Hing plates

OK, yesterday I spent the day in the shop working on the hinge plates and got all four of them done. Here are some pictures showing the process.

 Drawing the cut lines out on each plate...

Holes are drilled to make the cutting easier....

 The band-saw is used in the upright position to do most of the cutting.

After the cutting is done I start by putting a bevel on the end of the two tabs.

Now it's time to roll the hinge barrel. This takes one heat to make the general hing barrel shape.

One hinge barrel shaped!

Shaping the second barrel.....

Fumbling tools....

Now I have the tool in position.

I'm working with large hot steel and it is a very strenuous task, requiring frequent water breaks. I'm also waiting on the metal to reheat.

Each hinge is stamped with a certain number of dots which corresponds with one of the strap pieces that the plates go with. That way, each plate gets a custom fit to its matching strap hinge. After the barrels are rough formed, the plate is allowed to cool for another cutting.

The corners are cut off at a 45 degree angle to match the existing strap hinges.

Now the edges need to be "chamfered." This just means that the edges of the steel will be hammered down or beveled.

After the edges are chamfered, the hinge barrels are aligned using a dummy hinge pin.

Once the hinge barrels are aligned, they have to be fitted around the strap hinge. This requires precise filing to remove small amounts of material at a time, frequently checking to see if the matching strap hinge fits.

Once the hinge is aligned and fitted, it is allowed to cool again. The screw holes are marked and drilled and then the hinge plate is cleaned with an aggressive wire brush.

I will be working on the hinge pins today, Lord willing.