Hinge suggestions for chest

[Matthew Curtis]

What do you all recomend for a hinges on a chest? The lid is 37" x 16" Cherry.

Are there hinges that also support the weight of the lid so it does not slam shut? Or do I need hinges and other supports to do that?

[Bill Huber]

These are the ones I have used and they work fine.

There is a Torsion Calculator (http://www.rockler.com/basket/wizard_torsion.cfm) to fine which ones you need.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=21288

[Alan Mikkelsen]

I've used the Rockler ones on a couple of similar sized lids and was pleased with their application.

[Robert Chapman]

+1 on the Rockler hinges. They work really well. Called Lid-Stay Torsion Hinges. $34 to $35 per pair. Cheap compared to smashed kids fingers.

[Jim Eller]

Bill, Alan and Robert,

I'm currently doing a chest out of hickory. The lid is 22 lbs and 20" deep(40" wide). When I put the numbers in the formula on Rockler's website it tells me I need 3 - 60 in/lb hinges and 1 - 40 in/lb Lid Stay hinges for 220in/lbs. That's four hinges at $80+.

Does that seem right or is it over kill?

Jim

[Richard M. Wolfe]

I make (among other things) chests to sell and paying $19 a hinge makes me cringe. I use soft close toy box lid supports (Rockler sells them for $7) - they've gone up. They are listed in three weight ratings and two of the heavy rated ones have been enough to support any lid I've made. For hinges I use flange hinges like the ones Rockler shows at $4.50 a pair and even at that somebody's making a killing off them. I realize it was some time back and inflation does up the prices but when Trendlines was in business I bought the flange hinges from them for about eight bucks for a package of twelve.

[Jim Eller]

I use soft close toy box lid supports (Rockler sells them for $7) - they've gone up. .



Richard,

Are you talking about the spring type.

This one is thirty bucks. http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5432&filter=toy%20box%20lidsupport

Jim

[Jim Rimmer]

These are the ones I have used and they work fine.

There is a Torsion Calculator (http://www.rockler.com/basket/wizard_torsion.cfm) to fine which ones you need.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=21288
+1 for these. I used them on a blanket chest and they worked great. My lid was a little smaller than yours (I don't have exact dimensions) made of 3/4 Cherry; about 16 x 30 or so. Two hinges worked fine.

[Chris Szczygiel]

I used a piano hinge and a pair of these supports on a toybox for my first son.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=410&filter=toy%20box%20lidsupport

They work great it takes more than just a light touch to closed the lid. You really have to try to slam it shut.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

for Jim (Eller) :)

The ones I got from Rockler are:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=410

You can find them at most hardware stores and lumberyards that have a decent hardware section, but they are usually only the light ones. Not a lot of people carry the three different weight ratings. I have made a number of cedar chests having lids 42"x20" with dust lips and two of the medium rated ones are enough.

One word of caution with them. Use them only on chests made with 3/4" material. I just finished a 3 1/2' chest made of 5/8" mesquite which I lined with 1/2" aromatic cedar (including the lid) as per the customer's order (one heavy little booger :rolleyes:) and found they wouldn't work. It was because of the size and not the weight. Patch job :mad:.

[Matthew Curtis]

I like the torsion hinges from Rockler, but they are a little expensive. Any other ideas?

[Shawn Christ]

for Jim (Eller) :)

The ones I got from Rockler are:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=410

You can find them at most hardware stores and lumberyards that have a decent hardware section, but they are usually only the light ones.

I used this Rockler support on a toy box and it worked great for a few years but eventually wore out (they were sized appropriately for weight). Replaced it with a hardware store version (seemingly the same item) and it's shot too. They just don't seem to last. I would look for something else.

As for hinges, I found some basic, inexpensive (but heavy duty) brass finish hinges made by National at my local True Value and they have performed flawlessly.