3

enter image description here

enter image description here

What's the easiest way to remove the rivets from my lower hinge without damaging the screen door jamb.

A video of the lower hinge with rivets:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqJT5Y5BNms&t=206s

MonkeyBonkey
  • 1,087
  • 1
  • 9
  • 23

2 Answers2

4

You need to experiment. If they're tight and don't spin you can drill them out. If they're soft enough you can cut the heads off with a wood chisel. If they're loose enough you can get a nail lever behind the head and carefully see if the front or back of the rivet will break before you damage the door frame. If none of that works, carefully using a small grinding wheel on a Dremel, while risky, might work.

jay613
  • 28,850
  • 2
  • 36
  • 112
3

Drilling them out is the easiest and less damaging.

Use a drill bit a bit smaller or same size as the hole/rivet shank diameter.

crip659
  • 19,018
  • 1
  • 27
  • 51
  • 3
    It's interesting that the OP's linked video, after showing how to set the pin in the rivets, cautions not to drive the pin too deeply -- I would suggest doing exactly that, followed by drilling as you suggest. This avoids the problem of the drill bit spinning the center pin rather than drilling into it. Also sometimes the pin is steel but the rivet body is aluminum, so the drilling is much easier if the pin can be pushed out of the way first. – Greg Hill Mar 01 '23 at 16:06
  • 3
    I tend to use a bit _larger_ than the pin so it essentially cuts off the rivet flange around the hole. Then the rivet can be pushed through the surface. There should be no damage whatsoever to the surface. – isherwood Mar 01 '23 at 17:10