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A sure sign of superior craftsmanship,
integrated wooden hinges have been part of the cabinetmaker’s portfolio for at least two
millenia. Apart from the obvious aesthetic advantage, a wooden hinge also can be glued
directly to parts for an incredibly strong joint. Wooden hinges can be formed easily to fit
unusual shapes or spaces - a real boon when designing contemporary furniture. But the most
appealing aspect of a wooden hinge is still its visual impact. Whether you use a contrasting
species to make them jump out, or a matching one that allows them to blend in, wooden hinges
always add a distinct elegance to any design.
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Select and cut your stock
Grain direction is a big factor when selecting stock for hinges. This is especially true with
wide-grained species like oak or chestnut, that move a lot as they react to changes in humidity.
Tighter species like walnut, cherry and maple will present fewer problems in the area of binding
and warping. The grain in a hinge should run the same direction as the workpiece to which it will
be glued. The grain patterns should also be similar enough that they don't expand or contract at
different rates, as this will stress the joint that holds them together.
Plan your hinge width so that it can easily be divided equally: if you want four sections in the
barrel and the width is 2-3/16", you may have a problem. You also have to drill the barrel for a
pin, so make sure the width doesn't exceed the length of your drill bit.
Planed 4/4 stock (rendered at 3/4" thickness) is ideal for hinges. It's not too bulky, yet it is
thick enough to be strong.
As with all joints, I advise making a few test pieces before milling your precious hardwoods.
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 Round over the ends
The first machining operation is to bullnose one end of each hinge. For 3/4" stock, chuck a 3/8"
radius bullnose bit in a table-mounted router (minimum 1.5 HP), then set your fence. Remove the
waste in three equal passes, to avoid stressing the bit or the router.
You could also make this cut with a roundover bit and a fence. In this case, don't rely on the
bit's guide bearing as the first cut will remove part of the bearing surface, so the second cut
will not be accurate. You must use a fence.
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 Plow Two V-grooves
Use a sharp pencil and a compass to draw a 3/4" circle on one edge of the bullnosed stock. Then chuck
a V-groove bit in your router and plow the 1/8" deep groove that separates the barrel of each hinge
from the leaf. The location of this groove is critical (as shown in the illustration, below). It just
touches the pencil line you drew with the compass.
After making the cuts, use a sharp file to remove the remaining small amount of stock between each
V-groove and its barrel, thus making the barrels fully round. Sand each hinge with the grain, using
180 grit paper.
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 Create the fingers
The interlocking sections of the barrel can be milled much in the same way that a traditional finger
joint is created. Install a dado head (the photo shows a 3/4" wide setup for our 3" hinges) in the
table saw, then attach a tall auxiliary fence to your miter gauge. Set the dado head's cutting height
at 3/4" and make a pass, cutting a groove in the scrap fence.
Use a pencil and a try square to mark a vertical line on the fence. This is to the operator's right of
the groove, and exactly twice the width of the cutter away from the cutter. (In the photo, our line is
drawn 1-1/2" from the cutter.)
Make your first cut in the right edge of the piece, then move the workpiece to the line and clamp it
in place as you make your second pass. If you go with either three or five sections in the barrel,
adjust your setup accordingly.
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 Drill for the Pin
Assemble the hinge on the drill press and clamp it in place. Center the bit on the barrel. A 1/4" bit
and pin work well with 3/4" thick hinges.
Drill the hole a little over halfway through the barrel, then turn the hinge upside down so the bottom
edge becomes the top. Clamp it back in place, center the bit and complete the hole. This will ensure
that any tiny variance in your drill press is taken into account, so the pin is centered in the barrel.
Slide a hardwood dowel into the hole, leaving one end of it a little shy (about half the width of a barrel segment).
Apply glue to the exposed dowel, then tap it home.
For projects that will recieve excessive use, epoxy a length of brass rod into the barrel, instead of
the hardwood dowel.
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Final Fitting
After the glue (or epoxy) dries, sand each hinge down to 280 grit and lightly break the sharp edges and
corners. For surface mounting, you may want to reduce the thickness of a portion of each leaf by passing
it across a dado head, or resawing on a band saw. Other installations include transforming the leaves into
tenons and housing them in mortises chopped in the parts to be hinged, or reducing them to sliding dovetails
and setting them in dovetail grooves. Whatever your application, solid hardwood hinges are guaranteed to add
visual appeal to your next project. |
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