Hinge Repair

[Don H]

The door on this Papa Bear I just bought is a little sloppy. I miked the pins and they are both about .004" under 3/8" (0.375) where they ride in the hinge plates. The bottom hinge plate hole is about 0.010" over at 0.385. The top hinge plate is right on the money at 0.375.

So I plan to make my own hinge pins from bolts but I would like to address the bottom hinge plate. What is the best way to fix this? I thought about running a light weld bead in the hole and grinding it out to spec. then grind with a Dremel tool. A drill won't fit, the hole is too close to the stove body.

Any suggestions?

 

[coaly]

I try bolts with long enough shank from head to threads in place of the old pins first to see how much it tightens up. Usually get away with just pins.
You can drill the hinge plate out for an oversize pin, or bushing if you have a lathe, with an "installer" bit. Or use an extension to make a drill bit longer. Installer bits are really handy to have and come in 3/8 and 1/2 inch. Tip it on its back and drill it from the bottom. Braze rod would be much easier drilling than weld. Keep them greased and they won't wear anymore.
It's easy to form the pin heads by grinding the points off a bolt head, then chuck the bolt in a drill and slowly spin against a running bench grinder wheel to make the desired shape of a rivet head.

 

[Don H]

Thanks Coaly!

My thought was to try new pins made from a a low grade bolt first. Them if needed I'd add some weld to tighten up the bottom hinge. I just need to decide if it would be easier/better to add weld to the hinge hole or the pin after it's in the door.

 

[coaly]

Not the pin, you want to be able to pop it out to grease with high temp grease or anti-seize.

 

[blades]

Having a lathe I just made very slightly tapered pins ( slightly larger than oem) to fit from drill rod- I did not harden the drill rod- the heat cycles from the stove may do that on it's own. Been working fine for the last two seasons.
This could be accomplished with a file and some sandpaper and a power drill clamped in a vise for the most redneck way, starting with and oversized bolt.
I don't know if the anitsieze compounds will stand up to the heat well enough- I would go with a dry type moly powder as the others are in a petroleum base (the copper diffused type has a higher heat rating.)

 

[Don H]

Thanks blades. The problem with a tapered pin is that the door pin hole is smaller than the stove hinge plate hole.

 

[Don H]

Not the pin, you want to be able to pop it out to grease with high temp grease or anti-seize.

Agreed. If needed I'll weld the stove hinge plate hole and grind to spec.

Also the stove has welded on the bottom plate the code "P - 9 - 16". Does this mean the stove was made in Pennsylvania in 1979 and was the 16th stove made that year?

 

[blades]

Thanks blades. The problem with a tapered pin is that the door pin hole is smaller than the stove hinge plate hole.

there is a fix for that also with out any welding, make a bushing and if there is up down play a "T"shaped bushing course it is easy for me to say these things sitting in the middle of my little machine shop, there was a time where i did a lot of more redneck type repairs aka rube goldberg style at times. most of that with hand tools to boot. Bushing the stove lugs to the same size as the door lugs is what I was getting at Hopefully at a common hardware store type dia. always better to try and not remove material if possible.
Question does the top of the stove overhang the hinge area?

 

[Don H]

Yes, enough that you couldn't get a drill to run straight from the top.

Also I went to the local building supply/hardware store and mic'ed probably 50 different 3/8" bolts. They all measured .003 - .006 under 3/8". Is a 3/8" rivet actually .375"? If so it would be worth buying a few to take up some of the slop.