Thread: My first attempt using a quadrant hinge

I've never tried these. I've got some sitting in a drawer in the garage, but haven't been game to try them yet. Clearing out the slot for the stay to slide into is my biggest concern.

You've done a great job with this box.

cheers,

ajw

Good effort and result Paul. I don't think I'd be game enough to rout freehand on something like that.

Lovely box, lovely hinges.

I really like quadrant hinges but I have always used a pair of plywood templates (home made, one LHS, one RHS) with a copy ring in the trimmer router or a small 1/4 inch router. I use a Dremel to cut and clean-out the slot for the stay. I have tried using the drill press for the stay slot but the Dremel works better for me.

Brusso make some superb, and very expensive quadrant hinges and also sell a very fancy brass template to rout the housings for them in both the lid and base of the box at the one time - to ensure perfect alignment TJ-680 - Brusso Hardware. I bought one of their templates and am planning to make similar templates for the Anton Gerner quadrant hinges that I like.

Wonderful!

They scare me every time. It's a nerve wracking experience, for when you are out a quarter of a smidgen....doom! Get it right and you look like a pro.

Which hinges did you end up getting?

I've been speaking with Andrew Crawford about his Smart Hinges. They are being made by a new fabricator. He sent images of how they are made.... Nice! Should be available soon.

I really like the tray, it's a nice effect. Which felt did you end up using?

Hi there Gents, and thanks for your kind comments. I just looked at that brusso hinge, wow, in excess of $100 for a pair, the box would have to be a heirloom for that price. I think the template was about $60, plus postage I guess. But your other comments regarding the dremel to cut and clean out the slot warrants some further thought. I don't have one, but will check them out at Bunnings when next in Coffs Harbour. I also want to try and get that 7.5mm brad bit, as I think that idea just might work. I'll suss out that copy ring later on also.

The hinges I ended up getting was from a chap in WA, Perth possibly, on ebay. They seem pretty good and certainly look good. I also bought a pack of his 100 brass screws to suit. The felt/fabric/suede material I bought a roll of about 5 metres I think it was, maybe even more 10. I just looked but cant find their add at present. The company was in Melbourne. I'm getting well into this roll so will have to see if I can find them again soon. It's adhesive backed, and very good. I cut a piece of 1mm white cardboard from OfficeWorks, on my guilatine to size. Then cut sufficiently more of the fabric, place it together, then trim off the edge with scissors.

Paul

Great result Paul!!

Good result

Yes there are quite a few things that can go wrong. Undoubtedly the best way to ensure a smooth and successful installation is to make a template guide. You only need the one (you can flip it over to allow for left and right) but you need both a guide for the hinge mortise and one for the stay mortise on it. Mine is made of a piece of plywood with 1/8th through cuts to use for alignment along the back of the box. I use template guides rather than pattern or template bits, much easier and safer for your project and template.

The only difficulty I've had is making the stay mortice deeper than a 1/8" standard solid carbide router bit can cut. Generally I've used a sharp 1/8" drill bit for this and although it works ok it remains the most difficult and stressful part of the job. I've looked at some 1/8" 60mm solid carbide bits to do this job, but haven't bought any yet, might have to bite the bullet. I imagine they're pretty fragile, but would probably hold up ok with the proper care.

Cheers,
David

Aldav, I was thinking about your quadrant hinges just this arvo.

I found some fantastic carbide cutters from Stewart-MacDonald: Everything for building and repairing stringed instruments! | stewmac.com when I bought their little micro adjust plunge carriage for the Dremel.

Only this arvo I was showing Ilya this great little device. It's made cutting the zillions of hinge mortises I do weekly so much easier. Previously it was a template and a bearing bit in the Festool OF1100.

I found it too big.

It would be interesting to see what templates people use for their hinges.

Sorry to subvert the thread!

All very interesting, Hey David, when your talking about your template, are you talking about this for just the marking out, in order to get both lid and base each side accurate all the time, or are you also talking about using this template to assist in your cutting for the depth of 1.5mm or 2mm or whatever.

I am interested, a photo of this would be nice also,

Thanks, Paul

Paul, I've attached a picture of the template I use for the small quadrant hinges I sell. You can see that my first effort was a stuff-up. I don't have a small router or trimmer, only a 2 1/2 hp 1/2" Makita that I use for all work out of the table. It's really too big and heavy for delicate work like this, a complete b!@#$%d to guide accurately. I keep promising myself a small one, maybe one day. The template guides all my cutting - stress free!

The alignment marks allow a very accurate set up along the back of the box and lid and the only way you can go wrong is if you round off the inside corner when cutting the hinge mortise. I set the depth of cut using a piece of scrap and then just rout away. A quality solid carbide upcut bit cuts the mortises very cleanly. To make the template you really need a set of guide bushes and a mounting in your router base for them. You wouldn't find them a waste of money as once you have them you'll find there are so may things you can use them for. Just ask Template Tom! And if you ever do buy a set get one with the big guides like this one from Carbatec - https://www.carbatec.com.au/routing-...brass-bush-set - they're so much more versatile.

I often make boxes and lids separately rather than the 'cut the lid off after' method and this virtually always makes a very deep mortise in the box side to accommodate the stay mandatory. That's where the sharp drill bit comes in, rout as deep as you can with the 1/8" router bit then finish off with the drill bit. About the only other problem you can have is binding of the stay in the hinge leaves. This is generally because the stay mortise is too deep - glue a matchstick in the bottom of the mortise - or the stay drops too far back in the mortise - glue a match stick in the back of the mortise. Of course, once you have your template organised these problems never arise. It really does take all the stress out of the exercise.

I was having a look at the hinges you bought from the EBay seller. I notice that he describes them as 'alloy' and 'gold colour'. It would be interesting to know what the base metal is, are they magnetic by any chance? If not it's probably a zinc alloy. They are almost certainly brass plated. They are probably the same as these sold on EBay UK - Pair of Bright Brass Plated Quadrant Hinges for small boxes and cases | eBay. They certainly look pretty good in the pictures and the result you've achieved is very good.

I have had one dissatisfied buyer of my hinges, he wanted his money back. He bought 5 pairs of the small ones. Mind you he didn't want to send them back, just get his money back! Eventually got out of him that he'd already sold two boxes with them fitted, damaged the next pair and couldn't restore the finish. He complained to EBay, they told him to get stuffed and didn't even contact me. The small ones I sell are very gold in colour so I suspect there is a fair amount of bronze in the mix, so they're more like guilding metal than brass. They really look classy.

Evanism, although you could be excused for thinking so I didn't mark the template with imperial measurements just for your benefit! Inches - yes really! I guess the jig you're talking about from Stewart MacDonald is their 'Saddle Routing Jig'? They certainly seem to have a specialist segment of the market nicely catered for - at a price! They're a bit rich for me, especially when you consider the prices are in US$. If you wanted a set of 1/4" shanked bits like they sell I suspect you would do better having a look for some Whiteside ones. However, don't forget that you can get 1/8" shanked bits for a fraction of the price and in a myriad of overall and cutting lengths.

Cheers,
David

This is the little base I was describing: Precision Router Base | stewmac.com and these are the bits: Carbide Downcut Inlay Router Bits | stewmac.com

The bushings are something I've been eyeballing for 4 years! Suppose I should pull my finger out and just order them..... will have to look up Template Tom

Freehand routing your hinges that's legendary stuff.

The router base looks like a nice bit of kit, but I imagine it would be around A$100 by the time you got it here. I don't think I'd get any use out of bits smaller than 1/8" diameter and even for that size this - Whiteside Router Bits RD1600 Standard Spiral Bit with Down Cut Solid Carbide 1/8-Inch Cutting Diameter and 1/2-Inch Cutting Length - Down Spiral Router Bits - Amazon.com - would seem to present much better value to me. If I did require smaller bits than 1/8" I'd be looking at printed circuit board bits with 1/8th shanks in lots of 5 or 10. They're so fragile I don't think there'd be much point in only buying one, especially at those prices.

Sorry for hijacking your thread Paul. Feel free to tell us to shut up!

Cheers,
David

Hey David, and thanks for your long reply. I'll ask a couple more questions on that in a minute. I just took 5 photos sitting at my desk here, so the pics will be pretty rough. I took the quadrant hinge, and no, its not magnetic. I took the 6mm polycarbonate base I made for my router to assist in me routering these freehand. I took 2 pics of my router, where I now must mention, my son owns this, its only a cheapie but its a good second as a small plunge router. My main router is my large Triton TRB001 or whatever, never leaves my home made router table. (I still have my 34 year old Makita 2HP router that sits under my old Triton Router table used only for biscuit joints). Then I took a pic of an accessorie that come with this router which I never use. Firstly would those Carbatec things even fit this router,.??

And with your template, you actually router into this?. The alignment marks are for the back of the box,.?

I'm a bit thick at times.

Where do you sell your hinges at?

Sorry for all these questions, trying to get your post into my head.

Regards, Paul