Quality hinges for Boxes
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Can anyone direct me to some quality hinges, that cost in the 5-$10 range. I’ve only used inexpensive hinges on the dozens of projects i’ve made.( paper thin junk). Im having a hard time justifying $30 hinges. Is this where the rubber meets the road? If the work is that valuable should i start buying these great hinges. Most of the pieces are for personal use anyways, i can afford it, but it does not( hinge price) seems feasible for sustained making( selling of). What are y’all using? Thank for any and all replies.
Ron
Protect the line.
Dear Ron,
A reply: you’ve put in the effort to make an item by hand, then aren’t there good reasons to also include hardware that will honour your efforts, their result, and will not introduce anything unexpected.
Traditional or innovative, quality in materials and work are probably some of the strongest customer attractors. So, why not reward yourself, your products, and potential buyers with hinges of accuracy, precision, and finish?
Sven-Olof Jansson
London, UK; Boston, MAYou don’t mention the scale of your work, so I’ll guess.
For small boxes and such, you can go the snipe hinge route like the link below. These were found on many18th century clocks and boxes.
if the link doesn’t appear, just google “ how to make snipe hinges” and a YouTube video from Fine Woodworkng Magazine will show up. Predrill an undersized hole to prevent spelching.
I find it easier to bend the rod with the torch before cutting it. If you don’t like the clenched look, cut short and epoxy into a blind hole.
There are variations on the theme. Two hardware store cotter pins will make a hinge and cost half a buck. A 1/4” fence staple and cotter pin will make a nice hinge . A cotter pin and a small metal ring will make a matching pull. You can use a small washer as and escutcheon. remove plating with vinegar. ( soak 24 hrs) . Age by heating and dipping in linseed oil for the forged look. . Distress with heat and a propane torch and a hammer (before installing.)
I use these hinges and pulls tool boxes. Some desired ranges of opening require a small groove in the wood to hold the eye.Some other styles of forged hinges can be made with a propane torch and a hammer and make do anvil. Rat tail hinges look smart and are easy and fun to make. Just takes some rod, a small amount of sheet steel, and simple hand tools. . I’ve made small rat tail hinges with one leaf of a cheap store bought strap hinge for the flag and a piece of small rod for the tail part. A few minutes of heating and bashing the flag part up will be convincing. The tail can be any shape.
Take a little time with distressing and aging the metal and you’ll get a nice result.
Dear Sven,
Your words are strong and reinforce what i believe. Unfortunately; The cultural programming of capitalism makes me make economic decisions in my craft, sometimes for the wrong reasons. Maybe i have devalued my previous efforts, i personally don’t think so, but i did feel on more than one occasion that i wanted to install a better hinge. Is there no room for middle quality hinges of a suitable thickness available at a price closer $5-10, per pair.?
Protect the line.
As far as scale, i’m talking about hinges for dovetail ( candle boxes) 3/4″x1-1/2″ , small. A medium sized hinge of decent quality ( gauge)is readily available, at fair prices, Unfortunately the smaller size seems to equate to thinner gauge material( at most big box stores and mom and pop hardware stores.
Protect the line.
Larry,
Do you use these? they look like fun, a little rough, but i bet the kids would get a kick out of making them..I really like Adrew( the guy doing the demo). He makes some beautiful pieces.Protect the line.
This is a best kept secret in Connecticut where I grew up. Only hardware my father would let us use.
https://www.horton-brasses.com/Larry,
Do you use these? they look like fun, a little rough, but i bet the kids would get a kick out of making them..I really like Adrew( the guy doing the demo). He makes some beautiful pieces.Sure, they work better than you might think.
And they look as rough or finished as you like. Two brass cotter pins cut off and epoxied In blind holes look great. All you see then is the eyes.
They are a bit fussy to fit inlayed doors with, but work fine for lipped overlay doors and box lids. And you can hide them altogether by putting the eyes in a small grove on one side if you plan a bit. Arc Range of movement is restricted to about 90°, though.
This is a best kept secret in Connecticut where I grew up. Only hardware my father would let us use.
https://www.horton-brasses.com/The snipe hinges I showed are from the Horton web page . $29 USD for something you can make in 5 minutes.
This is a best kept secret in Connecticut where I grew up. Only hardware my father would let us use.
https://www.horton-brasses.com/The snipe hinges I showed are from the Horton web page . $29 .50 USD for something you can make in 5 minutes.
I also just used a set of hinges from Horton Brass – a bit pricey but they went on a Cherry Shaker clock that I spent hours making. Money well spent. The hinges make a statement. Quality for sure…..
I’ve posted a couple times, but the posts never show up. Stuck in moderation because of links? Look up HighPoint hinges at WoodCraft. They are about $10/pair for cabinet hinges. They were much better than the National brand hinges from the hardware store. I’ve only used them once and the work is only a few weeks old, so I can’t say more than have a look. Let’s see if this posting goes through since there aren’t any links…
An OT comment: I was told more than one link in a post is held back for moderation but my experience has been more nuanced than that. Anyway, it seems to serve no real purpose than to irritate legitimate users, IMO. Spammers have to just use one link and a legitimate post will be held-up (or never show up) even if the links are internal to this site — like to other relevant posts or a video.
Selva
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