getting a Piano hinge right

mumble · 12 Jul 2017

Have done a couple of small boxes, both have been let down by my inability to get the hinges right. I am for the want of a better description making a blanket box. This needs a piano hinge. So my question is how do I get it so when it closes it is just right?

profchris · 12 Jul 2017

What I do on ukulele cases is to fit the lid to the box and tape it firmly in place. Then I place the hinge so the pivot runs along the join and tape that firmly in place. Finally I drill my holes, erring perhaps a tiny fraction away from the join line. Seems to work.

sunnybob · 13 Jul 2017

If youre putting the hinge inside so that it is not visble, you need to inlet both box and lid.
Use a vernier to measure the thickness of the hinge at the pin. divide by 2. Thats the depth you need to inlet.
measure the distance from the centre of the pin to the rear of the hinge. Thats the distance back that the inlet needs to be.
make sure your screws are small enough that the head fits flush inside the countersink on the hinge, or they will force the box open.
You can err a few thousandths of an inch deeper on the inlet, as you can always pack it back out with a piece of paper or card, but if youre not deep enough you have to start all over again.

RobinBHM · 13 Jul 2017

Piano hinges need special small head screws usually

Mike Jordan · 13 Jul 2017

I often run a small rebate in each piece that the hinge sits in, just the thickness of the leaf, this means the location is spot on each time. The worst aspect of piano hinge is that the countersinking is rarely deep enough to take even the smallest screw head. Some manufacturers make very little effort in this respect, doing it yourself takes forever!

Myfordman · 13 Jul 2017

The trick to getting a decent counter sink in a piano hinge is not to try and cut metal away with a countersink but instead to press a countersink into the material and make room for this by countersinking the wood underneath. A simple jig and a drill press can achieve this with care.