Freeing rust-welded hinge

Gentle heat?

Or a "cold shock rust remover" -- oil and freeze spray to let thermal expansion and shrinkage work it, and help the oil penetrate?

Thomas Prufer

In message <5_WdnbnOENKr-AP7nZ2dnZfqn snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk>, NY snipped-for-privacy@privacy.net writes

Loosen the bolt nearest the hinge. Should allow you to lever the swivel plate open slightly with a flat screwdriver.

Try Conc Hydrochloric Acid (Spirits of Salts) dripped onto the hinge several times a day. It might penetrate the gap and dissolve the rust. One problem might be the WD40 if it has got in and "protects" the rust from the acid. Wear protective glasses and don't breath the fumes.

If you can remove it from the bin, then heat it with a blowtorch, then try manipulating it...

If that does not free it, then since the hinge is off, that the chance to put on a better one :-)

First buy a blowtorch... But I had wondered about a bit of heat treatment like that. Given that this would taek off any remnants of "rust-proof" (LOL) covering, I suppose I'd go the whole hog and try to electroplate the hinge to galvanise it ;-)

The one that was supplied has curved folded ends on the flat plates which hook round ridges on the bin and lid, maybe to relieve some of the side thrust on the screws which hold the hinge in place. I wonder how essential those would be.

New hinges would certainly solve the problem. And I'd make sure I got galvanised ones. Another compost bin that we've had a lot longer has those, and there's not a sign of rust on the hinges; the two newer ones are just painted iron and they are both as rusty as hell, though only one has seized solid.

Would soaking the hinge in a bath of (for example) chainsaw oil be worth trying, or is that a waste of time?

Penetrating oil might be worth trying. Chainsaw oil is usually designed to be "sticky" so that it does not fling off the bar so readily - so not really good penetrant. Or you could try one of the de-rusting products like evaporust - just leave them to soak for a day or so.

Heat is out of the question, given the bin is plastic.

You could try vinegar but how you would apply it is the problem. Immersion is best but probably totally impractical here.

Perhaps use putty or similar to make a dam / pool around the end of the pin and pour fill with vinegar.