Should I use solid brass or brass plated hinge?

[Royce Meritt]

Hey everyone! Getting started on my hard sided gun case. Need your advice. This case will be donated to our local Ducks Unlimited chapter for auction at our annual banquet.

I plan to hinge the top and bottom with a 48" piano hinge. Should I spring for the SOLID brass hinge or do you think I can get by with the BRASS PLATED steel hinge? How about for the rest of the hardware (corners, latches, handle, etc.). Solid brass or brass plated?

My question boils down to a matter of $$$. As an example. a popular mail order company has both solid brass and brass plated. The solid brass hinge lists for $34.99 and the brass plated lists for $10.99. I assume there would be a similar price difference with all of the other hardware. Using brass plated hardware would save me a SUBSTANTIAL amount of money. Would it be worth it? Thanks.

[Doug Shepard]

Assuming you can find otherwise identical (size/hole pattern/etc) versions of everything in both brass and brass-plated, you might have another option. Use brass plated when you make and donate the case. Inside the case put a note that the buyer can have the hardware upgraded to solid brass for the nominal fee of $XX (whatever it costs you for the better hardware) by contacting you. That way the buyer can decide if that's important to them. Plus you could probably then keep the brass plated stuff for yourself on a future project.

[Royce Meritt]

Assuming you can find otherwise identical (size/hole pattern/etc) versions of everything in both brass and brass-plated, you might have another option. Use brass plated when you make and donate the case. Inside the case put a note that the buyer can have the hardware upgraded to solid brass for the nominal fee of $XX (whatever it costs you for the better hardware) by contacting you. That way the buyer can decide if that's important to them. Plus you could probably then keep the brass plated stuff for yourself on a future project.

Interesting idea. I'll give that some thought.

[Mike Cutler]

Dissenting opinion here. Go with solid brass hardware. The extra expense really isn't all that much and the hardware will age with the case. The winning bidder will appreciate the case more 15 years from now due to the extra attention to detail.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Looking from another angle. Your name is going on the Case isn't it?

What do you want the piece to say about your work? "Quality throughout" so worth what you charge when selling an item or "Cuts corners" to save a few bucks -Where else did he cut corners?

Just an observation, not directed at you or your work, Royce.

Bruce

[Phil Maddox]

Not to change the thread but have you thought about hinges other than "piano type"? To me a piano hinge does not look like a quality piece of hardware, no matter what it is made of.

Grandstanding aside - go for the brass. I have found that it is nearly impossible to find quality brass plated hardware. Most is just stamped and is not precise. Solid brass is not a guarantee of quality but it seems to be a step up.

Good luck.

PHil

[Hal Flynt]

Have you priced stainless steel? I can't remember the price difference, but I "think" it was between the cost of the plated vs. the solid.

Check this http://www.hardwaresource.com/Store_ViewProducts.asp?Cat=106

[Peter Gavin]

From my experience, a gun case gets pretty hard use, so I would probably go with the stronger material to ensure that in 15 years the case is still together.

Peter

[Ernie Hobbs]

I learned this lesson the hard way last year when I made a couple of tilt-top tables. I put a lesser quality brass catch on them (price was $11 compared to $35 on a good one). Both tables have required adjustment on the catch and I still am not satisfied with how they work. I thinks it is silly for us to spend hours and hours on making a fine piece of furniture just to seal it off with a cheaper piece of hardware. Just the lesson I've learned.