Toy box hinges

nikeman

My parents had a guy build my daughter a really nice toy box for her first birthday. The guy said it was his first ever toy box but it turned out really nice. The only issue are the hinges he used. It has a piano hinge and then 2 other ones that hold it open which is great. The problem is when it gets down to a certain point it will slam shut. I checked home depot and could not find anything better. It's a pretty heavy lid. Any ideas? I want it to stay open like it does now but I do not want it to slam shut at all.

Dwillems

http://m.rockler.com/m/http/www.rock...XLfd8xaHDyE%3D

the site has more. Or you can search leevalley.com also.

notmrjohn

here's somemore
http://www.hardwaresource.com/hinges...+Lid+Supports/
and now that you know they are called toy box lid supports you can google away.

nikeman

Thanks guys. All these supports I'm finding recommend that I get the weight of the lid and the dimensions. I do not have a scale to weigh the lid do how important is that? The entire box probably weighs about 60 pounds since I was able to carry it upstairs on my own.

notmrjohn

I dunno what your box is made of but a piece of pine 1" thick 12" by 12" weighs roughly 2 pounds . If its sanded and not all roughly no more it weighs 1.9999999999999...

__________________

Dwillems

I've never bought any or dealt with these hinges, but i'm willing to guess that they're in ratings for something like.. Up to 15lbs, then 15-25lbs? I'm sure you could pick up the lid and take a guess. Or go buy a scale lol, I use my bathroom scale more when i'm working then I do for myself.

nikeman

Its not made of pine. It's actually made of some sort of local wood just can't remember what kind. It's on a piano hinge plus the 2 lid supports so taking the lid off is a pita. It can't weigh more than 5 pounds.

notmrjohn

Well, lead wood doesn't grow in Virginia so you're probably about right. Lead wood sinks in water. Might go higher just to be safe. I don't rember the various ratings. You might ask the guy. Just don't get one that she can't apply enough force to close without sitting on it. Which reminds me. You might wanta have him make a modification. Since its his firt time its something he might not have thought of, like the support. Have him add about an inch to the back under the hinge and a same height rubber bumper at each front corner. Four kids three grand kids here, I've seen more than one kid, not mine mind you, sit on a lid while fingers were under it. In their enexperience and panic they don't realize they gotta get up before trying to pull their fingers out.
Well there, I've given you something else to worry about. You'll get used to it, like I said four grown kids grand kids in middle school all that worry didn't affect fect fect fect muh muhmuh.

__________________

nikeman

Okay. It's made of local cherry wood.

lid dimensions:
33" wide
18.5" deep
3/4" thick

Any ideas on weight?

oh'mike

About 3 pounds per board foot---you have 4.5 approx.--so about 13.5 pounds

__________________
New members: Adding your location to your profile helps in many ways.--M--

nikeman

Really? Just the lid weighs that much? Cherry must be some heavy wood. It didn't feel to to heavy when I hauled it up my stairs.

notmrjohn

Using actual dimensions instead of official board foot measurements ( 3/4" is 1" when calculating BF), I get about 3 BF. So about 9 pounds. Using cherry at 35 lbs per cubic foot and actual dimensions I get about 9 lbs. Using the specific gravity of cherry at 0.56 and actual dimensions I get a headache, even using handy on line conversion sites.

Or I coulda gone to Hardware Source site, where it sez "... to calculate the approximate weight of your lid; 3/4" thick plywood weighs about 2.34 lbs. per square foot." and we get about 9 1/2 lbs and saved my self a headache.
Say 10 lbs. So ya need a support(s) rated for 90 inch pounds, 122 using nike's weight. Since they sell a support for 95 to 125 inch lbs. or two at 45 to 55 inch lbs. or two at 55 to 65 inch lbs, we're all happy, right?
Math class is over, can we play with the toys now?

__________________