Clam Shell Hinges - yet another different wooden hinging method
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
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