I need a pair of 3” long square butler’s tray table hinges.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I’m restoring a butlers tray table. The hinges have to be square and 1 1/2 x 3”. I find that size only in round hinges. All the square ones are 2 1/2” long. Anyone have a source?

As you see, one side is longer than the other. They are mortised into the top, so I have to fit the same size or larger. (I can widen/lengthen the mortise, but prefer not to fill a gap.) They have to be butler tray hinges, because they have a stop that keeps them from sagging when open.

506166 506167

Thanks in advance.

[Doug Garson]

Try Whitechapel Ltd, I see some similar hinges in their catalogue (4 or 5 year old one)
https://whitechapel-ltd.com/

[mike calabrese]

possibly these
https://www.hingeoutlet.com/products/butler-tray-hinges-polished-solid-brass-multiple-sizes-square-round-ends-available?variant=14398606770225&gclid=CjwKCAjw5_GmBhBIEiwA5QSMxOt6ChXar8s0x9CeiuF9 p0KKjX_Y5Lv37zwg2MzG27LVBT-9EkAAtRoCaYQQAvD_BwE
calabrese55

[Mel Fulks]

I bought some many years ago for a butler’s tray table I made , as I had wanted one since childhood. I’ve bought a couple at yard sales
and such. I don’t buy the ones with the round end hinges, no likee . I had thought they were all same size…’til a found a really large one. The early ones were the real thing as the table tops were just held in place with pegs. I dare say only the male real butlers
carried those trays , too heavy for the maids .

[Gordon Dale]

Rockler sells butler tray hinges.

Later edit: sorry, Rockler hinges are round.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

possibly these
https://www.hingeoutlet.com/products/butler-tray-hinges-polished-solid-brass-multiple-sizes-square-round-ends-available?variant=14398606770225&gclid=CjwKCAjw5_GmBhBIEiwA5QSMxOt6ChXar8s0x9CeiuF9 p0KKjX_Y5Lv37zwg2MzG27LVBT-9EkAAtRoCaYQQAvD_BwE
calabrese55

The 3” are only available in round.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Paxton Hardware LTD has the 1-1/2" x 2-1/2" you mentioned, and also 1-1/2" x 3-3/16".

Actually, they're drop-leaf hinges. Dunno it that suits or not.

[Doug Garson]

How about this one? https://whitechapel-ltd.com/243h17.html Size: 3" x 1 1/2"

https://whitechapel-ltd.com/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/207e23213cf636ccdef205098cf3c8a3/2/4/243h17.jpg

[Malcolm Schweizer]

How about this one? https://whitechapel-ltd.com/243h17.html Size: 3" x 1 1/2"

https://whitechapel-ltd.com/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/207e23213cf636ccdef205098cf3c8a3/2/4/243h17.jpg


Darned close, and Kent as well- close. A drop leaf hinge doesn’t have a stop so that it opens flat and stays there.

[Gary Ragatz]

How about these? To me, they look like the drop-leaf hinges, but the description claims they hold open flat.

https://www.hingeoutlet.com/products/butler-tray-hinges-polished-solid-brass-multiple-sizes-square-round-ends-available

[Kent A Bathurst]

.......the description claims they hold open flat.

Looks great to me, but Malcolm's is the only vote that counts.

For a butlers tray, the trick is for the hinges to hold flat in use, but when they are folded, they also hold at 90*, creating sides on the tray, providing handholds for the butler, and helping keep the runny eggs plate from running off the tray mid-stairway.

The ones you highlighted do both:



Lock open in the flat position and hold vertical at 90°


Pretty cool - I'm filing your link in the proper location on my laptop

[Malcolm Schweizer]

How about these? To me, they look like the drop-leaf hinges, but the description claims they hold open flat.

https://www.hingeoutlet.com/products/butler-tray-hinges-polished-solid-brass-multiple-sizes-square-round-ends-available


When you select the larger size, it only allows you to select the round hinge, not the square.