Today’s excursion is all about confidence and a willingness to take a swing at something new. Opening a new door to learning, so to speak.
Scene: as you open your bathroom door to walk inside, you hear a distinct clank of something distinctly non-bathroomy hitting the floor. From the sound, it is obviously not a sponge, not soap, not a towel, not your toothbrush (thank goodness), not even a rubber duck or ducky. On investigation, it’s a long, bolt-like object, and it appears to have come from nowhere but the heavens. (A light bolt out of a bolt of lightning, you could say.)
You might be concerned at this point. This seems bad, having a random hardware offering on your floor, but it is actually not a big deal. Feel free to partake in the restroom before investigating further. Take your time, because you’ve got this.
First step (after a leisurely break): identify. To start, pick up the mysterious thing and cover yourself instantaneously in black grease. Even if you only touch it with two fingers, somehow cover both of your hands as though for night warfare. Wash your hands and retreat to the internet.
With some quick research, you’ll discover that the mystery kamikaze object is a door “hinge pin.” High five! As G.I. Joe would say, knowing is half the battle.
Next step, locate. Find out where the hinge pin lived before it took up residence on your floor. To do this, feel for an opening at the tops and bottoms of each of the hinges on your door.
If the pandemic hasn’t given you enough handwashing to last a lifetime and you could use a little more, then dive in; otherwise, you might want to wear gloves to avoid repeating the fun of step one. Theoretically, the gap you’re looking for should be at the top of the hinge, but don’t count on it. Check the bottoms, too, in case any hinges were installed upside down. (The internet will prove to you that this is oddly common.)
If at this point you’re not fully satisfied with your investigations, try simply swaying the door back and forth slowly while watching the hinges. If one set of hinges starts undulating like a breakdancing snake, that’s the one you want.
Final step (yes, you’re already there!), repatriate. It’s time to unite your unruly pin with its cozy hinge. You’ll want a hammer (and again, some gloves if you’re tired of singing happy birthday).
Insert the pin into the hinge. Get frustrated at first that it just – won’t – fit. Glare at it fiercely to show that you’re not giving up. Show no fear. Did I mention? you’ve got this.
See if the sets of hinges on the door frame are basically lined up with each other vertically, such that you could reasonably expect that the pin ought to go in, if it were the sort of well-behaved pin you’d usually hang out with. If the hinges don’t basically align, then swing the door slowly to encourage the hinges to line up neatly. If need be, close the door completely and see if that does the trick to make the undulating snake get vertical. Try to reinsert the pin, and note that it still won’t slide in. Dastardly!
Continue to look confident. You have a hammer.
With the hinge pieces still aligned and your pin inserted as much as it’s willing, hold onto the pin with one hand and, with your other hand, tap the pin assertively with your hammer. Not so assertively that you take a chunk out of the doorframe, but assertively enough that any family in the next room will wonder why you’re hammering something at 8 in the morning. Watch out for fingers. At this point, the pin will capitulate and give up on its Great Adventure to return to the comforts of home. Continue your firm, focused, and polite hammering until the pin is fully settled in again.
Remove your gloves and congratulate yourself. You faced the unknown and solved a problem you’d never even heard of a day ago. Once again, you’ve proven you are up for what life brings. Dropped hinge pin? Not a problem.
Useful Resources:
- Nice video of door hinge and pin, starting around 0:40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw0J3NLqImI&feature=emb_logo
- Hammer
- Gloves