I Want To Replace The Hinges On My Kitchen Cabinet But They Have Been Painted Over How Can I Remove Them?

This answer is probably not going to be useful for the original poster, but might be helpful for those who read it in the future.

I just went through the same thing after buying my first home, a definite fixer-upper. The previous owners had painted over the hinges a number of times and it was a giant pain to get the hinges off. I sprayed the hinges with Goof Off, an adhesive remover that also works on latex paints. I kept spraying the hinges and especially the screws until the gunked on paint had softened enough that I was able to brute force the screw. In only one case did I have to drill a hole into the screw to get the screw out.

Once the screws were out and the hinges removed, I sprayed Goof Off over the area and used a small (3 inch, maybe) putty knife to scrape off the excess as much as possible. Once the paint was as smooth as I could get it with the adhesive remover and putty knife, I waited for the paint to dry (from the Goof Off). Then I used a small power palm sander to sand over the remaining ridges and bumps to try to get it smooth before repainting.

I am still in the midst of this project, but this was how I was able to get the doors and hinges off of my old kitchen cabinets. I'm planning to repaint the cabinet interiors (which are a very dark and dingy muddy brown) and cabinet face a nice bright white, and then to cut out beadboard (from the large 4 x 8 foot panels) to reface the front of the doors. The doors will also be white (kitchen enamel paint from Lowe's), and I have new brushed satin cabinet pulls and knobs. Hopefully it will look far better than the previous dirty cream and fire engine red!

I just took the doors off my kitchen cabinets to strip and refinish them.  It took me days and trips to the hardware store because the screws were painted, rusty and lousy (the heads got deformed so easily, like the metal was soft).  This is what I learned:  Don't try to use a power tool to get the screws out - it just messes up the heads so you can't get any purchase in them.  Do get the paint out with paint thinner and a pin or toothpick.  If the screws are stubborn (mine were), take a few to the hardware store and get someone to sell you a new "sharp" screwdriver that exactly fits.  Try doing one per day.  It only works when you're calm.  In my case, I could get the screws out of the door side but many hinges were still stuck to the cabinets.  I could at least proceed with stripping the doors.  Hinges were easier to work with without the weight of the doors on them.  Finally had to resort to asking a person with stronger arms and bigger hands to remove the last 13.  What a relief to see them coming off! Good luck!

There's no magic to it, you have to get at the screws in the hing. Depends on much paint is over the thread of the screw. If you can get at them - unscrew them. Then take a razor blade and cut around the hing to loosen the paint. If they're still stuck, use hammer and flat head screw driver to get underneath the hing to pry it up.

Removing the hinges and knobs is not a big deal. Are you simply repainting the cabinets or will you be stripping them first? If you plan on painting over, then you will need to sand where you remove the hinges so that the surface is a smooth as possible (it will give you the best finished product). You could try stripping the hinges, but if you want new hinges, take the original hinge to the hardware store and see if you can match it up. If you can't and have to have a completely different style of hinge, make sure that it will work with your doors. You may also have to fill the holes left by the original hinges and knobs before you paint the cabinets. Read the instructions on the filler to see if you need to prime the cabinets before painting so that the filler won't be visible after you paint.

Use a razor blade or small flat head screw drive to go around the screw head and around the hinges. I think the main thing to worry about is when removing the hinges the paint will peel off. Either way it's not that big of a deal since you are going to paint over it. When you paint the new ones paint the hinge separate from the screws and the cabinet. and then they won't stick but will still allow you to unscrew them.