Thread: Brass Butt Hinges - Expecting Too Much?

You're not being too fussy.

Originally Posted by silentC

only to discover that they have about a 1mm slop in them.

Whatever happened to quality control ?

I usually steer clear of the bubble pack stuff - Zenith brand (the only brand worse than that would have to be Medallist). Trouble is the only other choice down here is to purchase by mail, which is what I will have to do. The cabinet makers don't use butt hinges any more and the door place only has 75mm and up.

And you probably paid too much for them too.

When I was back at Christmas, I saw the prices of the hinges at bunnies, and couldn't stop shaking my head.

Only because a couple weeks earlier I bought 4 pressed brass hinges with screws for the exorbitant sum of about $3. They were nice and tight, and only needed a couple minutes to polish them up.

Can you tighten them up with a hammer and punch? You shouldn't have to, but whaddya expect these days?

And you probably paid too much for them too.

I picked them up cheap at a sale. Suppose they'll be OK for something that doesn't matter.

Can you tighten them up with a hammer and punch?

Yeah, maybe I can. I'll give it a try - nothing to lose.

I think I might order some from Goods & Chattels though.

Silent, I use brass hinges a lot, & agree that the things you get in the bubble packs are both flimsy and sloppy, be they brass or steel. There is a well-known independant hardware store here in Brissy that sells loose brass hinges of somewhat variable quality, but mostly OK, and at quite reasonable prices, so they are around. I usually pick up a few sets each of the sizes I most use whenever I go there - haven't been in a while, so I hope they still carry them, my stock is getting dangerously low!
Cheers,

Goods & Chattels and Elraco (thanks Harry) sell the size I'm after (2 1/2 * 5/8) for about $2.70 each.

Boxmakers Brassware sell the same thing for $11 a pair. I guess the Boxmakers ones are going to be thicker.

I prefer the type that has an odd number of loops (what's the technical term for the bits that form the barrel?) so that one leaf has the pin at each end. The even numbered ones don't look right to me. Boxmakers are the latter, the other two are the former, so I'll give one of them a go.

McPherson brass also still make the high quality ones, all in an alexandria factory.

Buy them from Lincoln Sentry, Nover, etc....

Cheers,

eddie