Making vintage cabinet hinges
 

The last cabinet I acquired has three doors, with 6 hinges needed. All that was there were 2 halves. I couldn't find anything close to what they looked like so I thought I would try making some from scratch. I happen to have a mill which helps, but you could do just as well with a file.

I started with some 1/16 brass stock.
Then I annealed it to make it soft and easy to form. This is done by heating it to cherry red and quenching in cold water, just opposite of carbon steel. Then I marked the start of the hinge loop.
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Then bend to 90 at the line.
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Next, bend it back over a lip that is half as high as the hinge pin will be.
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Lay the hinge pin in the half loop, and hammer it around the pin to finish the loop.
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Now mill or file the two halfs to make one complete hinge.
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Put in the pin and peen the ends to keep it in place.
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Now drill and counter sink your holes and you are almost there!
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The hinge is ready, but looks like a new hinge.
I aged them in a warmed solution of equal parts vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.
Install and they look like they have been there for decades!
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I hope this inspires someone to give this a try!
Jim

I had to make another post to include the finished project, as it only allows 10 pics per post.
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Wow! I see these are hands that have worked very hard on wonderful projects. I'm impressed with the dedication and skill required to make these.

That is TOTALLY awesome!! I love seeing things like this & the cabinet is beautiful. Thanks for all the progress pictures.

I bow to your skills.

Absolutely Amazing. Thank you for sharing.

Me, too.

bkay

You're the bomb! Can we send you our orders? :D

This is absolutely amazing. A beautiful cabinet and repair. It is a real art to keep these old beauties working.

Very nice! Too late now, but I have almost a full set of hinges for that type of cabinet. I ended up with one that was in super bad shape so I took the hardware off and tossed the wood. I could not save the spring bar, when I took it off, it came apart and there was not getting it back together. Guess I would have needed to somehow stabilize it before removing to keep it from going "boing" when the tension was released. Though right now everything is out in the storage bin or machine shed - along with way too much other stuff!