Replies

1. 
   UncleDunc | Mar 11, 2003 07:18am | #1

   I'm only getting a fairly vague mental image from your description, Jim. Are you saying the 2" edge on the smaller piece is connected to the 2" edge on the larger piece, and that the larger piece is installed on the face of a board and the smaller piece wraps around the edge edge of the board? Is the end of the 1/4" pivot rod attached to (or near) the center of the smaller piece? Perhaps there's a picture somewhere on the web you could point us to?

   You don't have to heat copper to bend it or hammer the surface. However, it does get harder when you work it, and will get brittle if you overwork it. You avoid this by annealing it when you notice it getting too hard. The annealing process for copper consist of heating it to a dull red heat and letting it cool. You can cool it quickly or slowly and it doesn't seem to make much difference metallurgically.

   Bending will yield a stronger joint than soldering, all else being equal.

   The strongest way to attach the pivot pin is by turning or filing a nipple on the end of it and drilling a matching hole in the plate. The shoulder is flush against the near side, and the end of the nipple is flush with the far side, and the rod is attached by wicking solder into the joint. After cleaning and fluxing everything, of course.

1. 
   jimhamster | Mar 12, 2003 06:59am | #5

   Thanks for your reply.  Yes, you're envisioning what I attempted to describe & yes the pivot rod will set in the middle of the smaller face.  I talked to a guy at a machine shop and he can weld the two pieces with copper, claims it's stronger than solder & because it IS copper it will blend in? He'll also press the pin into a hole & affix it with another weld.  So I think I'm good to go. 

   To the other folks, thanks for your input.  Nobody sells what I want, I've looked through dozens of websites & catalogs.  So I'll make it myself! (Which of course is half the fun)

2. 
   SawdustSteve | Mar 12, 2003 03:37am | #2

   My only worry is that copper is TOO soft and will self-distruct in a short time.  You probably want BRASS and use some chemical solution to darken it.  Can you get a section of wide piano hinge and heat and bend it to the shape you want.   Im sure the hinges you want are available from some cabinet hardware supplier.  You just have to find the right one.   Maybe someone out there can supply a name other than Rockler or Woodcrafter

   SawdustSteve

3. 
   forestgirl | Mar 12, 2003 06:24am | #3

   It seems, as mentioned above, that copper might not hold up, but since I was already over at the VanDyke's site, here's a link for your perusal:

   http://www.vandykes.com/search.php?q=desk+hinge

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

4. 
   Clay | Mar 12, 2003 06:54am | #4

   Copper in the thickness you mention will be plenty durable.  This is no small task you have planned though.  I do some serious metalsmithing and you will need some skill and time to accomplish this.  Copper work hardens very quickly and will need annealing to resoften.  Depending on what state you aquire it in, it may need annealing before you start.  Bending to 90 degrees is no problem.  You should probably use steel for the pins.  You could copperplate them.  You need to get some metalsmithing books from the library and read them.  I don't want to discourage you, this sounds like a fun project and you may catch the metalsmithing bug.  You do have a lot to learn, though, more than a few posts here can give you.  That learning will be the most fun part.  The peening is just practice and not hard.  Get some scrap metal from a salvage yard (or a packrats basement) and hammer away.  Old brass kickplates make good material and I've found lots of them in the yards here.  Copper tubing cut in short lengths and slit and flattened works good too.  Ideally you will do just enough forming and peening in your last step to finish with the metal in a "full hard" state, and leave it that way.  Since copper work hardens rather quickly that isn't too tough a mark to hit.

   
   

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   Edited 3/12/2003 12:02:48 AM ET by Clay

1. 
   jimhamster | Mar 12, 2003 07:06am | #6

   Clay,

   Thanks for the tips.  I already got a short piece of copper tubing and slit it, hacksawed out a crude profile and beat it up a bit.  My sharpening stone is too fine & expensive to grind away on this, so I'll borrow a buddies bench grinder this weekend to see if I can make something that looks halfway decent.  All the metal work books in the library seemed to focus on jewelry or other items/materials which weren't very relevant, but I'll look at bookstores this weekend, too.  Thanks for your ideas.

1. 
   Clay | Mar 12, 2003 08:53am | #7

   Copper and other soft metals are tough to work much with a grinder (they clog the grit).  A jewelers saw (metalsmith's version of the fret saw) or scroll saw is what you want to work out your profile.  I find it helps to wax the blades.  Even in the jewelry books they will teach annealing and forging techniques, which you will need.  Files work well but dip them in powdered chalk to prevent clogging (chalk line chalk will work).

5. 
   BobLang | Mar 12, 2003 07:06pm | #8

   There was an article in June 1982 FWW on a Harvey Ellis desk with an illustration of a hinge which is (I think) similar to what you have in mind. Not much detail but a decent sketch. It was made of 3/32 forged iron, with a 3/8 dia. pin, with thicker metal (maybe 2 layers?) behind the pin. Don't see why this wouldn't work in copper. I think Cambium books has a couple titles on copper working.  hope this helps

   Bob Lang

   http://www.craftsmanplans.com