Drop front hinges

I want to put a drop front on a keyboard drawer so that the front will look like the first item below (as seen from the side) when in the raised position

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and able to rotate through 90 degrees so as to form an extension to the drawer base as shown below when the front is down. _ _ _ _ ___________ _ _ _ _|___________

I would be grateful for any thoughts on how to achieve this as neatly as possible.

I have looked at butler tray hinges but they do not appear to allow the front edge of the drawer base to be covered by the drop front when it is in the raised position. It looks as though they result in this when the front is raised.

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Reply to
robert
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Just to start you thinking...

I think you need a sliding hinge similar to those found on some filing cabinets. I've got a cabinet where a door hinges upwards and then slides into a recess.

You might find it easier to have a normal hinged front with a pull-out sliding tray inside, which would be partly supported by the fold-down drawer front. B&Q sell the pull-out tray mechanism. This arrangement used to be used on quality tool cabinets where a false front hinged down to reveal drawers.

Cic.

Reply to
Cicero

Didn't know you could get Butlers Tray Hinges anymore? Had to give up making a very lucrative magicians prop because I couldn't get them.

A kitchen cupboard hinge would do that, not sure if it would be strong enough though? Maybe a couple of slide out supports as well?

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

How about a drop leaf hinge like

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'd need to rout the pieces to make a rule joint, but the finish would be very neat, and it's strong when flat.

A
Reply to
auctions

It looks as though they have the same problem as butler tray hinges - whilst they would allow the drop front to rotate to form an extension to the drawer base, the front would not cover the front edge of the base when it is in the raised/closed position.

Reply to
robert

There has to be something here

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that will do the job.

Reply to
R

Check out

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Reply to
R

What you get when it is closed is a rounded off edge. The 2 pieces join, and it should look like the corner has been shaped, rather than that there are 2 pieces. Not quite what you pictured, but could look good.

A
Reply to
auctions

I'm surprised no one has pointed out that what is drawn here is impossible - just look at the two sketches of the requirement.

Rob

Reply to
Rob G

-I'm surprised no one has pointed out that what is drawn here is

-impossible - just look at the two sketches of the requirement.

Well, it's not completely impossible. It is impossible with a single pin hinge. A floppy hinge, with two pins and a piece of metal joining them could work. It would drop down when shut and, when open the metal piece would be under tension across the top

Reply to
Bob Mannix

Indeed it is possible - I have a piece of Ikea furniture with a hinge with a pair of internal rotating links that does exactly as indicated in the images, however Ikea are not able to help me locate it.

Reply to
robert

Nice ASCII art.

As you can't rotate a square through a square, use a router & roundover bit to cope one edge into a quarter circle, then pivot it on pins at the ends. This is old-school cabinetmaking - any of Charles Hayward's school-level woodwork books from the '50s ought to cover it.

Won't work in chipboard (but then drop-flaps in chipboard are nasty anyway), but Isaac Lord probably sell a magic hinge with a linkage for doing it.

Big solid brass butler's tray hinges are all over the place, even today.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

I'd really like to know where?

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

Here:

Reply to
Rod

Depends what sort. If you mean the "bar flap" hinges with the central strap that can fold right back over on themselves, then Screwfix have them (packs of 10, annoyingly). If you want the real "butler's tray" with the spring stop at 90 degrees, then Isaac Lord.

Rutlands have them (for an insane price - 40 quid?) and my local yacht chandler does them, and in stainless too. I'm sure Relics in Witney would have some, but wouldn't be cheap.

For "awkward" brassware items then it's worth a look at

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J Shiner
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(down Brighton way) who both have a large range of good quality brassware, with good prices. I find them very handy for restoration and repro pieces. Where else do you get baluster gallery?

Over in Canada there's Lee Valley, who have them too and any excuse for shipping a Lee Valley order (or just their toolpr0n catalogue). You might even find they stock Brusso ones, which will be the best made quality brassware you've ever seen, with a price tag to match (I can only afford their cigar box quadrant hinges).

...and then there's the propane and Petrobond approach 8-)

Reply to
Andy Dingley

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