Answers.Body: <p>In most cases it's best to to pry a brick by it's length (the bricks longest side). The base of the hinge brick can be removed with a crowbar. The crowbar brick <a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=92585&amp;in=S" rel="nofollow noreferrer">can be found in many sets (particularly CITY Police sets)</a> but I consider it to be the most versatile.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/P2MMH.jpg" alt="enter image description here"> </p>
  
  <p>There are many other minifig utensils that can be helpful in removing different types of bricks:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=6246a" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Screwdriver</a>: + Small, with a flat edge, - Flexible</li>
  <li><a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3841" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Pickaxe</a>: + Works well in tight spaces, - Pick head is too thick for most bricks</li>
  <li><a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3835" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Axe</a>: + Can also be used in tight spaces, - Poor leverage</li>
  <li><a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=2542" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Oar</a>: + Long with a flat side, +/- Flexible</li>
  <li><a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3837" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Shovel</a>: + Handy for removing <a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=4073" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Plate, Round 1 x 1</a>, - Not much use for other bricks</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Any minifig utensil or non-LEGO tool made of plastic would be better then using a knife or a screwdriver made out of metal which cuts into LEGO like hard butter.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-02-28T17:40:36.533Z
Answers.Text: Curious, that list of sets is very wrong - the crowbar also appears in pretty much every [LEGO Game set](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemInv.asp?G=3857) that comes with a die as it's the best way to remove the 2x2 tiles from the faces.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Zhaph - Ben Duguid
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-02-28T18:41:14.040Z
Answers.Text: @Zhaph-BenDuguid: It's listed under [Gear](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=92585&in=G) as it's a board game.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-02-28T20:12:23.270Z
Answers.Text: Still seems to confuse things unnecessarily ;)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Zhaph - Ben Duguid
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-02-28T17:24:44.400Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-12-16T12:58:42.140Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-12-16T12:58:42.140Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Answers.Body: <p>I have used the nail cleaner tip on my Leatherman pocket tool in similar situations. </p>
  
  <p>Update: Like Grandpappy says, you may have to flex the larger plate ever so slightly to get started. Once you've created a tiny opening, you can get a tool in there to pry the pieces apart. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-02-28T16:15:09.617Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-02-28T16:58:34.260Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2012-02-28T16:58:34.260Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Peter Hoh
Answers.Body: <p>Often in these cases, I have been able to flex the plate the piece is on a little.  This allows you to get a fingernail or small tool under the lip of the thing in the middle of the larger plate.  If you don't flex too much, you won't do any permanent damage to it.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-02-28T19:06:09.470Z
Answers.Text: You can flex the plate quite a bit before you do any permanent damage. I do this quite often when a piece is being stubborn.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Robert C. Barth
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-02-28T16:38:42.660Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-02-28T16:38:42.660Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nathan
Body: <p>I've recently had some trouble removing a 1x4 hinge tile from the middle of a plate:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/lljhj.png" alt="Hinge Tile 1x4 on a Plate"></p>
  
  <p>Even when they are on the edge of the plate there isn't a lot of areas you can use to gain the traction to remove the hinge plate. Unlike the <a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/a/449/56">modern jumper plates</a> these don't appear to have been "upgraded" with a groove.</p>
  
  <p>I want to avoid breaking the fingers, especially on some older elements that I own.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-02-29T20:06:27.353Z
Comments.Text: I don't think it will ever be upgraded to "with groove" since LEGO doesn't use that type of hinge any longer.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Tags: <tools><disassembly>
Title: How should I remove a Hinge Tile, especially in the middle of a plate?
UserDisplayName: Zhaph - Ben Duguid
ThreadText: # How should I remove a Hinge Tile, especially in the middle of a plate?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-02-28)
  
  I've recently had some trouble removing a 1x4 hinge tile from the middle of a plate:
  
  ![Hinge Tile 1x4 on a Plate](https://i.sstatic.net/lljhj.png)
  
  Even when they are on the edge of the plate there isn't a lot of areas you can use to gain the traction to remove the hinge plate. Unlike the [modern jumper plates](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/a/449/56) these don't appear to have been "upgraded" with a groove.
  
  I want to avoid breaking the fingers, especially on some older elements that I own.
  
  **Tags:** tools, disassembly
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: I don't think it will ever be upgraded to "with groove" since LEGO doesn't use that type of hinge any longer.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2012-02-28. Score: 10 | Accepted answer
  
  Often in these cases, I have been able to flex the plate the piece is on a little. This allows you to get a fingernail or small tool under the lip of the thing in the middle of the larger plate. If you don't flex too much, you won't do any permanent damage to it.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: You can flex the plate quite a bit before you do any permanent damage. I do this quite often when a piece is being stubborn.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2012-02-28. Score: 8
  
  In most cases it's best to to pry a brick by it's length (the bricks longest side). The base of the hinge brick can be removed with a crowbar. The crowbar brick [can be found in many sets (particularly CITY Police sets)](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=92585&in=S) but I consider it to be the most versatile.
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/P2MMH.jpg)
  
  There are many other minifig utensils that can be helpful in removing different types of bricks:
  
  * [Screwdriver](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=6246a): + Small, with a flat edge, - Flexible
  * [Pickaxe](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3841): + Works well in tight spaces, - Pick head is too thick for most bricks
  * [Axe](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3835): + Can also be used in tight spaces, - Poor leverage
  * [Oar](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=2542): + Long with a flat side, +/- Flexible
  * [Shovel](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3837): + Handy for removing [Plate, Round 1 x 1](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=4073), - Not much use for other bricks
  
  Any minifig utensil or non-LEGO tool made of plastic would be better then using a knife or a screwdriver made out of metal which cuts into LEGO like hard butter.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Curious, that list of sets is very wrong - the crowbar also appears in pretty much every [LEGO Game set](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemInv.asp?G=3857) that comes with a die as it's the best way to remove the 2x2 tiles from the faces.  
  > **username_2**: @username_0-BenDuguid: It's listed under [Gear](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=92585&in=G) as it's a board game.  
  > **username_0**: Still seems to confuse things unnecessarily ;)  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2012-02-28. Score: 1
  
  I have used the nail cleaner tip on my Leatherman pocket tool in similar situations.
  
  Update: Like Grandpappy says, you may have to flex the larger plate ever so slightly to get started. Once you've created a tiny opening, you can get a tool in there to pry the pieces apart.
  
  
  ---
  
  