This blog details how I made the hinges for my latest project, ‘56’ (also now used in ‘42’). In this blog I will be making one hinge, 56mm x 76mm x 6mm. I am using dissimilar woods for contrast. These are, in this case, sycamore and walnut. I work in millimetres. For those of you using inches there are 25.4 mm to the inch. There is a calculator in the pc you are using to read this blog, its not rocket science.
I cut four blanks 56mm x 42mm x 3mm, two of sycamore and two of walnut. The hinge pin is brass, 2mm diametre x 48mm long.
In this blog I will be using three router bits for all hinge machining.
First I cut the fingers of the hinge pieces, using the 6mm straight bit, cutting 6.5mm deep to allow the hinge to rotate just over the 90°.
In this picture the sycamore pieces are under the walnut ones . Both are cut at the same time allowing exact overlay. You choose the method you want to route these, there are many jigs available. Quite a few here on LJ’s.
I cut some 6mm MDF blanks at the same time to help with later operations.
Next stage is to route a slot on what will become the two inside faces of each hinge half. I used the 45° ‘V’ bit and the following setup.
The bit is set to cut 1.4mm deep, 3mm in from the rear guide. The two side pieces of MDF are stops, double sided taped to the guide to stop the bit 3mm from each end of the hinge piece. This means the hinge pin will not be visible on the completed hinge. I prefer it this way as a pin that doesn’t show doesn’t work it’s way out of the hinge over time. If you prefer a visible pin just leave the stops out and route over the full width of the hinge.
The MDF blank allows for cutting of the v slot without breakout on the hinge finger sides.
The pin locates in the V slot
and the other half covers it, much like a clam shell
The next thing to do is round off the outer edges of the hinge fingers, to allow hinge rotation. I used the third bit, a 3mm rounding bit – with bearing. and the following setup
The MDF blank aids in positioning and also stops breakout from the finger edges. The last operations are hinge assembly. For this size of work I use Viscous CA (superglue). Its quick and accurate. I’ll let the pictures tell the story
A little light cleaning up with 240 grit and theres your hinge.
Yes there is a gap between two of the fingers. I had thought to make another one but using this one serves to prove that I am not perfect and therefore only human like everyone else.
Be seeing you
-- Martyn -- Boxologist, Pattern Juggler and Candyman of the visually challenging.
22 comments so far
longgone
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#1 posted 03-18-2012 02:49 PM
Excellent tutorial Martyn. I really appreciate these hinges and the thought/design you put into them.
Woodwrecker
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#2 posted 03-18-2012 02:50 PM
Excellent tutorial my friend.
Thank you very much.
I will favorite this one to use in the future.
Thank you again. Well done.
jeepturner
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#3 posted 03-18-2012 02:56 PM
Thanks for the blog Martyn.
Those area really nice hinges. The concept is brilliant in it’s simplicity.
I like the inclusion of the gap as evidence that you are “only human”, but I think I would need more proof. You make some amazing stuff. Thanks for sharing it with the rest of us mortals.
-- Mel,
shipwright
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#4 posted 03-18-2012 03:22 PM
Good tutorial Martyn. You make it all look so easy.
-- Paul M ..............the early bird may get the worm but it’s the second mouse that gets the cheese! http://thecanadianschooloffrenchmarquetry.com/
stefang
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#5 posted 03-18-2012 03:27 PM
Good tutorial Martyn. This is wonderful technnique and I like that the hinge ends are hidden and also locked in. I would like to make some of these boxes with my grandkids. They would love the magical inside out effect. They can cut the box joints on the scroll saw and I can do the routing, or as an alternative I can show them how to to it with a sharp chisel instead. I really like this project a lot. Thanks for sharing it with us. I am only disappointed that there are no instructions in how to use the onboard calculator, lol.
-- Mike, an American living in Norway.
Sodabowski
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#6 posted 03-18-2012 03:41 PM
Nice one Martyn :) Not rocket science but sure fine craft :)
-- Thomas - there are no problems, there are only solutions.
SASmith
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#7 posted 03-18-2012 03:55 PM
Great blog.
Into the favorites.
-- Scott Smith, Southern Illinois
BarbS
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#8 posted 03-18-2012 04:01 PM
Thanks, Martyn!
-- http://barbsid.blogspot.com/
majeagle1
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#9 posted 03-18-2012 04:35 PM
Great blog Martyn, thanks for taking the time to do this !!!!
-- Gene, Majestic Eagle Woodworks, http://majesticeagleww.etsy.com/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/majesticeagle/
Randy63
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#10 posted 03-18-2012 05:13 PM
Very good and well illustrated blog Martin. Thanks!
-- Randy, Oakdale, Ca.
patron
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#11 posted 03-18-2012 05:31 PM
excellent technique martin
love your curious and open mind
thanks for sharing
and clearing the path
-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle
eddie
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#12 posted 03-18-2012 05:50 PM
thanks Martyn one of the better blogs explained well enough that even a newbe like me gets it .know you had to stop your other projects to help show this so thanks for the time to help your a good person and the last person who i knew was perfect they killed him.
-- Jesus Is Alright with me
KnotCurser
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#13 posted 03-18-2012 08:57 PM
Very cool – I will get around to trying this one. Promise!
Thanks teach – class dismissed!!
-bob
-- Robert Rhoades WoodWorks / Email: [email protected] / www.rhoadesclan.com
SisQMark
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#14 posted 03-18-2012 09:38 PM
Thank you for taking the time to show us another way to make hinges. Great tutorial Martin. Going in my favorites.
Mark~
-- Don't waste today, it is yesterdays tomorrow!~SisQMark
a1Jim
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#15 posted 03-18-2012 09:50 PM
Super blog and great idea,sorry it took me a while to comment but it took some time to try and consider the possibility your not perfect,I came to one conclusion… your must be fibbing to us. LOL your much much closer than I am when it comes to box making ,anther project exceptionally well done.
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