Guide to Picking up The Perfect Piano Hinges for Your Woodworking Project
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Picking up the perfect piano hinges or continuous hinges for your woodworking project should not be kept to chance. Experienced woodworkers always look for certain parameters when hinges are to be purchased and once you know what to look for picking up the right lot will be easier.
Here are certain properties that will greatly affect how the installed hinge will perform in the long run.
1) Material of the hinge - Out of all the properties the material of the hinge is the most important one. Picking up the wrong material in the first place can greatly affect the performance of the hinge and your woodworking unit as well. Depending upon where you want to install your hinge, you must look for the following properties in the hinge material
Is it corrosion resistant? Is it malleable? Is it ductile? How is it's external appearance? How much is the strength carrying capacity? How does it react to friction? Can it be plated upon with other coats or finishes?
As you can see form the list above several factors play at once when you are picking up hinges. Out of all the above mentioned corrosion resistance is the most important one because it states the ability to withstand harsh environmental condition found outside. If you are going to install he piano hinge in areas that is going to exposed to external atmospheric conditions, then it is necessary to check whether the hinge is corrosion resistant or not. External climatic conditions such as salt water, heavy rains, harsh sunlight, dust, heavy winds all affect metallic surfaces and for secured performance of the units you must check the corrosion resistance of the hinge. When you are using heavy duty hinges on shed doors or garage doors it is necessary check if the hinges have been applied with anti corrosion coating or not (finished or unfinished), this will ensure longer life and better performance.
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Some commonly found piano hinge materials are
Aluminum Stainless steel Steel Brass Plastic
2) Design type of the hinge - Design type is another very important factor when it comes to picking up hinge. There are two main types of continuous hinges when it comes to design types
Piano hinges with holes - In this type hinges are manufactured with holes for screwing purposes. You'll see in some hinges the holes have been staggered from each other on the opposite hinge leaf. This ensures easy closing of the shutters and prevents the screw heads colliding each other if the happen to be above the hinge leaf surface.
Piano hinges without holes - These hinges are manufactured without any holes on the hinge leaf. You can make holes on these hinges using drilling machines and screw them. However normally these types of hinges are used where two pivotal surfaces are metallic and the hinges are installed using spot welding to flat surface.
3) Dimensions of the hinge - Picking up hinges with correct dimension is extremely important for easy working of the hinge and the woodworking unit on which it is installed. If the dimensions of the hinge and the design unit do not match then it will greatly affect the functioning of the design unit. Before you purchase the hinges it is necessary to have a clear idea of the design you are going to produce so that you do not end up buying the wrong set of hinges. Here are some common dimensions in a hinge. If www.HingeHub.com
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your buying decision is based upon dimensions of the hinges then visit this webpage to get a catalogue of various types of piano hinges.
Now let's have a look at some properties of metallic and non-metallic hinges Brass piano hinges Brass is manufactured by mixing copper and zinc and that's why it's called as an alloy. One can vary the quantities of copper and zinc while manufacturing and achieve different strength for the metal. This makes it easy for recycling and reusing of this metal in various forms. One of the biggest reason why brass is popular in several metallic works is it's gold like finish at fraction of its cost. You'll find brass being used in architectural and interior design industry in several ways like
Plumbing and it's accessories Musical instruments Lighting fixtures and small accessories Small artifacts
By observing the above list you'll notice that brass is not used in places where it is going to be exposed to external climate. That is because brass is not a good corrosion resistant material. Another point is brass being a soft material is not used in places where too much human movement and heavy friction is present. However because of it's shiny finish it is perfect for use in interior design projects where smooth operations and visual beauty is expected. Some places where you can use brass hinges are
Piano lids Kitchen cabinets Folding furniture arrangements
Click here to read more about brass piano hinges
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Aluminum Piano Hinges Aluminum is a soft material and because of this it's very popular in the construction industry because it's very easy to work with. Apart from this amazing quality here are some cool benefits of aluminum.
It's lightweight as compared to brass, stainless steel, steel and copper. It's a great corrosion resistant means you can safely use it in places that are exposed to external climate. Another reason for being popular amongst architectural and construction industry is its slivery white finish. It's a ductile material which makes it a perfect candidate to draw into wires. It is also malleable which means that you can press it and form sheets. It is easy to cut and drill into.
Because of these amazing qualities you can see aluminum being used in a variety of ways in the construction industry in the following ways.
Hinges of all sizes and shapes Sliding doors and windows. Landscaping accessories (because it is corrosion resistant)
Aluminum hinges are available in a variety of sizes and even with and without holes. If you buy aluminum piano hinges without holes then it will be very easy to weld them as well as put holes into it (if you wish to) using drilling equipment. For manufacturing hinges with aluminum the 5052 and 3003 types of aluminum are used. Both these have some of their own benefits against each other. If you want to weld the aluminum hinges (in case you buy hinges without holes) then the 5052 types are more adoptable for this. The 5052 is stronger and more corrosion resistant then 3003. In spite of aluminum being corrosion resistant it is better if you buy hinges that are labeled "finished" on them. Finished hinges are better corrosion resistant than "unfinished" ones. Click here to read more about aluminum piano hinges.
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Stainless Steel Piano Hinges Stainless steel is a classic material and is better known for three distinct properties.
Excellent load carrying capacity. Great corrosion resistant Silvery shining finish.
Because of these three properties stainless steel is used in the building construction industry in a variety of ways such as
Piping and bathroom fittings Plumbing fixtures and accessories Lighting fixtures Screws and other accessories Hardware tools such as spanners, screw drivers etc. Various types and sizes of hinges Door and cabinet handles, knobs and pulls Keys and locks, Tower bolts for shutters
Stainless steel is different than "steel" because of it's these properties and that is why more popular in a wider area in interiors as well as exterior jobs. Normal steel has great strength carrying capacity but requires extra care to make it corrosion resistant and that is why stainless steel is a preferred choice as against "steel". Stainless steel piano hinges are perfect for heavy duty usage even in harsh environmental conditions like shed and barn doors, pet houses outside. Stainless steel hinges are available in "with holes" and "without holes types". If you buy hinges without holes then either you can get the holes done using special drilling equipment or use spot welding to install the hinges to flat surfaces. Click here to read more about stainless steel piano hinges.
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Plastic Piano Hinges The advancement in technology has made it possible to manufacture hinges in plastic as well. Plastic piano hinges are a great option if you don’t want to use metallic hinges. Plastic hinges have some cool benefits with them.
Plastic hinges are waterproof and fireproof These are practically non corrosive and can withstand harsh environment of all types easily. These can withstand attacks of various types of acids, alkalis and industrial chemicals. Unlike metallic hinges these do not require frequent lubrication. You can install these on wooden, plastic and metallic surfaces easily using screws, staples, or a special type of adhesive. Some specially manufactured plastic piano hinges can withstand extreme temperatures from -40 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. You can safely use these hinges outdoors as they will keep on working for years even in saltwater, heavy winds, harsh sunlight, extreme dust and rains. Typical metallic hinges will corrode, peel, rust and deteriorate over time, but plastic hinges will keep on functioning for years without any complaints.
These are some of the reasons why plastic continuous hinges are gaining popularity amongst home owners. If you observe metallic hinges of all types there are certain moving parts that are assembles together to for a single hinge unit. In metallic hinges several knuckles are held together with a pin that runs centrally and around which the hinge leaves rotate to achieve the pivotal movement. But in plastic hinges such type of assembling is not possible and that is why a single unit is manufactured as a whole. You'll get these in different length and width just like metallic hinges. One very popular types of plastic piano hinge is the acrylic hinge which is clear transparent in finish. These hinges are not very expensive and can be purchased in bulk. The only disadvantage of using plastic hinges is their strength carrying capacity is not as good as the metallic ones. But this should not stop you from using them in several household repair or installation jobs. Here are some of the places or jobs where you can use plastic hinges instead of metallic ones.
Installing and repairing air conditioning.
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Simple laboratory equipment Folding tables
Click here to read more about plastic piano hinges
To learn more about using piano hinges in your woodworking projects visit www.HingeHub.com
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