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small hinges

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small hinges
Posted by Howard Zane on Friday, December 26, 2014 5:01 PM

Anyone have an idea on how to find small hinges that would work on doors in HO though O scale?

I'm presently consructing several roundhouses and would like working doors. Of course i could fashion my own, but on the chance something much better can be found.....that would be my choice.

Thanks,

HZ

Howard Zane
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Posted by shayfan84325 on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 12:10 AM
You might look at 1/2 inch scale doll house hinges. They may be a little large for HO purists, but about right for O scale.

Phil,
I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.

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Posted by Mark R. on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 12:48 AM

Friend of mine has used a lot of these on his engine house, they work pretty good ....

http://www.campbellscalemodels.com/product_p/0935.htm

Mark.

¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ

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Posted by zstripe on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 1:16 AM

Howard,

Take a look at these Rudder hinges....the Black ones. I have used them before when I was into wood ship building. Iffy for HO, but should work, for O scale:

http://www.modelshipyard.com.au/fittings/rudder-hinge/

BTW: Looking for something even smaller....hinges for a roll-up dock door. Now that's a challenge and no, tape won't work. LOL.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

EDIT: Mark R, Thanks for that link. I will have to find out if they are functional for a roll-up door, being plastic. May have use for them.

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Posted by mlehman on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 1:36 AM

Mylar is pretty tough and flexible. It also takes glue, although I don't recall what kind. Maybe you could cut appropriate sized hinges from it?

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

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Posted by doctorwayne on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 1:39 AM

Howard Zane

Anyone have an idea on how to find small hinges that would work on doors in HO though O scale?

I'm presently consructing several roundhouses and would like working doors. Of course i could fashion my own, but on the chance something much better can be found.....that would be my choice.

Thanks,

HZ

 


I can't think of any other commercial offerings, but made very simple ones for my engine shop using piano wire.  The top one is simply a short length of wire inserted into the underside of the lintel, while the bottom one is bent to an "L"-shape and inserted into the door jamb.  Drill suitable holes in the top and bottom edges of the door and fit the door into place - I found it easiest to insert the bottom pin into the door, then slip the top of the door onto the already-glued-in-place top pin.  The door is then maneuvered to insert the lower hinge-pin into its mounting hole, where it's ca'd in place.

You can see the lower pin at the bottom of the right-side door in the photo below:


The doors are built-up from styrene and are very light, so there's little pressure or wear on either the doors or the pins. 

Of course, they don't look like hinges, but few notice. Smile, Wink & Grin


Wayne

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Posted by zstripe on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 2:12 AM

Wayne,

Too bad we didn't live closer....could probably put Our heads together. Nice job!

After giving it a lot of thought. I think I will try brass stanchions for the hinges and length of music wire through the stanchions and into the side channels that will be brass H column's. They are five panel doors, 26 of them....If I could do 13, I would be in Heaven.LOL.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

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Posted by mlehman on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 2:44 AM

Grandt Line offers several different roundhouse door sets.

http://www.grandtline.com/products/arch/ho/ho_scale_architectural_doors.html

In HO, I used the 5133 set for my roundhouse with good success. I bent the pivot stanchion/upright that the hinge clips onto from spring wire, drilled holes in the post of the door frame and made up the door and clipped the door onto the pivot. The door frame has one side of the "hinge," then you glue on the strap that has the other half of the "hinge" to entrap the pivot wire between them. The side of the frame with the hinge halves attached could be cut free and installed on another door if the Grandt door isn't suitable. Or the Grandt door could be overlaid with more appropriate materials, using it just as a frame and for the integral hinges.

 

In O, the offer hinges as separate parts, 3524 and 3553.

http://www.grandtline.com/products/arch/quarter/quarter_scale_architectural_other_stuff.html

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

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Posted by zstripe on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 2:59 AM

Mike,

Swing doors are a piece of cake....roll-up panel doors, are another story. LOL.

Nice roundhouse.Yes

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

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Posted by mlehman on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 3:08 AM

You're on your own with rollup doors, Frank. That would be a trick to find hinges for them in HO. Even O would be tricky.

Maybe take a sheet of .010 styrene, make it wider than the opening, then mount the rollup door panels on the front. Then you need a mechanism to wind it up. Quite a challenge.

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

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Posted by zstripe on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 3:16 AM

Mike,

I believe I'm using the wrong term for roll-up door. I mean five panel dock door like on a garage door....they also roll-up on side rollers, no crank needed. LOL. I should mention, that friction will hold them in place, up or down. Would need long nose tweezers to move them, up or down. Did it once on a model truck on the back door....but that was 1/35 scale.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

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Posted by dasBM2-6-0 on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 4:12 AM
Probably kinda pricy...but you could check watch repair supply shops.....thinking pocket watch hinges....??!! Good Luck! May your freight ALWAYS roll smoothly...and ON TIME!!
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Posted by mlehman on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 8:23 AM

Frank,

I think we're talking about the same thing. Five- or more panel overhead roll-up doors, common to both trailers and dock doors. They do have hinges, between the panels. I've looked at enough hinges on them from inside a warehouse and ordered plenty of them for use on trailers, too. Our fleet was all roll-up doors in food service.

Come to think of it, my original idea to use mylar would work for these, too. Friction would do for holding them open, as you say, I was kinda thinking something more elborate.

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

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Posted by 7j43k on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 9:54 AM

Howard,

 

Precision Scale Models lists two working hinges:

A-320   .156 x .560  overall

A-319   .110 x .340  overall

  

 

For HO roundhouse doors, I would expect the larger would be the right choice.  And there's 2 holes in each side, so you can pin them nicely.  The smaller ones show only one hole per side.

A phone call to Precision should reveal if they are actually available.

 

Ed

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Posted by 7j43k on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 10:00 AM

zstripe

 

 

 

 

Nice looking!  I sure wanna see that on a layout.

 

But about those panel roll-up doors.  Assuming you don't motorize each one (yikes, that'll be fun!), an alternative to building working doors would be to build a "pocket" at each opening that would accept your choice of a rigid up door or a rigid down door.  Just drop in whichever you want.  Since you would have to take the roof off either way when you wanted the doors rearranged, it might be easier to do the latter.

 

 

Ed

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Posted by doctorwayne on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 10:43 AM

7j43k

zstripe

 

 

Nice looking!  I sure wanna see that on a layout.

But about those panel roll-up doors.  Assuming you don't motorize each one (yikes, that'll be fun!), an alternative to building working doors would be to build a "pocket" at each opening that would accept your choice of a rigid up door or a rigid down door.  Just drop in whichever you want.  Since you would have to take the roof off either way when you wanted the doors rearranged, it might be easier to do the latter.

Ed

It wouldn't be a panel door, but I wonder if Campbell's corrugated siding would be sturdy enough to function as a working overhead door?  You'd need to fabricate channels in which it could slide, and probably add some reinforcement to the bottom edge.

Wayne

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Posted by zstripe on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 10:55 AM

Ed,

Don't really want to hi-jack the OP's thread....but I guess we are talking about the same thing. Hinges.

The roofs are going to be designed to come off. Two of them, side by side. I added a larger lip to the walls and the 1/4 inch Plastruct Truss beams, (the grey pieces in the pic') will hold the roof on and also hold the lighting, which will be 1/16 brass rod slid through the truss's. Will probably have about sixteen incandesant bulb's with shades soldered to the brass rod's. I have made them really easy before and I like the light from a incandesant. I'm hoping to get at least half the doors to open on the truck side/half on the rail side. The base is very sturdy, reinforced underneath with 1/2 x 3/4 pine parting stop.The buildings are just sitting on top, lot of work to do to them yet, working on all the equipment that will be associated with. plus had to redo the area on layout where it will go. Just thinking of a viable solution for the doors, the rest will be easy. LOL. It will be going where the three tracks are, they are being repositioned now, along with the crossings in pic'.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

 

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Posted by zstripe on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 11:17 AM

Wayne,

The door problem would be easily solved, if the area above the doors were taller, then you could use a brass or Plastruct ''H'' beam, one inbetween each door. But there is not enough room for the door to stay in place once up. That's what I was hoping to do. Really don't want to change the building design. I just may go with the slide in from the top, with the panel doors that can be removed, sounds easier, will have to test one.

Thanks Guy's for Your idea's.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

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Posted by rrebell on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 1:27 PM

There have been nice metal ones (similar to the Campbell's ones) that used to come from late Modelton if I am not mistaken. Company started with card type models but some of their last product had wood and cast metal peices for windows and such and metal strap hinges that worked. Don't know of anyone who bought the company but you can still get the hinges on occasion on e-bay.

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Posted by Howard Zane on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 5:26 PM

Thanks for the many hints. Many were good , but all rather expensive....or better put...not cost effective. I have decided on roll up doors, but again many thanks for the suggestions.

HZ

Howard Zane
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Posted by zstripe on Wednesday, December 31, 2014 12:26 PM

HZ,

After experimenting with different idea's for my roll-up panel doors, I also decided against it....was not so much cost wise, but time and workability. Got one to work half way decent, but it took three hours to get to that point and I thought for awhile and said naw! How often will I be opening and closing 13 doors, let alone 26. LOL.

Year's ago I built a Suydam Diesel House, the Mattboard and wood one. For the doors, three of them, I got some ''H'' beams from Plastruct and glued them to the outside edge of the door and used corrugated siding turned Horizontally in the H beams, with a round styrene rod glued to the top of the corrugated siding, when slid into the H beams, it looked exactly like a steel roll-up door. When removed, I stuck a smaller made one into the opening, about a 1/8 of the corrugated siding showing with round rod at the top. Worked like a charm and cost about 1.50 to make.

Take Care! Big Smile

I still have it  on the layout and will take a pic' of it when I get a chance. At 72, I have a lot of stuff on my plate right now and sometimes I forget. Naw! say it isn't so. LOL.

Frank

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