I am trying to remove an old gate from a wooden post. The holder screws have rusted, as have the nuts and bolts holding the gate. What is the best thing to do: should I try to cut through the metal, or force the gate off the post with a crow bar? or some other solution.
I would cut or drill out the bolts and screws to free the hinge in one piece. If the wood post were to come out then I might just cut that now. A crow bar would likely break the gate off but still leave the hinges hanging.
In similar situations I have been successful using a Dremel rotary tool with a cut-off wheel.
Charlie
solving oil (ATF, WD40) and a propane torch. heat the metal hot as you can, yank on bolts. repeat.
carl
PS don't burn down the gate:)
|I am trying to remove an old gate from a wooden post. The holder screws |have rusted, as have the nuts and bolts holding the gate. What is the |best thing to do: should I try to cut through the metal, or force the |gate off the post with a crow bar? or some other solution.
If you have a blow torch handy, heat up the screws till the burn the wood, when they should be removable. Then make good.
Keep a bucket of water handy to cool things down and put out any small fires.
| |abracad snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote: |> I am trying to remove an old gate from a wooden post. The holder screws |> have rusted, as have the nuts and bolts holding the gate. What is the |> best thing to do: should I try to cut through the metal, or force the |> gate off the post with a crow bar? or some other solution. | |solving oil (ATF, WD40) and a propane torch. heat the metal hot as you |can, yank on bolts. repeat.
As this is posted to a uk.* newsgroup, a butane torch is as good as propane.
An angle grinder will make short work of any metal. Preferably with a diamond disc, even cheap ones are vastly superior to grit discs. If your hinges are of enough value to not want to do that, drilling into the rusted fixings would take all the strength out of the bolts/screws, and enable easy removal.
NT
Left handed drill bits are good for damaged screws. They either grab and unscrew or drill it out. Either way, it comes out.
NT
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