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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Campbelltown NSW
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    77
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    335

    Default Stap Hinge Jig Concept

    No doubt this has been done before but I got to thinking about a jig for strap hinges to align a box base and lid. It came to me about 5am this morning.

    I did a 3D model with a tube that slides over the router bit on a plate. The hole is centred to either side so it can be placed left or right with the side up against the router table fence. The distance to the centre is the length of the trench for the hinge minus half the diameter of the bit, that is if the trench is 28mm x 6mm the hole centre is 25mm from the edges. The distance on the short side is equal to the width of the stock minus the bit diameter and divided by two. So for 10mm stock and a 6mm bit the distance is 8mm leaving 2mm either side of the centred trench. Lastly the depth of the hole into the plate is the depth of hinge leaf.

    By holding the plate down the bit height adjustment is stopped at the correct height, the fence is set the the plate side and a stop block brought up to the plate and secured. Remove the plate (need to work on something to grab onto) and trench. Spin the plate around and relocate the stop block to the other end and complete trenching.

    In a test to prove the theory it mostly worked. I say mostly because the trench was a bit wide this is because my cheap 6mm hinges are 5.5mm and the bit 6.2mm. Add to that the cheap trim router with probably some runout and a rough set up I was not all that surprised. A decent setup and gear would yield better results. The depth and length were close to spot on.

    Screen Shot 2022-11-10 at 11.06.53 pm.png IMG_5921.jpg IMG_5922.jpg IMG_5920.jpg IMG_5923.jpg

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Emerald, QLD
    Posts
    4,486

    Default

    Very clever! I've already done half of it by drilling a suitable sized hole in a block of hardwood but using the hole depth to set the bit height is a great addition
    .
    Updated 8th of February 2024

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Leopold, Victoria
    Age
    65
    Posts
    4,677

    Default

    After seeing your concept I did as Vern did and made a version out of hardwood. I made a couple with the hole at different distances from the side to accommodate different wall thicknesses. I haven't tried them yet but I can't see that they won't work perfectly. The problem I find with the cheaper strap hinges is that a lot of them have different length arms so if you cut your rebates to the same length in all 4 locations the lid still doesn't line up with the base. I've taken to dressing up the ends of the arms very gently on a grinder so they are both exactly the same on the radius ends. Even though you remove the coating off the radius on one arm when trimming it back it's not seen as the arm is fully recessed in the slot. I still have to measure the depth of cut for the slot as my hole in the gauge goes right through. I feel more comfortable doing it this way anyhow.
    Dallas

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Campbelltown NSW
    Age
    77
    Posts
    335

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Treecycle View Post
    ……The problem I find with the cheaper strap hinges is that a lot of them have different length arms so if you cut your rebates to the same length in all 4 locations the lid still doesn't line up with the base. I've taken to dressing up the ends of the arms very gently on a grinder so they are both exactly the same on the radius ends.
    That’s the problem with making a one size fits all as I found out with the other jig for box hinges, that there is some variance in cheap mass produced hinges and some need to be individually marked before drilling.

    Quote Originally Posted by Treecycle View Post
    I still have to measure the depth of cut for the slot as my hole in the gauge goes right through. I feel more comfortable doing it this way anyhow.
    I can see the advantage in this as my jig is a bit difficult to remove with the bit in place. Lowering the router frees the jig up for removal without disturbing the stop blocks

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Leopold, Victoria
    Age
    65
    Posts
    4,677

    Default

    I had a chance to test out my hinge setting gauge on my latest box. After dressing up the ends of the cheap hinges so that both arms were the same length, the alignment of the lid and box came out perfect.
    Thanks for the inspiration.

    IMG20221124163316.jpg IMG20221124163516.jpg Alignment.JPG
    Dallas

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