Thread: Hinge Woes.

Are you using a Self Centering Hinge drill to put in your screw holes?

I lay the hinge down, mark out the holes, centre punch and drill so holes are spot on. I even mark the back of each hinge to make sure it goes in the right place.

Don't do all the holes at once. Try just boring and screwing one or two holes on each hinge and test the alignment, then you can bore the other holes slightly off centre to compensate as the countersink on the screws will pull the hinges slightly sideways (you may need to tighten and loosen different screws to get the right amount of movement). I have used this method many times on knock-down bed fittings for adjustments of 1-2mm, but the amount of movement you can get is limited by the thickness of the metal so small hinges might not move as far.

I have tried this method without success on the Butterfly hinges which do not have countersunk holes. Remember I am taping the lid to the box so there is no movement which would put it down a less than perfect hinge. Maybe ill have to try some better quality ones. The strap hinges are routered in at the exact length so there can be no sideways movement but maybe there is a little twist in them. Im all for using quality but I can't justify spending tens of dollars on a small set of hinges.

Maybe try a internal band of thin slats in the lid to line it up when closing. They'd only need to be 3-4mm protruding to align the lid.
Lyle.

Originally Posted by double.d

I have tried this method without success on the Butterfly hinges which do not have countersunk holes. Remember I am taping the lid to the box so there is no movement which would put it down a less than perfect hinge. Maybe ill have to try some better quality ones. The strap hinges are routered in at the exact length so there can be no sideways movement but maybe there is a little twist in them. Im all for using quality but I can't justify spending tens of dollars on a small set of hinges.

can you countersink the screw holes to give you that little bit of adjustment?

Originally Posted by Lyle

Maybe try a internal band of thin slats in the lid to line it up when closing. They'd only need to be 3-4mm protruding to align the lid.
Lyle.

Good idea, it will be better than taping the lid to the box when fitting the hinge. I have used this method with lift off lids.

Originally Posted by ian

can you countersink the screw holes to give you that little bit of adjustment?

The hinge holes are bigger than the screws so there is more than enough room to make adjustments and I doubt the hinge leaf would take kindly to attack from a countersunk bit.

Have you tried using super glue to hold the hinge in place, then drilling the holes? A small dab of glue on both the box and lid, pop the hinges in and quickly close the box with the lid aligned until the glue sets. This has worked for me before. Only use a small amount of glue. You don't want it to squeeze through the screw holes and glue the leaves of the hinges together...

cheers,

ajw

ajw, what would be the difference between your method and taping the lid to the box as I do ?

Sorry for the late reply. I use a small machinist' s square to outline the edges of the hinge. When hinges can be mortised I scribe the outline and chisel. Otherwise a small pencil outline will do.
So many things can go wrong with hinge alignment - it's best to keep your eye on how square they are if your case is perfect square.

I use both Lyle and AJW's methods and they work for me.


I like an internal lip or liner on the box to guide the top as it closes, but better still I like the fact that as the top closes and the air is forced out it is trying to get through a progressively smaller gap as the lid comes down, cushioning the lid at the end. The box then closes with a whoosh rather than a clunk (apologies for the technical terms).


For butt or rail hinges I use the dab of superglue then close up the box square until it sets. I put a tiny piece of tape over the holes on the hinges to stop any overenthusiastic glue from coming through and sticking the hinges together. If you try this method then open and close the box when dry you'll at least know whether it is the hinge placement that is causing the problem or whether it is the screws.


These methods work for me whether I use Brusso or cheapie hinges. Using a drill press to get the screw holes absolutely plumb also made a difference as I found that even if I got the screw centred, the slightest angle when putting the screws in pulled the hinge very slightly out of alignment.


Happy hingeing!

Thanks for the replies. I have made a few more boxes now and have taken greater care and notice of what is happening during the process.

The butterfly hinge problem can be cured by just taking more care in getting one screw per hinge right and using the rest to fine tune the adjustment.

With the strap hinges i was leaving the knuckle of the hinge protruding outside the box which was leaving me open to minute variances so i have found it easier to route the whole hinge in so the knuckle is flush with the back of the box. This means that i have to chamfer the back edge of the lid and box to save from binding but i find it doesn't detract from the look so this will be the way to go from now on.