Smithy door Strap Hinges

[M.G.]

Hey guys, sorry I've been out of the loop again broke my phone a few weeks back and finally got a new one.

Unfortunately, that means I have lost all of my photos from the last few years, as well as a bunch of progress shots of a bunch of my projects, this one included. 

So you will just have to use your imagination a little. 

Well... Just to catch you up, I have slowly been working on building out my smithy. It started as an attached carport adjoining my detached garage. Over the last year or so I have been working on different aspects of the shop build in-between other home renovations. Started out by framing in and enclosing 2 of the open walls. Leaving the front wide open. I then built out my new (and first) gass forge. And a new anvil stand. Once I had those I couldn't help but move a few tools into the space and start working. After a handful of projects made in a half a** and half built half of a space, I decided it was time to make it a full a** space.

But before I could move the rest of my tools into the smithy and out of the domestic garage, I needed to make the space secure. It needed a set of barn doors. And a set of hand forged strap hinges to hold em up. So I set out on making a big old set of hinges. 

The doors are about 4 and a quarter feet wide and 8 feet tall, weighing just about 180lbs. each if not more. 

So I needed the hinges to be sturdy. I decided to make them out of 1/4 inch plate of mild steel for the straps and the jam plates. 

I started out by cutting the stock plate down to size for the jam plates, and straps. I then forged bevels up n the jam plates and rolled the hinges barrels and drifted them to size. 

Next I fullered down the material for the spade finial using a spring fuller I made a little while back. Then chased that taper back to about the midway point of the strap. Followed by bevels to knock off the corners. Then to rolling and drifting the barrel, followed by straightening and tinkering for a while. 

I cut the hinges barrels with an angle grinder and and some hand files to clean them up. 

Next I made my hinge pins and started with an upset on one end to become rivet head. Once all the pins were cleaned up and cut to length I fitted them to straps and plates, and riveted over the ends of the pins. And tried to true everything up at the anvil. 

Then I got all the holes drilled and counter sunk.  

Now that I had the hinges put together, I dropped them all in a vat of white vinegar for about 24 hours,to eat all the forge scale off. Pulled em out and scrubbed em down with baking soda water. And hit em with a wire wheel to finish cleaning them up. I then used a bit of heat and some "blacksmiths finish paste" mostly BLO, bees wax and terp. With a bunch of charcoal dust mixed in. 

Then I built the doors, I'll save you the carpentry stories. But I got the doors hung today and the hinges seem to swing freely with no issues. Other than I kind of stink at hanging doors, and there are some slight fitment issues that I will need to address before they will close securely. 

Next I will forge/fab a simple bolt lock and forge some handles.

 

 

[George N. M.]

Looks really good, good smithing and good design.  I can sympathize about hanging doors.  Last fall I hung two doors on our bedroom closet doors and it was a more "fun" project than I had anticipated and yours were much larger.  Did you do it all by yourself or did you have some help?

GNM

[M.G.]

Thanks George.

My wife helped me a bit, when it came to shimming to level and helped guide all of my blocking and the door while trying to get them to line up well enough. I did the lifting. I also built a "door jack(??not sure what to call it)" type of tool out of some leftover OSB and 2x4s. To help hold the door in an upright position. but it's basically a fixture that the door sits down in and it supports the door from front and back so it wouldn't fall over and flatten me or the wife. Which was nice because we were able to set it up and move around it and move it around without having to always have hands on the door.

[Frosty]

Looks good M.G. Really good.

Frosty The Lucky.

[M.G.]

Thanks Frosty! It feels pretty good getting the shop closer to setup and running full swing.

[anvil]

Nice set of hinges!  

[M.G.]

Thanks Anvil. It's always nice when a project comes together.these were my first hinges I have attempted. 

[anvil]

Far better than my first set. My first is best described as coyote ugly, and that would be high praise!  Still got them and use them,,, as a reminder of how far I've come.

[M.G.]

Hey, if they function. I think that's the important part. And having a reminder of the progress you are making is totally a bonus. 

 

 

[BillyBones]

On 6/28/2023 at 10:26 PM, M.G. said:

so it wouldn't fall over and flatten me or the wife

Last year i hung 2 interior doors in the house. They are hinged in the middle so they open kind of like accordion style. While hanging them one of the doors it fell over and smashed the coffee table. Not as big and heavy as those but still not something i want walloped with. 

[M.G.]

Yeah, no day but Billy. I hope none got injured.

And happy independence day everybody!

[Frosty]

It's not an easy solo job and in inexperienced helper CAN make it trickier. I need to make a new door for our barn and I'm following the model I used when I made the first one. I made, hung squared and leveled the frame and put a couple screws to the door frame before I sheathed it in place. It's not a perfect solution but but worked well solo. They're heavy, 2x4 and 1/2" OSB sheathing. Hanging ad leveling them sheathed would've taken at least 2 people and been all fiddly getting it level. 

HAPPY 4th of JULY everybody! Make it a safe and sane 4th. please!

Frosty The Lucky.

[M.G.]

Oh yeah, that's a good thought. Would of saved me like 90+lbs of weight. But I really wanted the straps visible. The doors are 2x4 framed with 1/2"OSB and 1/2" T111 siding then 1/2" trim board. Lots of weight.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

HAPPY 4th of JULY everybody! Make it a safe and sane 4th. please!

Yep... same back at ya. We are waiting on a delivery of  new range/oven. Really surprised us when Lowe's said they would deliver it on the 4th and take the old one away. The Roper only lasted 40 years, I bet the new GE won't last half that long.

 

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sails.

[George N. M.]

Don't know what kind of range you have gotten but a couple years ago when we were redoing the kitchen in the new house we did the research and opted for an induction electric stove.  We LOVE it.  It has quite a number of advantages over conventional resistance electric stoves and gas stoves.  I will never go back if I have a choice.  They are somewhat more expensive but if you catch a sale at Home Depot or Lowes thay are comparable in cost.

I've been wondering if I could convert one burner to an induction forge but Madelynn won't let me experiment.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Frosty]

Bummer George maybe start keeping an eye open at the dump or just make an induction forge eh?

Frosty The Lucky.

[Purple Bullet]

15 kw induction forges going for <$850. US on ebay. Tig coolers (if you don't have one) run another couple of hundred (DON'T get a chiller) or you can build your own with a pump, fan and copper tubing. You will love forging on the induction more than you like cooking with it!

[Davor]

Nice work, looks great.

[M.G.]

Thanks Davor