Where to find barrister bookcase hing…
kelvin_ | Posted in Project Plans/CAD Software on
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I just sent back rocklers expensive and totally worthless plastic hinges. What a joke. You’d think they would be embaressed, they weren’t. The real question is where to find these guys. You know, the ones that flip up then slide back into the cabinet. I’ve look all over the web. Thanks for any help!
Replies
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How about this higher quality product (that means more expensive too) from Rockler http://www.rockler.com/findit.cfm?page=35
If they didn't offer the cheaper alternative there
would be complaints that all their offerings for
this function are too expensive.
The vinyl which you speak of, which is basically a high grade "plastic", is easier to cut when depth and length of cabinet is an issue.
Before you start slamming a reputable company, maybe you should consider alternatives are available, meaning upgrading to a higher quality product. Did you ask if a better product was available? Have you considered the hardware items like the brand name "Accurides"?
Give them the benefit of the doubt and contact them again regarding the product.
Woodwork Safely,
Jim Barry
*Jim, Have you used this style of hinge in a barristers bookcase application? When i called and talked with, not only the person who was in the service department, but their manager, they said they had nothing else. Price was never in question. I have never worked with the hinges you mentioned and do not know if the clearences and setbacks would be condusive to the glass doors i have built. Please let me know if you have had this experience. As far as rocklers reputation i'm only describing MY experience. Have you worked with their cheap (and i mean quality wise, $14 a pair is not inexpensive) plastic hinges? Have you spent hours trying to get them to work after designing and building an expensive project? I really would like to meet someone who actually likes these hinges, b/c i believe that they may be a worthless product, and anybody who would try to use them would see their inherent drawbacks. So, my only conclusion about the company that sells them is that they are interested in the sale, and that makes for a bad company. Have they researched the hinge before selling it? Here is what they told me at the company. "This is the only replacement hinge we could find for our good metal ones which we can't get anymore. We had a professional cabinet maker build the demo unit for the catalog." This was their experiment. ONE cabinet maker who they hire to make cabinets for their catalog. Do you think he is going to talk bad about a product? So i did do a lot of work before i slammed anybody. They offered me no alternatives. If you have any ideas about where to find a hinge that would work in a similar application i would like to know. I know that accuride is a manufacture but i don't know if they make a "barrister" type application hinge. I couldn't not find any in my searches. The bookcase is complete now w/o my glass doors. It's just a standard open case and the doors sit in my shop. Until rockler has successfully used a product in lots of situations in the real world, by real wood workers, they have no business selling that product, or they will loose their reputation.
*I built a barrister bookcase a few years ago and just used 1/4" dowelse that slide in a slot. A second dowel stub on each side sticks out at the top to support the door as it is being slid back into the open position. A coat of wax in the slot and on the dowels, and I don't believe you could get plastic, metal, ball bearing, teflon, or any other space-age polymer to slide much more freely. :)The design I used was in an older (b&w) issue of 'Woodsmith' magazine. Im sure on the 'august home' web site you can find the issue and order a backissue.HTH,Eric.
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