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Hinges for small round boxes?

Anthony Cody

Anthony Cody

Joined
Jul 19, 2023
Messages
6
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4
Location
Olympia, WA
I have been turning some boxes and mostly just doing friction lids. But I want to make some salt wells, and have seen some with swiveling hinges that are like little pins. I can't seem to find them anywhere -- I am not sure what they are even called. Can anyone advise? And the little magnets that hold the box closed?

Thanks!
 
I assume you are talking a hidden pin, with no visible external aspect? Its basically like a vertical post that attaches the well to the lid, and once that is done you cannot see the hinge, its entirely hidden? I've actually been looking for the same thing for some time, based on the same source: salt wells. I was never able to figure out a sufficient search term to find them before. Watching this thread with interest.
 
Hmm, I just realized, I had never asked Claude.ai. I just did, and it gave me the term "miniature hidden pivot pin", which I then searched, and from some other site, I found that Lee Valley sells these:

Lee Valley Hidden Hinge Pins - Lee Valley Tools

Discover the Lee Valley Hidden Hinge Pins. Buy this product now on our Lee Valley online store.
www.leevalley.com www.leevalley.com

Looks like their intended purpose is a normal liftable box lid, but...if you used just one vertically, I wonder if it would work for your desired use case... I have a few salt wells that I purchased from, I actually don't recall now. They have, oh, I'd say, close to 1/2" thick walls, so pretty thick, and the lid is at least that thick. So a 1/4" mini hidden pivot pin might work for that.

EDIT:

Finished watching the video on that page. I think you would go without the spring. Further, I think to make it work for a salt well, you would probably want to either drill a hole small enough for a tight friction fit (maybe in the lid, so the pin is held fast in the lid and won't pivot there), then drill a slightly oversized hole in the rim of the well, and just slide the pin into that. You could adjust the diameter of that hole in the well wall, to control whether the lid spins open freely, or needs a little force to open. The latter might then offer the ability to keep the lid closed through a slight bit of friction, so it doesn't just swing open if you say move the salt well.
 
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They are called Roto hinges but the smallest I could find are 3/8”. Maybe you could fabricate one out of a pop rivet. Chuck the pin up in a drill and spin it until it is loose enough to rotate. Probably best to make a force fit instead of trying to glue it in.
 
If you are thinking magnetic latches, you might be able to make the hinge work a bit better as well. Say still friction fit it in the lid, then find a small metal tube just a hair larger ID than the OD of the pin. If you have a magnetic latch, it would keep the lid from freely spinning, but once the user pushes the magnets away from each other, having the pin in a right-sized metal tube would allow nice, free movement, and maybe a more professional feel.
 
Jon Rista said:
If you are thinking magnetic latches, you might be able to make the hinge work a bit better as well. Say still friction fit it in the lid, then find a small metal tube just a hair larger ID than the OD of the pin. If you have a magnetic latch, it would keep the lid from freely spinning, but once the user pushes the magnets away from each other, having the pin in a right-sized metal tube would allow nice, free movement, and maybe a more professional feel.
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Yes, thank you -- good ideas.
 
I think your local big box hardware stores will have both rare earth magnets and brass rod. I have picked them up locally at my Ace Hardware store. There is a small spring loaded hatch system I have seen for cabinet doors, but not sure if that will work for you or not.

robo hippy
 
the salt vaults I’ve been making for the last couple if years use a pin that I turn on my lathe (it makes round things quite well). working in hardwood, the pin is the same species as the box, so I drill through the lid into the box when the box is roughed. the pin is removed until finish turning, then glued to the top(lining up the exposed grain) then lightly sanded to provide a easy sliding fit. the 1/4” magnets are installed in the rim opposite the pin in a hole deep enough to add a wood plug to hide. I like to use two 1/4” rare earth magnets for a better attraction through the wood plugs (the plugs are well less than 1/16” after sanding).

I prefer that they are easy to operate with one hand - afterall, you’re usually using them while stirring with the other hand…

IMG_4059.jpegIMG_0119.jpegIMG_3706.jpeg
 
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haven’t tried, but then I generally pick them up by the base or at least with my hands over the lid. lately I’ve been using fewer magnets, feedback I’ve gotten suggests that they aren’t necessary for everybody
 
Jeff, these are very nice. Are the walls of your salt wells 1/2" thick? (guessing based on the magnets being 1/4") What are the overall rough sizes of the salt wells?
 
Dean Center said:
Jeff, these are very nice. Are the walls of your salt wells 1/2" thick? (guessing based on the magnets being 1/4") What are the overall rough sizes of the salt wells?
Click to expand...
The salt vaults I've been turning tend to be of two types - slightly taller than the diameter - about 4 or 5" tall; or short and squat with the height about half or slightly less than the diameter. On either one I leave the wall thickness very thick – about 1/2" – (compared to most of my boxes not intended for counter use) so that they don't tend to move around when being used. These are intended to be useful in the kitchen, so, one-handed use (sliding lid) and stays put on the counter are the two biggest concerns. I also favor heavier woods - I make a lot from Black Acacia - for the same reasons.
These get roughed out with tenons on both ends, the lids cut with a ultra-thin parting tool, hollowed and set aside to dry.
When dry the lid is mated to the base with the grain aligned. I tap in three small brads on the rim, cut them short and clamp the lid in place with the grain aligned. The brads allow the piece to go back on the lathe between centers to shape the outside and true the tenons. The box is then taken to the drill press to drill for the hinge pin. The lid is then separated from the base; the brads removed and the interior hollowed. Gluing the pin into the lid happens just before final sanding and finishing.
 
Jon Rista said:
Just for reference, I've bought a number of handy little magnets from these guys. All for use as latching mechanisms and such.

www.kjmagnetics.com

Strong Rare Earth Neodymium Magnet Supplier | Low Prices - Fast Shipping - Huge Inventory | K&J Magnetics

www.kjmagnetics.com www.kjmagnetics.com
Click to expand...
Motion seconded re: KJ Magnetics. Beyond being a comprehensive supplier, they also have a small ocean of information on their site and their blog about the use and application of magnets. Especially if you’re new to it, I recommend prototyping magnetic connections. Tweaking the magnet strength and/or spacing can make a big difference in the function or “quality of feel” of that kind of latching. A prototype helps to verify the function and match the feeling in hand to things like the pull force specs of magnets.
 
When I first saw this post I looked up salt vaults and found several including the swing away type and the lift off cover type. The swing away types were mostly pictured partially open, but I did find one open to 180 degrees that confirmed what I expected. The cover droped and it was obvious that it was too heavy for the single pin. That got me thinking that there had to be a better way to hinge the lidso I got some scraps together and came up with this one.
The knob was left over from another project, lid blank in cherry & walnut I had on the shelf waiting for a project, the bowl was cherry leftover from a 4 poster bed project, the hinge is made with American hornbeam and the hinge pin is 1/8" brass rod.

IMG_1491.jpgIMG_1494.jpgIMG_1495.jpg
 
Don…yet another way to skin a cat. nice solution.
I use a hinge pin that’s 1/4 - 5/16” dia. the heavy base holds the base to the countertop while the thick walls give the lid a wide area to glide on. The lid swings surprisingly easily, at least that’s the feedback from people at the last studio tours over Memorial Day. In the end, people give it a try, seem to be satisfied with performance and walk away happy (with a salt pig).

I’m guessing your elegant solution gets the same response.
 
JeffSmith said:
Don…yet another way to skin a cat. nice solution.
I use a hinge pin that’s 1/4 - 5/16” dia. the heavy base holds the base to the countertop while the thick walls give the lid a wide area to glide on. The lid swings surprisingly easily, at least that’s the feedback from people at the last studio tours over Memorial Day. In the end, people give it a try, seem to be satisfied with performance and walk away happy (with a salt pig).

I’m guessing your elegant solution gets the same response.
Click to expand...
Well I don't plan to make any more of them, to me it was just the challenge. I personally prefer that new fangled thing called a salt shaker.
 
Don Wattenhofer said:
Well I don't plan to make any more of them, to me it was just the challenge. I personally prefer that new fangled thing called a salt shaker.
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me too, - but those who cook often prefer a pinch here and there. These are perfect for that use. Always available next to the stovetop on the counter. Some have come back for another one to use for spices/seasonings they use a lot.
 
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