# How to make hinges?



## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Greetings-
Has anyone found a clever way to fabricate working hinges? I am working on a mine building and would like to hinge a barn type door to open for ore cars to dump into. I tried using beverage can metal and thin sheet brass, but the results were not very good.

Appreciate if anyone has worked up a way to make your own hinges.

Thanks

Jerry


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry; 

I have not made my own hinges, but I have modified the hinges sold for doll houses with good results. These hinges are oversized for standard house doors, but would probably look okay on a barn door. 

Yours, 
David Meashey


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Depending on how you want them to look, you can make very crude hinges out of brass wire and tubing available at hobby shops. Simply buy some brass wire and some tubing so the wire will fit loose enough in the tubing to move freely but not so loose it rattles around. Now cut some short lengths of tubing (about 1/4 inches but not a critical measurement so make it to your requirements) and glue to the jamb. Bend some pieces of the wire so the make an ell shape and drop them into the hinges. Now glue the end sticking out to the door by placing it against the wire and clamping until the glue sets. The door should swing easily if done right. It sounds much more complicated than it is to do. As I said, they are crude, but might work for something you want to look cobbled up. 

Hope this helps.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Try Micro Mark. They have an assortment.

http://www.micromark.com/Hinges.html

Doc


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## dawgnabbit (Jan 2, 2008)

I bought miniature brass hinges from Craft-inc. Good selection, good quality, lower prices than MM.












Steve Seitel


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry

Maybe you can get some ideas from what the following individuals have done.

Larry Mosher - 2-Bay Engine Shed (Page 26) PDF 2MB[/b]

Wayne Spence - C&S Cinder Car (Page 5) PDF[/b]


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## dawgnabbit (Jan 2, 2008)

I make light-duty strap hinges from styrene. Each hinge half is actually three pieces, bonded together: a tube, a long strap, and a short strap. The "bolt" heads are common dressmaker's pins. If your hinges will see a lot of use, you can do something similar with brass bits soldered together.











Steve Seitel


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## rpc7271 (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm kinda in the same place as you are. Building a mine and want working doors. A long long time ago I was into radio control airplanes. They make hinges for use on them to hinge the control surfaces, ie. rudder, ailerons, elevators and flaps. See http://shop.dubro.com/products/category/HINGES/101.0.1.1.5161.5183.0.0.0 Please note that these are hidden hinges. You use a special knife blade to make a slot and then slide the hinge into the slot. To keep them from coming out you place pins thru the hinge and the airplane control surface.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

25 or so years ago HO and N-scale stuff used to have tiny coil springs inset crossways from door to wall to make a self closing 'hinge'


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

A hearty thanks to all who contributed information. Many good ideas for this and future projects

I am doing a little bit of every suggestion
-Ordering various hinges from the suggested suppliers
-Soldered some brass tube to brass sheet for a test
- Loved the two tutorials, great ideas

Ended up making a hinge using the brass rod idea. made hinge pockets from the insides of a dental floss container! My wife wonders why I don't throw anything out....

Thanks again


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

I did the same kind of thing Steve did for the Nina smokebox door. Very easy process. Those are 00-90 model hex bolts.


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Bob-

That is a very nice looking piece. Good detail. I will try that on my upcoming donkey engine project

Jerry


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## DennisB (Jan 2, 2008)

Do the hinges have to be seen? I use furnace tape and is concealed on the inside. The tape is very sticky and works for doors. Regards, Dennis.


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice looking piece Bob. I like your method of bending in the vise


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## Dick Friedman (Aug 19, 2008)

I've used toothpaste tube plastic to make simple hinges. No detail on them, but perhaps a couple of holes and small screws could do the job.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

@import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css); Had all sorts of trouble with little brass hinges on my outhouse. Finally sewed the door to the outhouse so it works smoothly. 

http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/outhouse.wmv


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Whew, what a mess!

Couldn't keep little brass hinges working, so I sewed the door to the outhouse.

http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/outhouse.wmv 
@import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

I make Barn door syle hinges from a peice of strip brass and a peice of wire. I just bend he strip using round end needle nose pliers. or you can bend them areound a piece of wire with regular pliers.

The hinge nails are escucheon pins driven from inside cut off short and pounded using a small hammer from the front--like a rivet. they do not come loose!

the pin is just wire bent into an "L" so you can remove the door by lifting it off the pins, or use a "U" shape to keep the door in place.


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Vwey nice barn door hinge- I may have to re-think my use of dental floss container pockets and use brass!


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## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

www.wildwooddesigns.com is another good location for hinges of different styles. 
Ron


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