A LITTLE SCARE LASTNIGHT

[greenergrass]

I had a good bed of coals and loaded up my stove for the overnight burn. When I went to close the door one of the hinge pins fell out!! Finally after what seemed like forever I was able to get everthing back together. After work today I am going to invest in a couple of cotter pins and pay more attention from now on.

 

[Jay H]

Not being familiar with the VC... you mean one cotter pin comes out and the door falls off? Interesting... Glad to hear everything turned out well though. Must of been pretty raging in there and the door must of been pretty hot...

Jay

 

[Andre B.]

The top pin on mine works its way up a little each time the door is opened. So far I just keep tapping it down hopping it will wear in and stay put, but I may have to drill a small hole and put in a cotter pin or turn a grove on in a use a C clip.

 

[elkimmeg]

Many Vc models have optional fire screen open fire . some have doors tha have spring loade pins to make them removable
push down or lift up tilt and remove

 

[babalu87]

Nice hefty pins with TWO shoulders held in by set-screws, they do have a habit of squeeking but a little pencil lead takes care of that.

 

[jjbaer]

The top pin on mine works its way up a little each time the door is opened. So far I just keep tapping it down hopping it will wear in and stay put, but I may have to drill a small hole and put in a cotter pin or turn a grove on in a use a C clip.

Hinge pins in doors in your home work the same way...they get a little dirty and, due to increased friction they can eventually work their way out of the hinge hole just like backing a screw out of a piece of wood. The solution for a critical item like a stove is (if possible) to put a cotter pin in it, otherwise, remove the hinge pin, clean it and the door hinge hole, then lubricate both the pin and hinge hole so that the pin more freely rotates.

 

[Jags]

The top pin on mine works its way up a little each time the door is opened. So far I just keep tapping it down hopping it will wear in and stay put, but I may have to drill a small hole and put in a cotter pin or turn a grove on in a use a C clip.

Hinge pins in doors in your home work the same way...they get a little dirty and, due to increased friction they can eventually work their way out of the hinge hole just like backing a screw out of a piece of wood. The solution for a critical item like a stove is (if possible) to put a cotter pin in it, otherwise, remove the hinge pin, clean it and the door hinge hole, then lubricate both the pin and hinge hole so that the pin more freely rotates.

May I add, to lubricate it with a non-petroleum base lube, such as graphite. Otherwise stinky, smoky stuff might start to happen, or it may simply "burn off" and there goes your lube. As stated above, pencil lead will work in a pinch. Just "color" the pin with a standard ol' pencil.

 

[wg_bent]

I've tried graphite powder on hing and latch parts, but it doesn't seem to get into the needed places well. The better option is a product I use on my Bike chain called Pedro's dry lube. It's a PTFE lube that doesn't seem to burn off, at least for several weeks. Once I put this on the pins and latch, the operation has been amazingly smooth and silent.

 

[Corey]

Wow - never knew so much attention was devoted to the humble hinge pin. Mine just look like a couple of steel rivets that are not flared on the bottom. They drop in the holes on the door and the stove and that is it...no squeaking, no lube, no falling out, no working up.

(Now watch...I'll go home tonight and one will fall right out!)

Corey

 

[Jags]

I've tried graphite powder on hing and latch parts, but it doesn't seem to get into the needed places well. The better option is a product I use on my Bike chain called Pedro's dry lube. It's a PTFE lube that doesn't seem to burn off, at least for several weeks. Once I put this on the pins and latch, the operation has been amazingly smooth and silent.

Good point Warren, some "dry" spray lubes may actually work better than that old tube of fine powder graphite. I used to use some on the chains for my quad runners that worked quite well.

Of course you could always just glob a bunch of that old red, high temp RTV on that pin and Gluer' down :gulp: (just kidding here, guys and gals).

 

[stoveguy2esw]

The top pin on mine works its way up a little each time the door is opened. So far I just keep tapping it down hopping it will wear in and stay put, but I may have to drill a small hole and put in a cotter pin or turn a grove on in a use a C clip.

if its a vertical pin (gravity holds in) and it keeps walking up , try this, when the stove is out and you can remove the pin, pull it out and rub in a little dry graphite (lubricant which cannot burn) on the part of the pin which is in the lower part of the hinge, if its slick there it mauy not walk back up and out. hope this helps, as for the horizontal pin in the first post , the cotter pin thing may be the way to go.

 

[jabush]

I've tried graphite powder on hing and latch parts, but it doesn't seem to get into the needed places well. The better option is a product I use on my Bike chain called Pedro's dry lube. It's a PTFE lube that doesn't seem to burn off, at least for several weeks. Once I put this on the pins and latch, the operation has been amazingly smooth and silent.

Good point Warren, some "dry" spray lubes may actually work better than that old tube of fine powder graphite. I used to use some on the chains for my quad runners that worked quite well.

Of course you could always just glob a bunch of that old red, high temp RTV on that pin and Gluer' down :gulp: (just kidding here, guys and gals).

Thanks Warren for the great idea!! After I read your post I dug up my can of liquid wrench dry lube (with PTFE) and sprayed my (spin style) draft controls.
Worked like a charm!!