Complete DIY novices will be forgiven for believing that hinges come in one form and perform one particular task, but as any woodworking experts will know, there are a number of different styles and each has a different function.
Customized hinges are becoming increasingly popular, especially in the industrial sectors, with firms looking to invest in products that open up a variety of possibilities.
Others placing orders so that they can perform tasks that the standard DIY store hinges wouldn’t stand up to.
Five Key Advantages to Custom Hinges
Free in Form and Function —
The fact that they’ve been made to perform a specific purpose according to specific requirements means that the possibilities are endless.
If you buy a hinge from a DIY store, you’re limited in your selection in terms of stock levels, size and shape, but with a custom style you can have exactly how many you need according to your specifications, made by experts.
High Quality Materials —
Knowing that your hinges are being custom built puts clarity in your mind that you’re going to be getting a high quality product made from the best materials available.
Sure, you can buy adequate versions from stores, but you could end up having to replace them in a short period of time. With custom hinges you get the product made from top quality metal, shaped by skilled fabricators using a mixture of traditional and modern techniques ensuring your hinges are built to stand the tasks and tests of time.
No Need for Modifications —
By ordering your hinges according to your individual unique requirements, you get the product that you need.
With freely available, store-bought hinges you often find that you have to make adjustments in order to make them fit to the purpose using a tool like the Incra Hinge Crafter pictured at the left.
However, doing your research beforehand and working out the exact dimensions of the hinges you require, there’s no need for a DIY job on a DIY job.
A notable example is when restoring campaign furniture. This style, as the name suggests, is engineered, often-collapsible furniture made for a mobile military about 150 years ago. It is sometimes called traveling furniture.
Some of the hardware, including the hinges, was quite different than what you can fine easily today in a hardware or home improvement store.
Saves Time —
Having ordered in the correct style and size of hinge for the job, you simply do any needed mortising to your project, fit them where they’re needed and away you go.
If you’re having to alter the position of the screw holes all the time, not only do you spoil the look and strength of the metal, you in fact add time to your project.
Variety —
Sometimes you want more than “a hinge”. Different purposes require different specifications and some might need a stainless steel hinge, while others will want aluminum, to give two examples.
With custom options, you can choose both the style and material, something you’re unlikely to get the liberty with in your local hardware store.
Have you got any experience (positive or negative) with custom hinges? Share them with our readers in the comment section below.
This article was written by DIY-writer Matt Rawlings. Based in the UK, Matt has written about a variety of DIY-related topics from choosing the right metal for different jobs to waterproofing.
