I’m not new to woodworking, but my projects for the last few years have been wooden boxes and scale wooden model ships. I’ve got a pretty full featured shop and I have need of a blanket chest for storage so I thought I’d try my hand at furniture. I’ve looked around quite a bit but can’t find any designs that particularly appeal to me so I think I’ll design my own. I intend to use frame and panel construction with plywood/veneered panel sections for the sides. Rather than cut my teeth on dovetails for the corners I think I’ll use a sliding dovetail at each one. The top will be a glue up of 3 pieces of solid walnut with biscuit joinery. And that brings me to my question about hardware.
I haven’t had to worry about expansion/contraction with the small projects I’ve done but I’m well aware that I must take that into consideration with a roughly 25x42x3/4 lid. I’d like to use antique strap hinges but it occurs to me that if I screw them into place I am securing the wood to a particular width at the same time if the hinge crosses a joint. Will this invite cracking over time? If so, what’s the work around?
And secondly, somewhere I could swear I saw a hinge used on a project in some magazine fairly recently that would hold it’s position so the lid wouldn’t slam. Does anyone know what hinge I might be thinking of? Or barring that, what sort of hardware could I use that would keep the lid from slamming on little (and bigger) fingers?
Thanks so much,
Ken
Edited 7/18/2009 7:43 pm ET by SparrowHawk
Replies
Ken,
To allow movement in a 25" wide lid, you could either use undersized pan head screws/oversized holes in the hardware for expansion, anticipate or build the lid with small gaps (if the style permits) or use quartersawn lumber.
To keep the lid from slamming, I don't know of any hinges that do such a thing. What you want is a lid stay. They keep the lid open (and from opening too far). Some hold the lid up as well and require you to close the lid yourself.
and www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Thanks Chris .. yeah, a lid stay. Makes sense .. a well trained lid .. STAY! :)How much movement do you think I should allow for say an 8" wide x 3/4 thick piece of black walnut in Florida but always in A/C?Thanks Ken
Ken,I don't know Florida's climate well (humid?) or how well your AC regulates humidity, but I would take a meaningless guess and say 1/16" or more?Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
"And secondly, somewhere I could swear I saw a hinge used on a project in some magazine fairly recently that would hold it's position so the lid wouldn't slam. Does anyone know what hinge I might be thinking of? Or barring that, what sort of hardware could I use that would keep the lid from slamming on little (and bigger) fingers?"
Actually, there are such things as chest hinges that incorporate a built-in stay. Rockler sells some, though these are not the traditional type of strap hinges:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=21288&filter=chest%20hinges
Personally, I prefer a separate lid-stay, and I really like the version that Lee Valley sells. Because it's hydraulic and not based on a friction-plate system, it's unlikely that wear will make it ineffective over time:
http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=2&p=40596&cat=3,41427,41390
Regarding strap hinges, you're correct that screws could potentially cause the lid to crack, but generally speaking one uses so-called "pyramid screws" with traditional strap hinges, and these screws have a flat bottom on the head, and will allow the wooden lid to move up to the limit of the holes in the hinge.
Thank you .. that makes sense. I like the look of the strap hinges so a lid stay would be the way to go. I agree that hydraulic is better than friction - I'll definitely be using one of those and it's safer for fingers. It seems to me that it would be somewhat better to try to find a strap hinge that only attaches to one panel in the lid if possible as I would think that would minimize the risk from any variations in the amount of movement from one plank to another. Thanks again!
Ken
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