What hinges would you choose?

[wtnhighlander]

I am mulling over designs for a table that my sister requested. It is intended to hold her electronic keyboard, but allow easy access to play. Here is a quick and dirty model.

The faux drawer fronts disguise the full-width drawer for the keyboard. The grey legs in front keep it all from tipping forward, and fold up against the drawer bottom when closed. But to actually play, it needs the drawer from to drop like this:

So, I need hinges with 90* stops to make this work, and some sort of latch or tensioner to hold the drawer front in place when it is up. Any suggestions for hinge types, and maybe sources?

Thanks!

[Mark J]

I don't know much about hinges, but I think they will need to be very robust.  The fold down drawer front will have a lot of weight on it in the form of elbows and forearms.  

(I have sworn allegiance to the Form Follows Function Faction, so though lovely, this is not a design I would choose for myself).  

[wtnhighlander]

@Mark J, I'd be interested to hear your ideas for the design. I modeled this as a shaker-ish style because it was simple. Sis hasn't decided how she wants it to look, but seems to lean more craftsman-ish, with thicker legs. It may also end up taller, for stand-up play. 

Regarding the hinges, I'm thinking along the lines of something with an integral lid-stay, but don't have any direct experience witch such.

[Mark J]

1 hour ago, wtnhighlander said:

I'd be interested to hear your ideas for the design.

I'm not so sure of that, Ross, but I'm certain your sister doesn't !   Your sister is looking for a home furnishing and that's perfectly fine; her brother should make her whatever she wants, and whenever she asks. 

But if I am looking at a computer work station for me, then it's 100% a workbench.  Not saying it couldn't be attractive, but no frill can compromise function in my way of thinking.  So my comments are not so much about Shaker vs. Sheraton, but how it functions as a computer work station.  To that end you've spent enough time slave to the screen to have a pretty good idea what works.  Back in the day when I worked 9 to 10 hours a day at a computer we had ergonomic desks that were electrically height adjustable and could tilt (Anthro, Carl's table).  Last time I looked these were 8 grand.  But Ikea has some electrically height adjustable tables that don't tilt.  I would just buy one of these.  Again that's for me.

When I look at your design what makes me pause as a potential computer user is the drawer for the keyboard and mouse.  First I don't like a center drawer in a desk as it's in the way when I cross my legs and if it's a computer station then I'd rather have two smaller drawers to the sides.  Unless the drawer is super wide I find that solution provides for cramped space to put the keyboard, and particularly the mouse.  And when using the mouse your arm can bump up against the drawer sides.  

So, now that I've made this about me I'm sorry I said anything, but it's too late to go back and remove my earlier parenthetical comment.  At least now let's get back to how to build your sister what your sister wants.  For the drawer front  I've seen a type of hinge on secretary desks that folds the front down while simultaneously  extending a heavy brass beam to span the articulation.  No idea what that's called or how to scarf up a picture.  You could put together something similar with a bar that slides out from the drawer side to engage a fitting on the drawer front, like a sliding bolt on a door.  Or if you want to really impress your sister, imagine a wooden bar aligned parallel to the drawer side and engaged to the drawer side with a sliding dovetail.  As the bar is drawn out of the drawer on to the drawer front it would engage another sliding dovetail, thus rigidly supporting the drawer front.  But on second thought, it's your sister, how much can you impress her at this point, after all she knew you when you were a kid.   

 

[Chet]

2 hours ago, wtnhighlander said:

Regarding the hinges, I'm thinking along the lines of something with an integral lid-stay, but don't have any direct experience witch such.

Ross  just did a google search of "fold down drawer front hinges" and looked at the images and there seems to be some good ideas out using common hardware.  There are some pretty clunky ideas too just to add to the mix. 

I think you would want to have a thicker drawer bottom then usual because the bottom of the drawer front when folded down will be resting against the front edge of the drawer bottom.  The thicker bottom will give strength to the problem that Mark mentions when leaning on it.

You might want to peruse Rockler's website too, they seem to carry a lot of unique hardware for things like this.

[drzaius]

I have a little desk at work with just that drawer/tray arrangement. But for the life of me, I can't remember what kind of hinges it has. I'll take a look on Monday.

[wtnhighlander]

Thanks for the input guys. I think I wasn't clear, though. This is for an 'electronic piano', not a computer station. Being honest, the drawer is unlikely to be opened more than once or twice a year. I think of it primarily as hidden storage, with usability of the keys a secondary consideration. 

I'm thinking of a series of flap hinges, or just a continuous hinge, but with lid stays or chains at the corners for support.

Another consideration is drawer slides. The model pictures is 20" wide x 40" long, but she wants it as skinny as possible. Once I get the actual dimensions of the keyboard, it may wind up skinnier than most drawer slides I get get locally.

[pkinneb]

Here is what I used on mine

[rainjer]

I would look at a sewing machine hinge and magnetic catches..

This is what I would suggest you do.

 You would need to make you face a double layer and and radius on the side of the drawer face. The inside layer of the face would need be the same thickness as the bottom an the bottom would need to be flush to the bottom of the drawer sides.

 

[Mark J]

1 hour ago, wtnhighlander said:

I think I wasn't clear, though. This is for an 'electronic piano

oh.  

my bad.

[pkinneb]

I saw this on Instagram @littlehalstock thought of your post.

 

[wtnhighlander]

@pkinneb: Hhhmmmm... looks like the hinge leaves are closed when the front flap is open, yes? I like the clean appearance of that arrangement, and since I need a recess under the drawer bottom for the flip-down legs, this might be the best approach. If I didn't need that, @rainjer's example leaves more room inside the drawer.

[G Ragatz]

One of my concerns about your original drawing is that it's going to leave the back side of your false drawer front lower than the bottom of the "drawer," so there would be sort of a ledge in front of the keyboard.  The ideas @rainjer posted would seem to take care of that.

If you would like to consider a different approach, I wonder if the false drawer front could hinged to the stretcher of the table, so it would swing down (180*) to reveal an actual drawer (with no front) that slides out on heavy-duty under-drawer slides?

This costs you the fold-down legs and the support they provide.  I don't have a good sense of how much a keyboard weighs, or how much additional force your sister might put on it while she plays - but good slides can handle quite a bit of weight.  I'm not sure if this approach would make the table prone to tipping forward into your sister's lap - don't know all of the dimensions and how much leverage there would be.

[wtnhighlander]

@G Ragatz, I am not clear on the final dimensions yet, but I know the keyboard isn't light, so tipping is more of a concern than drawer capacity. I like your idea of a fold-down faux drawer front attached to the apron rail, but if she chooses the faux overlay drawers applied to the 'hidden' inset drawer front, I don't think it could work. 

Hopefully, some of these problems will resolve or eliminate themselves when she makes up her mind about style and final dimensions.

[pkinneb]

19 minutes ago, wtnhighlander said:

@pkinneb: Hhhmmmm... looks like the hinge leaves are closed when the front flap is open, yes? I like the clean appearance of that arrangement, and since I need a recess under the drawer bottom for the flip-down legs, this might be the best approach. If I didn't need that, @rainjer's example leaves more room inside the drawer.

That's what it looks like top me as well.