Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Oct 14, 2008 08:11am | #1

   The hinged bar you describe is for a drop-leaf desk, usually. They have a couple of versions at Rockler.  This page has all their Lid Support hardware.  Click here for the solid brass drop-leaf hardware, or click here for the economy version.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   
2. 
   MikeHennessy | Oct 14, 2008 02:51pm | #2

   You can extend the sides lower than the bottom of the box and hinge the door on hinges fastened to the outside bottom of the box so that when you open the door, it hits the bottom of the box and keeps it from opening farther. Hmmm. Harder to describe than do.

   Mike Hennessy
   Pittsburgh, PA

    

3. 
   Jfrostjr | Oct 14, 2008 03:43pm | #3

   I'm sure I've seen these at our local hardware store.

   Frosty

   "I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

4. 
   joinerswork | Oct 14, 2008 03:58pm | #4

   bruce,

   Couple thoughts:

   Check for room if you plan to use the desk lid hdwe, to make sure the slider has someplace to go when you close the lid.

   The two-piece hinged, or folding supports might fit, but may be problematic, in that it would likely take two hands to close the lid- one to unlock the folding joint, the other to raise the lid, could be a challenge if your hands are full of mail already.

   Butlers' tray hinges, tho a little costly, have a positive stop/support built in, both open and at 90*.

   Common hinges, plus a length of light chain attached to one side of the box and slightly inboard on the lid, might be the simplest solution.

   Ray

1. 
   brucet9 | Oct 15, 2008 03:01am | #5

   "The two-piece hinged, or folding supports might fit, but may be problematic, in that it would likely take two hands to close the lid- one to unlock the folding joint, the other to raise the lid, could be a challenge if your hands are full of mail already."Thanks for that observation. I'll have to see if that's the case. Since she has severe arthritis, any complication of use would be magnified greatly for her.
   BruceT

1. 
   tinter | Oct 15, 2008 04:58am | #6

   Take a look at quadrant hinges, they come in several different sizes. http://www.ahturf.com/catalog/itemdetails.phtml?ss=b%07QH-5%07c%07%07a%07S%07e%071%07f%0736384%07z%072b38    Chris

1. 
   brucet9 | Oct 15, 2008 06:39am | #7

   Thanks. I considered those but they look like they would intrude pretty far into the box and perhaps interfere with items of mail.
   BruceT

1. 
   tinter | Oct 15, 2008 08:24am | #8

   Hey Bruce, the hinges are fully mortised into the box sides, so they would not intrude at all into the interior of the box.   Chris

2. 
   brucet9 | Oct 15, 2008 11:42pm | #10

   Where does the quarter-circular stop go when the hinge is in the closed position?
   BruceT

3. 
   tinter | Oct 16, 2008 04:32am | #12

   Hi Bruce it goes into a mortise in the box side.  It always help to see it visually. http://www.whitechapel-ltd.com/tech/quadrant_hinges.shtml

4. 
   brucet9 | Oct 16, 2008 06:45am | #14

   Thanks.I had in mind an inset door, so of course I could not picture how a quadrant hinge would work.
   BruceT

2. 
   forestgirl | Oct 16, 2008 06:45am | #13

   "Since she has severe arthritis, any complication of use would be magnified greatly for her."  I'm wondering.....would it be possible to design the door to open when pushed, the way glass doors on entertainment centers do.  That way, she could use the side of her hand, rather than her fingers, to open it.  The trick would be getting the door to drop down gradually, not clunk down suddenly.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   brucet9 | Oct 16, 2008 06:49am | #15

   "..would it be possible to design the door to open when pushed, the way glass doors on entertainment centers do. That way, she could use the side of her hand, rather than her fingers, to open it."Interesting idea. Touch latch would be easy to open. I had been thinking of a bullet catch so there would be no interference with the mail dropping in through the slot.
   BruceT

1. 
   forestgirl | Oct 16, 2008 07:37am | #16

   I don't have arthritis, but I have had varying degrees of tendinitis in my hands; there is probably some common ground vis a vis symptoms and pain.  My thinking is that grasping or manipulating with the fingers would be more painful than just pushing with the outside of the hand, or even some part of the arm.

   Wish I had a magic answer about the dropping-down part....forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

2. 
   KungFuJesus | Oct 17, 2008 06:40am | #17

   maybe a shock like the ones for the back doors on mini vans. i know they make small ones, i just don't know where you can find one.

5. 
   RalphBarker | Oct 15, 2008 09:33pm | #9

   Just a thought, but most of the supports are designed to carry far more weight than you're dealing with here. Have you considered conventional hinges at the bottom of the door, and a length of small chain (bead or small brass links) on each side? If you wanted to get fancy, the chain could even be countersunk into the edges of the box frame.

1. 
   brucet9 | Oct 16, 2008 12:10am | #11

   Thanks, you and joinerswork have suggested the same solution. Sounds like the simplest and cheapest way to go and, as you say, plenty strong enough for such a small door.
   BruceT

6. 
   brucet9 | Jan 02, 2009 08:48am | #18

   Thanks again, everyone, for the help on my mailbox drop-down door. The simplest solution, a length of chain, was just what the doctor ordered.

   I thought I'd post pictures of the final product as well. I still have to patch the mortise where version one had a simple ball catch. MIL was worried that someone could steal her SS check, so I installed a lock yesterday.

   PS: I installed the front door, jamb and sill for her in August and made the trim of the mailbox door to evoke those raised panels.

   View Image

   View Image

   View Image

   BruceT

   
1. 
   joinerswork | Jan 03, 2009 02:28am | #19

   bruce,

   Well done!  That box looks as good as if you'd done it.

   Ray

1. 
   brucet9 | Jan 03, 2009 08:03am | #20

   Thanks again for the chain idea. I was fixated on complicated hardware that wouldn't have worked as well.BruceT

1. 
   joinerswork | Jan 03, 2009 05:35pm | #21

   bruce,

   Glad it worked for you.

   Ray

2. 
   RalphBarker | Jan 03, 2009 07:41pm | #22

   Nicely done, Bruce. Very classy looking.

3. 
   forestgirl | Jan 03, 2009 07:45pm | #23

   Wow, very handsome! forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)