent.(I question if he really means to do this professionally since he needed directions on how to remove paint from a screw slot).Tauton also sells a book about work benches which gives some pretty cool ideas about door bucks. If I was going to specialize in door hanging I would work the hard waylong enough to make some informed decisions about jigs and door bucks.good Luck Adrian,...Stephen
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Thanks to all those who answered my question on removing stubborn screws -- it's great to know that there are pros who are generous enough to lend a hand. And yes Stephen, I am a beginner but I can remove a screw -- it's just that I thought someone out there might know a good tip to get the job done fast (and you know how valuable time is to a professional). Thanks again for your help.
Adrian.
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Adrian, it sounds like you need to serve some type of apprenticeship. The question about paint removal is such a mechanically basic question, that I would wonder how you would be able to do anythingat all? Maybe the question is worded wrong, but those, and a million other similare queries are what apprenticships are all about.
I value my formal apprenticeship, and would not recommend doing it anyother way. It is impossible to learn all the intricate tricks of any trade, but the process is greatly sped up with a fulltime mentor. You will be making a ton more money in a much shorter time.
Blue
*You are right, as with many tools, the economy of scale is everything. My reaction was more to the price of the jig -- a little out of proportion? It helps me understand why locksmiths are so expensive. (Adrian, you might consider locksmithy too? Good money.)Speaking of expensive, is the $1000 door hanging setup sold by Rousseau priced right?And in Adrian's defense, I don't think the screw question means he's lost in space -- just one of those blind spots where someone tells you how and you go oh. duh. why didn't I think of that? Am I right Adrian?
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Hello,
On re-reading my query, it does sound more than a little dumb - this bloke is asking for directions on how to remove a screw!! But my question arose after removing painted-over screws from several doors. I tried removing the paint via the usual ways (chisels, knives, etc.) and eventually got the job done but, like most tradesmen in their "formative" years, I thought someone out there might know an easier way. And you did Scooter (thanks)! And thanks for your defense Andrew D.
What was really encouraging though was the response to such a simple question about doorhanging. I hope this starts a new discussion subject about doorhanging -- I know I'll have heaps of questions to raise as I learn the trade.
Adrian.
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Adrian,next time hold the proper size screwdriver on a 45 degree angle at the beginning of the slot. Tap lightly and the paint comes right out. Lots of pressure will bring the screw right out. If you happen to strip the odd one simply drill the head off and turn the rest of the screw out with vise grips or channel locks. If you live in Ontario? Want a Job?
*Maybe a dab of Goof-Off (xylene?) would let the screwdriver in easier?Or get a larger hinge with a different screw layout and just rip the old one out with a pry bar. a milk bone for Blue :)
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Adrian I have found that for myself Ifind
it easiest to use an 1/8 inch slot screw driver
held at angle and tapped sharply with a hammer.
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I'd like to correct my misperception! I looked at the Tool Crib catalog and saw that the $700 door lock jig is for full mortise locksets. They have a $180 jig for cylinder locks. If you're installing a $700 mortise lock in a $2000, the $700 jig doesn't sound so bad ... if it saves you from destroying just one door, you're way ahead.
Tool crib has a page of doorhanging items, perhaps Adrian could use some.
*Adrian,Have you checked out Gary Katz's book on door hanging published by Taunton Press?? I caught him doing demos at the CBTC a few weeks ago in Baltimore.You should be able to order it from somewhere around here on the FHB or Taunton pages.
*Adrian, I'm curious. As a carpenter, I have hung tons of doors, but have never met anyone who specialized in just that. I've got to know, where are you, and would somebody there subsidize an old bucksnort to teach the young bucksnorts how to hang 'em high? Milkbones don't count.Always hopeful, BBPS Get some comfy kneepads for yourself and an impact driver for those screws.
*Billy, I've run across more than a few (in the big city, before I went back to the land). Why impact drivers? I've been wondering about them. Adrian (the other one)
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Congratulatiuons Adrian
Buy the door boring jig and a small plunge router. Make a plywood jig that clamps to the door and allows the jamb to be clamped beside it so you can rout them both at the same time. Make a jig to rout the bolt plate and one for the striker. Make all these jigs 1/8" bigger than each plate and use the router with a 1/2" mortice bit and 5/8" collar. The router will allow three depth settings which you'll need for the 3 plates. Use this router for nothing else. Good Luck!
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I'm very very green at this stuff, but I found a top-bearing bit the same diameter as the bearing easy to use, without the concern I'd forget an 1/8" somewhere or have to enlarge a radius. So you can just trace whatever you're installing and make a plywood template.
A well-hung door is a sight to behold. Especially that nice clunk (no rebound) when it confidently clicks shut. Even more so if it still does that a year later.
*Arcwood.You can buy a jig as you are describing from Lee Valley tools (They're mail order). It's made from ABS plastic, does all the strike and latch plates and the catalogue says it's made in the USA. Jig uses a 1/2" router bit with a 5/8" bushing or top bearing. I have one and it works great, it more than paid for itself on one job. It costs us Canucks $19.95 which probably means about 10 bucks for you guys south of the border (just makes me sick).You can check them out on line at http://www.leevalley.com
*Albert....now, you really should have identified yourself as a Canadian before this, don't you think?(or did I just miss it?.possible) Now I'll have to go back and reread your posts in a new light. It is very important for us NOT to get mixed up with Yankees, Aussies, Brits, etc (not that they aren't useful in their way). I hear our dollar is up to about $0.13 U.S. Lets take some pride in that , eh?
*hey Adrian - just doing a bit of AM browsing and wanted to tell you that your post regarding what you called "trivia" yesterday (master/piece)seemed more like history to me. I really enjoy that kind of stuff and would like to see more as I think it could help our sense of connection with craftsmen gone.As for you northlanders sticking together, I agree - how did that go about "hanging together or hanging seperately"?hoopin' all weekend - yb
*Anyone out there still using just a chisel? With all the talk of hand hammering in another thread, there must be some strict chiselers left.
*Yeah. When I buy the butts with the square corners, somebody always thinks I got the wrong ones. I,m usually satisfied with about 10% of my hand mortised hinges, but I,m real proud of them.
*andrew - I think you could get by with a mortising bit in a router for the "field" and cut out to your lines with a chisel, but it would be TOUGH to get the depth right with just a chisel, for any quantity at all I would use a jig.
*A lot of times, if it's just one or two doors, I'll freehand router the field, chisel to the lines. As YB says, tough to be consistent and reasonably fast with just a chisel. YB, sometimes it's like you're inside of my head, man.
*I know I felt terrible about my early efforts at hand chiseling. I realized that whatever is under the plate doesn't have to be pretty, and I really like the ease of the chisel for small simple jobs (no worry you might sneeze, like with the router, and do something very very bad). Good results came quicker when I got religion about keeping the chisels sharp, so I can whittle a bit with them (less tearing than a utility knife). Believe me, this is as close as I ever come to woodworking.It is impressive to see someone who's really proficient with hand tools.
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BB,
'been away for a week or so, so I'm just catching up with this thread. If you gotta know, I live in Australia but I got the idea of being a "specialist" door hanger from reading a few U.S. books and, of course, FHB. Not being familiar with the U.S. scene, I thought that a doorhanger was an actual job, not just a part of a carpenter's workload.
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Albert, I like the sound of $19.95, and its plastic! I might by one just to have one!
*Andrew, sign me blue!Blue
*Nice hint on the plunge router. Now, how do I justify having four routers instead of just three? My Mikata plunge is just too heavy for this sort of thing.Dennis
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Blue;
by the top bearing bit and make the guage from plywood and put the 20 bucks into diamond plate tail gate guard for the new red Dodge. Envious in Mn.
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Hello,
I'm about to start a career as a doorhanger, so I'm just beginning to 'learn the ropes'.
A quick question, if I may: when I'm about to remove an old door and the screws on the hinges have been painted over, what's the best/quickest way to remove the paint on the screws so that I can get the old screws out quickly?
Thanks in advance,
Adrian.