Hinge-knuckle gremlins

4 years ago

So I decided to clean up all my door hinges (previous owner slobbered way too much primer/paint on) and the result is clean brass with the 'Standard' logo now visible.

All the doors hung with no problems.. except for one! The hinge knuckles just won't line up (appx 1/16" off). I'm not sure why, since I followed same method for the ones that worked. It's like a knuckle gremlin snuck in and played a prank on me.

Every online tutorial goes over the 'knuckle bender' wrench for sagging doors, but nothing for my issue. So I turn to the Houzz hive mind.

Some things I've tried -- Swapping out other pairs, but no other combinations worked.

Any other ideas?

Maybe grind off 1/16" of brass to create some clearance?

Or extend/chip away 1/16" of the mortise?

Or buy some new brass hinges and hope they fit?

Hopefully I'm just overlooking something obvious. Thanks in advance.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

ci_lantro
4 years ago
The jamb side hinge leaf looks like it is not properly seated in the mortise.
cat_ky
4 years ago
The top part of that hinge leaf, also looks like it is bent upwards a bit. Might want to make sure that is straight. You can tap it lightly with a hammer. I also agree, it looks like it is not properly seated . Might want to remove it and try again.
Related Professionals
Des Moines Cabinets & Cabinetry · Temecula Cabinets & Cabinetry · Hilton Head Island Carpenters · Petersburg Carpenters · Mankato Carpenters · Brattleboro Carpenters · Las Vegas Flooring Contractors · Worthington Home Remodeling · Las Vegas Home Remodeling · Abilene General Contractors · Lebanon General Contractors · Winston-Salem Bathroom Remodelers · Superior Bathroom Remodelers · Bloomington Kitchen Remodelers · Calgary Kitchen Remodelers
reivegas
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you. I will try to upload better photos, but they should show hinges fitting snugly and flush in mortise.

Another thought I just had was that after I cleaned paint off hinges, I just randomly replaced them back onto my other 5 doors (didn’t label them). Although they are the same shape/size/model, could it be I just got unlucky on the last fitting?
reivegas
Original Author
4 years ago
Hinges seem to be snug and flush (guest bathroom door)
reivegas
Original Author
4 years ago
And to fully address Cat Ky’s comment, the knuckle holes for both the top and bottom hinges do seem to line up properly so that the pin fits in. However, I can only test the hinges one at a time because of the odd 1/16” discrepancy. So I’m curious if you’re suggesting to get a crescent wrench or knuckle bender and slightly bend knuckles? Maybe that slight change in arc will correct the 1/16”..
cat_ky
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Yes, thats what I meant. .. A hammer to tap them down a bit, since they do look slightly crooked in picture. However, you might try Stax option first. Loosen, fit the hinge in, and tighten up again. If you should do this in the future, only remove one hinge set at a time, and clean it, and put it all back on, and then the other set. Not all together, nor all doors together. Its too easy to get the wrong set back up. They may all look alike (like kitchen cabinets), but, they may have been altered originally so they actually only work well in one location.