Hinge Pin Removal
 Removing the Hinge Pin Hydraulically by Andrew Starz
Recently we ran an automatic alarm in an empty aircraft hanger with offices and a training room attached. With “Nothing Showing” from the exterior our Company Officer decided to gain access. We attempted to gain entry by the least amount of damage possible due to the nature of the call and prior history with this building.
The front door was an outward swinging door with pinned hinges for hardware. Both the top and middle pins were removed but we were having a difficult time removing the bottom pin because the hinge was just inches from the base of the door. This left little to no room for leverage to pop the pin. Because we could not gain entry without causing damage to the door we waited for the owner to unlock the door allowing us inside.
After we returned from the call I started working out possible solutions in my head and found a door to practice on that had the same set-up. Â I came up with a solution to this unique problem.
Here we have an outward swinging door on three Baldwin Hinges, with a NRP (Non Removable Pin) plug;
Note: this door’s bottom hinge does leave enough room for normal pin removal, but for training purposes we cannot get enough leverage to get the pin out;
The first step is to remove the NRP plug from the Hinge. Griping the NRP plug with a pair of pliers or snips and taping downward on your tool should displace the plug;
NRP Plugs;
The next step is to remove both the top and middle pins from their hinges. To remove the bottom pin, set your spreaders vertically underneath the hinge. Using one of the pins removed from the other two hinges you can now extend your spreaders slowly. This will drive the pin loose from the hinge;
This technique may not work every time. It takes a few minutes to set up and remove the pin, and you may have enough working room to remove the pin conventionally. But this can be just another one of those tools in your bag. Â (Note: A Hydra-Ram II can also be used depending on the available space.)