How to Attach Piano Hinges
Piano hinges, of all the hinge styles on the market, are the easiest to install because its an all in one hinge. There is no struggling to align two separate hinges with one another. Generally what's most confusing about piano hinges is going to the store to purchase the exact length needed only to find it isn't stocked. That's because piano hinges come in standard lengths and they must be cut to the custom size required first before attaching them. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Piano hinge
- Fine point black marker
- Hacksaw
- Utility knife
- Small hammer
- Wood chisel
- Assorted size drill bits
- Electric drill
- Blocks of wood
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Instructions
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1
Purchase a standard 20-inch piano hinge for a lidded box 16 1/2 inches square. Lay the piano hinge on a work top with the flanges closed----stacked one on top of the other. Measure 16 inches from one end of the hinge along the edge that holds the hinge pin. Mark with a fine-tipped black marker. The hinge is made shorter than the full measurement of the box to allow for the cutting of a shallow mortise.
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2
Cut the hinge to size using a hacksaw.
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3
Lift the lid off the box off its base. Lay the piano hinge in a closed position on the back top edge of the base of the box. Face the hinge pin so it faces out and overhangs the back of the box by the thickness of the hinge pin.
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4
Hold the hinge firmly in place on the box and with a utility knife, trace around the two ends and the long side of the hinge, incising a line in the wood.
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5
Trace along the incised knife line with the sharp edge of a small wood chisel. Every time the chisel is repositioned on the incised line, tap on the handle end of the chisel with a hammer. The chisel should cut into the wood the depth of just a single hinge flange.
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6
Push the chisel away and along the surface of the wood inside the chiseled line being careful the chisel doesn't slip. This is called cutting a mortise. Shave away enough wood so when the single hinge flange is set in the mortise, the surface of the flange is even with the surrounding wood. When a hinge flange is set in a mortise it gives the hinge greater stability, and when the lid is closed the lid and base of box will meet with no space between them.
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7
Take the marker and make a dot in the middle of each hole of the seated flange. Drill a hole straight down at each black dot.
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8
Put a screw in each drilled hole and turn them in with a screwdriver making sure the head of the screw sits flush with the metal flange of the hinge.
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9
Line up the lid with the back of the box. Prop up with blocks of wood if necessary. Repeat Steps 4 - 6
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Tips & Warnings
When drilling the holes for the screws, chose a drill bit slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the hinge screws.
When drilling holes for screws don't drill as deep as the length of the screws. The screw will be tighter in the wood if the tip can bite into undrilled wood for at least 1/8 inch.
