Installing piano hinge question

Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by Man Like Mike, Jul 11, 2019.

  1. Man Like Mike

    Man Like Mike New Member

    Hi. I need to install a piano hinge to the top sheet/ lid of a box I've made. I've used a hand router to make a rebate for the hinge on the underside of the lid and mounted one leaf of the hinge in that.

    Only problem is, when I put the top sheet on the box and line it up so the front edge of the lid is flush with the front face/ side of the box, the back edge of the lid is sitting a bit less than 1mm in from the back side/ of the box. This is how I'd like the lid to sit once fixed with the hinge, ideally, as I'd like the front of the lid to actually line up with the front of the box and look fairly seamless.

    Any idea on how I go could about marking out the hinge on the back side a little in from where it should be to allow this?

    I was thinking of masking up the back edge of the box that the other hinge leaf will be fixed into, folding the hinge backwards over the back edge (after unscrewing the other leaf from the lid obviously) and drawing around the shape of the hinge onto the masking tape to get a general placement. Then just edging the edge of the hinge leaf over that line a little to get the hinge sitting further in a little. OR just drill the pilot holes a little off centre from the centre of the holes on the hinge leaf e.g. slightly towards the inside of the box, in order to have the hinge sitting in a little more. All a bit trial and error that though, not exactly hugely accurate...

    Any better ideas? Thanks
     
  2. WillyEckerslike

    WillyEckerslike Screwfix Select

    I would fit the hinge to the box and close it flat. Then lay the lid on to the box and, if I've understood you correctly, there will now be a small amount of the hinge sticking out from the back edge of the lid. If you mark the hinge where the back edge meets it (score the hinge with a utility knife) and where the ends of the hinge are, this should give you a perfect reference to fit the hinge to the lid.
     
  3. Man Like Mike

    Man Like Mike New Member

    Hi thanks for the reply. Yeah I get what you mean, only thing is it's the box itself I want the hinge to fit slightly forward on... I would't mind doing it this way but I've already cut the rebate into the lid and drilled holes, don't think I'd be able to drill any more holes in the lid close to the original holes, or glue/ plug them with something small like toothpicks are the screws themselves are so small I don't think even a toothpick will fit in the screw holes.

    I like your idea about scoring the hinge with a knife to get the position right though. I think if I do that while the hinge is fitted to the lid and front face/ side of lid is flush with the front of the box, I could then remove the hinge from the lid and fit it that way, then reattach the lid to the other leaf?
     
  4. WillyEckerslike

    WillyEckerslike Screwfix Select

    Yeah, that should work. Good luck.
     
  5. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

    You will also find that cheaper quality continuous (piano) hinges don't always line up exactly and there can be a lot of play in them
     
  6. Man Like Mike

    Man Like Mike New Member

    Whoops, forgot about this thread! Got the hinge installed all good in the end-decided not to worry about the 1mm of difference at the front and just fitted it to the lid and box to see what happened. It turned out to be very flush.

    I left the hinge leaf screwed into the rebate that I made in the underside of the top sheet, then lined the top sheet up on the box so it was flush at the front/ sides/ back etc, masked up the back side of the box and marked where each end of the other leaf sat on the top of the box. This was easy with a square as I just pushed it up to the barrel of the hinge that was sticking out the back. Then removed the hinge from the underside of the top sheet and folded it backwards over the edge of the box, in line with the markings I'd made. Fixed it with some clamps and masking tape, drilled the pilot holes and fixed it. Then propped the top sheet up on a chair behind the box and fixed the other leaf to that. All turned out great :) Also fitted a notched stay to the underside to keep the lid up which works very nicely too! Here's some pictures...

    IMG_0256.jpg IMG_0257.jpg IMG_0258.jpg
     
    WillyEckerslike likes this.

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