Need brass strap hinges(decorative)

14 years ago

We are re-siding our home with HardiPlank CedarMill, changing the color of the house from deep brown, to a light gray. We are replacing all the wooden doors with ThermaTru ClassicCraft(woodgrain look)fiberglass doors. We are thinking of staining the door a light-medium oak. Not sure how this would look with the woodgrain look HardiPlank but if we do not like the look we can paint over the stain. The door has a rustic look and ThermaTru offers dummy black strap hinges with it but their price is pretty darn high. As the hinges are metal my husband thinks they may rust anyway. So he is thinking of getting some brass hinges, around 18 inches long or so. I cannot find any solid brass on the internet. Does anyone have a source for this? Or are we relegated to a black decorative strap hinge?

Nancy

Comments (7)

gardurnit
14 years ago
Nancy I aplogize that I did not get a clear picture in my mind. So my reply might make no sense.

Two things occur to me.
If the hinges carry weight they need to be steel usually.

So what you can do are what I would consider.

If you care enough then make some brass covers for the hinges. Brass is a metal easily hammered into any shape.
You don't need heat. Once in shape depending on the
corners you could simply lay the brass in place or..

my area of expertise are materials: I'm a scientist.
Adhesives are not my main field of expertise but once
the brass is the right shape, or many pieces of brass
are put into place to create the illusion of being the hinge, they can be held in place with adhesives.

This is where I feel lacking. I can't recommend which ones but I can say a few helpful things.

1. avoid asking at home depot. If you want real answers
go to 3M (online) and ask as if you are a commercial account. If not 3M company then go to sites that cater
to professionals. Again, avoid local suppliers.

The kind of problem you're solving is new to the adhesive
industry, in my opinion, and no one except experts will
know what to use. It depends on your climate a lot.

Her's a useful link if you use adhesives.

http://www.thomasnet.com/products/adhesives-393009-1.html

assuming you chooose not to use adhesives you could
rivet, very easy to do with brass rivets, the brass to
the steel hinge. This might look better than anything
anyway.

If I've gotten you too involved I apoligize.

Brass hinges are not something I see anywhere except
uber-decorative, non-securing applications. I'm a novice
and I might not know what I'm talking about.

Lastly I do know that the BBC4 site has had great shows
on old homes dating from the 1800's on. They've covered,
in detail, much of the parts and pieces. The people involved have been the same crew of about 10 people for literally 10 years , 100 various shows. They might be helpful.

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/on-tv/the-home-show/

or

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/

I'll check back on you in a week and see how things are going.

Andre
gardurnit
14 years ago
duh. now that's I've awoken and read your post clearly
it seems that you still won't find hinges but
making coverings from sheet brass could work.

And as far as adhesives you won't ruin anything by trying
either

1. a high quality silicone adhesive. This is flexible and allows for the different expansion rates of the two metals.

2. Soldering. Soldering to steel is possible and brass solders very well. It would cost much more.

Who to make the brass pieces? -

A. horse shoe makers- people who shoe horses. They hammer
and work with metal and cut and shape. A phone call
would easily answer you they either can or can't. The older
the person in busines the better your luck.

B. A stained glass maker. Someone who makes large pieces and been in business for a while. They're used to
working with brass and soldering and shaping metal.

C. Think along those lines. Shaping pieces into shape and
making them stick to something. I'll still check back.

Sorry to waste your time above.
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brickeyee
14 years ago
"If the hinges carry weight they need to be steel usually."

Brass hinges work just fine.
Steel is just a lot cheaper.
nancyk
Original Author
14 years ago
The hinges are decorative, not weight bearing. On the ThermaTru fiberglass door, the hinges are stuck on with an adhesive. The ThermaTru (decorative) hinges and clavos are a zinc alloy, which may rust. We just thought a good brass could be attractive and would not rust. This is a non-functional hinge.
The below is a link to a picture of the door, we will not be getting the sidelights or handle.
http://thermatru.com/products/entry/fiberglass-entry-doors/ccr/index.aspx
brickeyee
14 years ago
Zinc does not rust.

Zinc plated (galvanized) steel hinges will rust since the plating is never perfect, but it can take a while.
gary_bowman
11 years ago
Hi everyone,

I am a novice in this field and I need help finding a good supplier for my hinges. I'm interested in buying hinges from here www.spep.com but they don't sell to individuals, it's a $150 minimum order. I need these models: Stainless Steel Strap Hinges
Could anyone recommend me a good source? Any help will be welcome!

Cheers,
Gary
brickeyee
11 years ago
You can order brass in just about any thickness 7 width you would need to make real or decorative hinges from numerous metal dealers.

Be prepared for some rather pricey stuff though.

Many will provide cut pieces of stated width and thickness.

Brass is not all that hard to cut and shape.

Unless protected it will turn brown (or green if enough of various chemicals are around).

You can also purchase 'brass black' and 'brass brown' to color the metal.