Ornamental hinges are used on doors, wall cabinets, chests, gates,
etc., or wherever suitable. There are three methods of making hinges:
(1) Solid eye, (2) welded, (3) turned or bent eye. (See article on
Plain Hinges.)
_Solid eye:_ The first drawing shows the solid eye split ornamental
hinge.
[Illustration: Ornamental hinge]
_Stock:_ One piece of soft steel or wrought iron, 7/8 × 7/8 × 6 ins.
long. Take a bar of iron 18 ins. long with the above dimensions as
to width and thickness; 5 ins. from the end of the bar fuller down to
3/8 in. thick. These 5 ins. are flattened down to 1/4 in. thick and 2
ins. wide, any length. Split the flattened part to within 2-1/2 ins.
of the shoulder. The two ends are now thrown out, tapered, and bent
into shape. Cut the piece from the bar 1 in. back of the fullered part.
Round the piece up, thus forming the eye. The body of the piece between
the split and the eye is now widened out to 2-1/2 ins. To do this use
the peen of the hammer on the under side of the metal, thus thinning
out the metal in the centre in order to increase the width. Shape it up
and curve it about 1/4 in. This, in turn, gives a nice rounded finished
surface similar to the drawer pull. The chased design on the hinge is
made in the same manner and with the same tools as are used in work in
chasing. (See chapter on Chasing.)
The butt for the hinge is made of 1 × 1/2 in. flat wrought iron. Fuller
down the end of the piece, round it up to fit the diameter of the eye
of the hinge. A hole is punched in the middle of the piece. A 2-1/2 ×
1/2 in. piece of iron is drawn and is pushed into the hole, riveted
down on the short end, and welded. The other end is drawn out to a
square tapered point. Nick the four edges at intervals with a sharp
chisel, thus throwing up little projections to prevent it from slipping
out of the wood when driven in to hold the hinge. This kind of hinge is
used mostly for doors. The upper part of the pin that sticks through
the eye of the hinge is ornamented by a fuller mark and a round top.