Checked out the historic courthouse in Salem and noticed their cabinet door hinges

I was in Salem, Oregon last week looking at some old buildings for design ideas. The courthouse there has these huge, solid oak cabinets in the main hall. What got me was the hinges. They're these massive, hand-forged strap hinges, each one must be 14 inches long. They've been opening and closing those heavy doors for over a hundred years without a squeak. I got up close and saw the pin isn't just a straight rod. It's got a slight, maybe 2 degree, taper to it. I think that's the trick. It creates a wedging action that takes up any wear over time, so it never gets loose. I'm going to try and copy that on a big linen press I'm building. Has anyone else tried making a tapered hinge pin for a heavy door?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantf731mo ago

My uncle's old barn door had the same thing. I spent a whole weekend trying to make a tapered pin for it, just like you're thinking. It was a total pain to get right and the door still sagged after a year. Gavin is right, I just ended up using a thick straight pin with a grease fitting. Works smooth now and I don't have to think about it. Sometimes the old ways are just old, not better.

diana_black29d ago

My buddy restored an old church pew and found the same tapered pin setup on the hinge. He got obsessed with making a new one just like it, spent ages on the lathe. The door hung perfect for maybe eight months, then it started to bind up real bad. He figured the wood frame shifted with the seasons and threw the whole angle off. Ended up swapping it for a normal hinge and it's been fine since.

gavin6921mo ago

Actually, that taper sounds like a manufacturing flaw they just lived with. A straight pin with a good fit and regular grease would work better long term. Trying to copy a weird old detail might cause more trouble than it's worth.