Slant top desk hinge

D

Dan_B

Active member
I am working on my first slant top desk. Is there and special layout requirements for the hinges for the fall front?
Do you split the barrell at the edge of the writing board? Or is the full barrell past the edge of the writing board. If I want
to leave a little room for potential top shrinkage so as to not bind the breadboard ends against the desk do I just hold my gap with the fall front on the loppers and mark the hinge leaf as it lies?
Thanks for any suggestions, as I don't have any more wood to replace this fall front

Dan
 
Lay the center of the barrel of the hinge out from the center of your arch of the fall board. Leave about an 1/8" between the fall board and writing surface. Your battons might need to be adjusted in the future but this will not be your problem. Write your maintenance requirement on the bottom of one of your interior drawers. Everyone will think this is cool once found. If you would also ad a comment about today's going's on that would also ad to this pieces worth in the furure.
 
Dan, I may be late getting into this discussion but the thought occurs that you may have the same disease I have called blind spot for hinges. It's a terrible malady. I've heard of others who are also afflicted.  You've heard from a real pro who is free of the blind spot disease; now let an amateur, with the illness mentioned, suggest something. Take a couple scrap boards; one the thickness of the fall board; the other the thickness of the writing surface. Try to figure, or guess, the hinge placement and then fasten a pair of hinges accordingly and see what you get. They can be only a few inches apart.  You may have to move the hinges a few times but you'll wind up knowing exactly how to place them on the real joint. Good luck.  John McAlister
 
Dan, John is the real expert. You could not get better advice.
I do have something to ad. Be very careful after hinging to fold up your lid gently. If there is any pressure against the overlap and the angle of your case side then readjust.
What type interior do you have? Are there any secret compartments? What a silly question. If you would tell us then they would not be a secret any more.
What type of lid battons are you using, straight or 45?
 
I did exactly what John did. I still have this sample and it is worth its weight in gold.  I use it every time I make a slant front desk.  I suggest you also make one.

Dennis Bork
Antiquity Period Designs, Ltd.
 
Thanks all, I will make a trial board. I had not thought of a trial piece of the writing board to go along with the trial fall front. I was worried about placing the hinges on the writing board and then doing a trial fall front as I would be commited to the placement on the writing board. My battons are straight and I have not decided whether to glue the center M&T and let the expansion go both ways or glue the bottom one and have all the expansion go the the top. The other two M&t's will be drawbored for strength.
John, when you say the hinges on the trial boards only have to be a few inches apart, do you mean a 12" piece for example maybe 4" wide for each the writing surface and another piece for the fall front? Once hinged, how do I tell if it will sit correctly on the slant of the desk when closed? Or am I just looking for the gap when opened?
 
Dan, Do you have your desk hinges? All I have been able to order lately have been imprinted  with their manufacturers initials on the face of the hinge. This is not a good thing.
 
Yes I got mine from Ball And Ball, part number H15-053, looks like a slight hint of part of a  letter "P" partly visible on one, nothing on the other. Not sure what a "P" would signify. Very slight and does not detract in my mind
 
B&B buys some of their item from England like their drawer locks. They then stamp their name on it.

Dennis Bork
 
I am a new member and this is my first posting. I  want to attach a sketch with the question as it would be more clear, and will attempt to do so please bear with me on this if it doesn't work, just a jpg of a scrap sketch. I am also making two period desks, one Shaker and one Federal style. Both are large. the Fall flap angle is 56? at the desk surface. I would like to know if there is a formula (I'm a retired math teacher) for the vertical height on the front side of the desk, off the desk surface, given the 3/4" thickness of the fall flap, the angle of 56? and the rabbet of 1/2". (This is more clearly seen in the sketch). I have also used Horton hinges and had some difficulty with placement as did the person who started this string. I felt that the location of the hinges should be equally spaced, ie a 3" hinge being 1 1/2 " in the top and same on flap. This seemed to be affected by the height of the vertical side measure off the desk surface. I came to the model answer of 13/16". I might be over-thinking this but wanted to ask the deep well of knowledge SAPFM has. Thanks
rlord
 
rlord "Welcome"
After building quite a few desks I have no idea what the angles are. I guess I should know that. Your top measurement of 11 1/14 is at the wide range of period pieces even with book cases added. What is your case side? Maybe 20 to 22"? Your drawing has a more modern angle shown. Your interior height seem to be good also. Congratulation on joining what I feel is the best period construction website that I know of. But after my posting you might want to reconsider. Have you received you period furniture journal yet. That is the best part.
 
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