By Mark Clement
Swing Solution
A lot of us out there runnin' and gunnin' every day have the outward image of, well, I'll say it: macho dudes. Big trucks, framing guns, quarter-inch-is-close-enough-nail-it ...You know what I'm talking about. Even trim guys: if it's not a three-piece crown or mega-mantel we can't be bothered.
But raise your hands if this is you: You make stuff in your shop -- birthday presents, holiday gifts, something just because you love your wife, or son, or daughter.
There's more to a thing you make and spend time on than something you buy. We know this in our cell structure. I'm guilty as charged. One of the things I like to make is hope chests or blanket boxes. And they have lids.
The challenge for me isn't building the boxes, necessarily, it's keeping the lid from guillotining a kid. There are various pieces of hardware out there, but they're a chafe. Rockler's Lid-Stay torsion hinge -- a hinge that basically works like the hinge in the lid of your laptop -- solves that problem in one neat package. Or, if you will, one fell swoop. Where has this thing been?
But it's a totally viable solution for remodeling too. Check this out: In my remodeling activities I often have to find space where there is none and I end up making a lot of cubby-type cabinets. The Rockler hinge would be an ideal solution for my solutions. I love it.
The Lid-Stay comes in 30, 40, and 60 inch-pound ratings, which means you can use them on any number of projects from small to large. Rockler even has a calculator on their website to help you optimize which hinge to use based on the lid you're supporting.
I admit that the guy out there rolling joists, ripping plaster or blasting shingles is different from the guy detailing a blanket chest under the lights in my shop. Except not really. I'm the same dude. And I do what I do to get it done. For my future projects, this Rockler hinge will help me deliver beauty -- safely.
www.Rockler.com
Mark Clement is a remodeler and author of The Carpenter's Notebook and The Kid's Carpenter's Workbook, Fun Family Projects! Check out his books and current projects at his new website.
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