Basics of Woodworking

Hardware

Metal hardware such as hinges, knobs, catches and locks are used for almost all furniture. Verv often the choice of hardware such as the pulls on a chest of drawers is critical to the appearance of the piece. It is essential to fit an antique shaped and finished handle to an old fashioned chest, and a simple elegant one to a modern chest. Find out what is available by visiting large hardware shops which have the goods on display or send for catalogues from companies who specialise in the hardware you are looking for. Several mail Order firm, will send out bee catalogues.

Hinges

The most commonly used pieces of hardware are hinges, for doors, cabinet flaps, and wherever else a folding action is required.
A door that is slightly smaller than the opening and fits neatly inside it is called a "flush" door. Another door is slightly larger than the opening and fits on the face of the frame, known as a "lay-on" door. There is a bewildering variety of hinges to suit either type of door, from the old fashioned butt hinges to the modern concealed cylinder hinges which can he fitted in minutes with special tools.

Most shops sell only a few of these hinges and the choice is generally easier. Furthermore, hardware merchants are usually very helpful and will advise you if you are in doubt about which type to use.

Butt hinge

The most common hinge is the old fashioned butt hinge used on flush doors. There are man other hinges which are much easier to fit but the butt hinge always looks elegant and is extremely strong. It is available in many sizes and finishes such as steel, brass and chrome.

I linger are measured first by the height of the leaf and second by the length of the entire hinge when opened. To fit a butt hinge, place the door in the opening, wedging it up a millimetre or so into its final position. Mark the enact location of the two hinges (three for a heavy house door) on both the frame and the door. The hinges should he positioned symmetrically a small distance in from either end.

Remove the door, mark the outline of the hinge leaf on both the door and the frame. The pivot of the hinges should project about halfway out from the edge. Score the pencil line with.a trimming knife or chisel and then chop away a layer of wood with the chisel. I he slot should he Just the right depth so that the leaf fits eyacth• flush with the surface. If it is too high take out a bit more wood; it it is too low, pack it with a piece of cardboard.

Cut out all four recesses, mark the hole locations and drill the clearance and pilot holes for the screws. The screws should be the right weight so that the countersink head is flush with the hinge leaf. Usually a 19mm length is adequate for even the heaviest doors.

As doors vary, so do the hinges on which they swing.

BELOW: Five types of hinges. Butt hinge (1). Lift-off hinge (2). Pivot hinge (3). Cranked hinge (4). Continuous. or piano, hin~e(5).

To fit a hinge first mark the outline of the leaf on the door (as shown) and then on the door frame.
Make a recess to just fit the right depthso that the hinge is flush with the surface of the wood.
Score me marked line witha trimming knife or sharp chisel so that you can chisel away the wood within the lines to the required shape.

Finally, mark the position of the screw with a pencil or other sharp implement so that the hinge can be screwed into pbace to finish.

Screw the hinges to the door first, then hold the door open on its wedges as you screw the hinges to the frame. Try the door with only one screw in each hinge to make sure it fits correctly. Adjust if necessary and add the remaining screws. This is a crucial stage, so be absolutely sure the alignment is correct.

Lift-off hinge

The lift-off hinge is very easy to fit and extremely convenient because it separates into two parts, allowing the door to be lifted off.
The two halves can be fitted to the frame and door separately, the door brought in position and lifted in place. The small brass variety is especially useful for lay-on kitchen cabinet doors. It is both attractive and practical, as it allows the doors to be removed for easier access for cleaning.

Pivot hinge

Pivot hinges are very easy to fix. They fit on tile top and bottom edges of lay-on doors. -Ihese hinges are called 1811 hinges: they allow the cabinet doors to open a full 180° flat against an adjoining door.

Cranked hinge

The cranked hinge is also used for lay-on doors. It is generally available in several varieties either for a 9, 12 or 15mm thick door. Use it like the pivot hinge for cabinets with several adjacent doors. It allows the door to open clear of the adjacent door. It does have the disadvantage that it is visible on the outside edge of the door.

Continuous or piano hinge

The continuous hinge has many uses besides its traditional use to support the piano cover. It is readily available in lengths up to 1.8m in either brass finish, aluminium or plastic.

Cut it off to the length required with a hacksaw and screw it directly to the surface Because it is continuous with closely spaced screw fittings it is quite strong and reliable. Use it as a quick fitting hinge on cabinet doors, lids, and wherever else two long edges need to be hinged together. The simple trestles on ***consist of two pieces of chipboard connected at the top edge with a length of continuous hinge.

Knobs and handles

Most doors and drawers require some form of knob or handle. These come in a wide variety of screws to the back of the door and is fitted so that it just touches the magnet to keep the door closed. The magnet part has slotted holes to allow minor adjustment. Make sure that the door fits flush and is held firmly closed by the magnet.

The ball catch has a spring loaded ball which springs out to locate in the recess in the frame. It is available in both plastic and metal versions and in many sizes from the small kitchen cabinet size to the large ones required for full-sized doors
shapes, sizes and materials. Consult a specialist firm if you require a particular handle to match a cabinet.

For most uses a simple metal or wooden handle is sufficient. The handles either have a single screw fixing from the front, requiring a small pilot hole, or they are fitted with bolts from the inside of the drawer or door.

The small brass knob is a popular fixing for small cabinet doors. It is fairly inexpensive and available in several sizes. To fit it, drill a small pilot hole and turn the knob to screw it firmly in place.

Wooden knobs are also very popular. You can buy quite elabourate turned ones either new in the shops or old ones in street markets or antique shops. Simple pine handles go very well on bureaus and chests. They can be painted or left natural.

You can also make handles. For example, a wooden ball screwed onto the lid as a handle. Make pulls for small drawers out of lengths of stripping with holes drilled at regular intervals. Cut the handles off with one central hole for a pull and attach it by screwing it on from the back.

Locks and catches

All cabinet doors require a stop and catch to keep them closed, and there are many kinds of catches available.
The two easiest and most reliable types are the magnetic catch and the ball catch.
The magnetic catch has two parts. The part holding the magnet is screwed the correct distance back inside the cabinet. The plate

You can make original pulls for drawers with offcuts of wood into whiuch a circular hole has been drilled or with bought wooden balls screwed in place. For keeping doors securely shut. the magnetic catch is easy to install and allows for adjustment after it has been screwed in. The ball catch, another shutting device, is available in a range of siz s for different purposes.

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Miscellaneous fittings

Drop flaps and lift up doors require stays to keep them open in position. For drop flaps, as used on a drinks cabinet for example the sliding flap stay is a fairly new and ingenious device. The cupboard end of the stay slides up and down on a channel, instead of moving into the cupboard. This saves space inside the cupboard. It is usually secured to the door, and to the cabinet with short chrome raised-head screws.

The lift up stay is used for doors or flaps which are hinged at the bottom and opened upwards.
The doors above a wardrobe, for example, often open upward. The stay holds the door open leaving you with both hands free to get things in and out.

Castors

Castors are small wheels which are fitted on the bottom of furniture to enable it to be moved around. They are usually fitted, in sets of four, to the bottoms of legs or under the corners of drawers.

The type and size of castor required will depend on the weight it has to carry and how invisible you want it to be. The castors can be a basic inexpensive type if they are hidden away underneath.

There are two types of castors. The plate-fixing type is screwed to the underside of the furniture whereas the grip-neck type fixes into a socket which has been hammered into a pre-drilled hole.

Castors can sometimes leave unsightly marks on the carpeting underneath. If this occurs, you should, if it is possible, move the piece of furniture to another part of the room.

BOTTOM: A plate-fitting castor.

TOP: There is an ever-growing selection of decorative brass hardware, in both modern and antique styles. Older furniture. such as this pine chest, is usually better suited to antique-type fittings.

ABOVE LEFT: The drop flap is both convenient and sturdy, and easy to fix to a cabinet.

ABOVE RIGHT: The lift-up stay is useful for doors that need to be held open for lengthy periods.