Most Read
Most E-mailed
E-mail Article
Print Article
Hinges. Do you sell them? Do you service them? Do you replace them? Many locksmiths service the leading edge of the door from top to bottom. From kick plates to flush bolts and levers to deadbolts, the door gets full attention. You'll even install door closers. But why not examine the profit opportunities from the hinge side as well?
Hinges are jointed devices, where one leaf is attached to the jamb, allowing an attached part, such as a door to swing inward and/or outward. When you research hinges, here's just a sample of what you'll find: cabinet hinges, spring hinges, door hinges, gate hinges, invisible hinges, continuous hinges, furniture hinges, finial-tipped hinges, piano hinges, kitchen cabinet hinges, weld-on hinges, concealed hinges, satin nickel hinges, butt hinges, strap hinges, toy box hinges, window hinges, shutter hinges, glass door hinges, brass hinges, stainless steel hinges, pivot hinges, offset hung pivot sets, center hung pivot sets, specialty hinges and more.
From the standpoint of sales and service opportunity, I decided to concentrate on the most common type of hinge that a locksmith will encounter, the standard industrial butt hinge and some of its variations.
HINGE TYPES
Choices for industrial hinge types include butt hinges, half-mortised hinges, swing clear hinges, spring hinges, inside stop hinges, outside stop industrial hinges, and weld-on hinges. Other features of industrial hinges include unequal leaves, MIL-SPEC, and hinge direction. On non-standard doors and frames, proper operation of the door may require unequal leaves. Extra-thick doors, doors with a decorative veneer, specially designed frames and trim or wall conditions may require the use of special hinges with unequal leaves.
In some government applications, hinges will be specified as MIL-SPEC. As the name implies, all Military Specifications must be met to approve the hinge for usage on the application in question. Some of the numerous special requirements may be hinge leaf and pin length, 'loops and/or tangs' (knuckles) must be designed in a certain fashion, tolerances that need to be met and base material and finish specifications that are allowed and disallowed.
