jacon4

So i gather from the replies that brazing the separation of the weld would be the way to go, correct?

Hey Frank, I just used that pic as an example of an 18th century hinge, my hinges are still on the table, lol. Yeah, i see what you mean about other leaf getting in the way. Thing is, its an american 18th century william & mary gate leg table and i really wanted to keep the old hinges, its a collector type thing where original hardware is kinda a big deal. Thanks for your reply

I'd like to discuss forged butterfly hinges. I used to wonder why 18th century forged iron butterfly hinges on drop leaf tables rarely survive, i dont wonder anymore. In addition to being very thin/delicate, theres another problem. If you click the link, then the pic on the left, it will enlarge. Notice the right wing of hinge wraps around the barrel/pin of hinge and then is forge welded to the underside of hinge. What happens at some point is, that weld begins to separate and when that happens, that hinge aint long for this world. I wonder, can that weld be restored-rewelded without destroying the hinge, or no? http://www.pbase.com/nwba_archive/002