How to Shorten Piano Hinges
When shortening a piano hinge, you must ensure that the thin rod that comprise the hinge does not receive damage. If you apply excessive pressure to the hinge or use the incorrect cutting tools, the rod will distort, causing the hinge rod to bind in the hinge knuckles attached to the hinge flange. To avoid damaging the hinge rod or the piano hinge's lightweight metal flanges, stay away from cutting tools that use coarse teeth or compression to shorten your piano hinge. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Piano hinge
- Tape Measure
- Sharp tipped permanent marker
- Combination square
- Secure vise
- Safety glasses
- Leather gloves
- Portable band saw
- Fine-toothed file
Instructions
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1
Fold the piano hinge in half so that the hinge sits flat and the end with the hinge rod is exposed.
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2
Measure out the length that you need to shorten the piano hinge with the tape measure and place a mark at the length with the sharp permanent marker.
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3
Set the combination square so that the blade of the square extends beyond the width of the hinge.
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4
Mark a line on the face of the piano hinge by aligning the blade of the combination square with the mark you placed on the piano hinge in step two.
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5
Pull the marker along the blade of the combination square to create a straight line to guide your cut.
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6
Secure the piano hinge in the vise, with the hinge side of the piano hinge facing up and the cut line resting within one-inch of the clamping jaws of the vise.
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7
Don your leather gloves and safety glasses.
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8
Align the cutting blade of the portable band saw with the cutting line you made on the face of the hinge in step five.
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9
Place the guard of the band saw against the piano hinge, with the blade of the band saw slightly above the hinge rod.
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10
Press the trigger of the band saw to start rotating the blade and lower the band saw onto the hinge side of the piano hinge.
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11
Release the piano hinge from the vise and lay the piano hinge flat on a firm stable surface.
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12
Run the fine-toothed file along the cut end of the piano hinge to remove the bur left by the band saw.
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