Doors

Door Stops | Door Hinges | Table Hinges | Special Hinges | Pivot Hinges | Drop Doors | Special Doors | Sliding Doors | Door Catches | Door Bolts And Locks | Door Locks | Pulls

Door Stops For Single Doors

The basic use of single or double door stops is to seal a furniture compartment and so protect its contents from dust and other injury. Door stops also help to mask the gaps that appear when the wood shrinks. Stops are seldom used in mass production; to save time a straight board is used.

A—Straight board door with wood or metal stops: This is the normal method used in standard production.

B—Straight stop board: A special solution, not commonly used.

C—Rabbet stop on side

D—Rabbet stop on door: A very good method

E—Miter stop, used in fine work

Door Stops For Double Doors

A—Straight board with wood or metal stop as used in mass production

B—Rabbet stops: The score in the front hides movement or shrinking of doors.

C—Stop with tongue and groove: This method allows simultaneous opening of the doors.

D—Variation of tongue-and-groove stop

E—Isometric drawing of door, showing position of rabbet stop: The score indicated in (B) has been omitted.

Door Hinges

There are several methods of attaching standard doors to furniture; they vary with the type of hinge to be used. Hinges are usually fastened with screws.

The common types of hinges are illustrated here and on the following pages. Butt hinges are shown below.

Cabinet doors with butt hinges

Butt hinges are used in mass production.
 
Recess doors with butt hinges: Note that side panel acts as door stop.

External doors with butt hinges: Doors using this type of hinge open all the way.
 
Rabbet doors with butt hinges
 
Rabbet doors with offset hinges
 
Miter doors with butt hinges, used for special work

External door application with offset hinge
 
Door application with Soss invisible hinges used in fine furniture

Door attached with folding-screen hinges: The double action permits complete rotation of the door. Hinges work in pairs to prevent gapping.
 
Flush and counter hinges, commonly used for extension table tops

Table Hinges

A—Standard table hinges made to fasten extension table tops having molded edges
 
B—Another type of extension table: The straight edges are fastened with extension hinge. Open, the extension part is flush to the surface; closed, it is flush to the edge.

Special Hinges

Cabinet with three doors: Such cabinets present special problems. Here is one solution, shown with butt hinges.
 
Piano hinges used with two sets of doors: This is a practical method of hiding the central divider when two sets of doors appear on the front. The hinge may be cut into segments when two doors are hinged from same post. See page 59.

Pivot Hinges

A and B—Doors using internal pivots at top and bottom. Note that (B) uses a stop pivot.
 
A—This three-door problem has been solved by using an external pivot hinge (above left) on the two outside doors, and an internal one (above right) on the door that hides the dividing panel.

B—Use of pivot hinges on a four-door cabinet also hides the center divider.

Drop Doors

A drop door may use almost any type of hinge along its bottom edge. If the open door is to serve as a desk or support, it is essential to have the door held rigidly in position. This can be done by using metal supports along the outer edge.

A and B—Two types of supports for drop doors, both attached with butt hinges

C—A simple method of using a butt hinge, without a special support. The door overhang acts as its own stop.

A—A combination hinge and support is used with this drop door. This is a satisfactory method so long as the door is small.
 
B—Offset  hinges   are   used  in   this scheme.

C and D—These two similar drop door stops are intended for use in fine furniture construction. Both employ pivot hinges hung sidewise from the sides of the cabinet.

A—This type of door stop is simpler to construct than the preceding two, but the difference in level between the door and the interior would be a disadvantage for some uses.

B—Pivot door, suitable for vanities

Folding Doors

Folding doors leave free the space needed to open conventional doors. They are simple to make and to install, but the work must be done very accurately.

Special Doors

Combination drop and sliding door

This design utilizes a pivot and a routed track.
 
Tambour door

Another space-saving door. This type, once very popular for office furniture, is not difficult to build.

Sliding Doors

Sliding doors also save room space, but do not allow so large an opening as do folding or tambour doors. Several methods of installing sliding doors are shown. Note that for both installation and removal of sliding doors space for clearance must be allowed in the top guide.

A and B—Sliding door with cleat track and groove track

C—Easy-to-make guides, using wooden strips

D and E—Metal and plastic guides and their application

F—Plate glass or thin plywood doors sliding in groove tracks
 
A—Doors will move more easily if wheels are used. These two methods will give very satisfactory results.

B, C, D—Other methods of sliding: Irregular groove to minimize friction, ball track, and plastic rollers all make for easy sliding of the doors.

Door Catches

Doors may be fastened with catches, bolts, or locks. Locks, of course, require keys. Several types of catches are shown on this page. Bolts and locks are illustrated on the pages that follow.

Door Bolts And Locks

A—A door knob installed in position

B and C—Application of flush and neck bolts to door back, for use with double doors

D—The mortise lock is a common type found in furniture work. It can be used with single or double doors and with drawers.

E and F—Mortise end side lock that may be used in either doors or drawers. The keyhole should always be vertical.

Door Locks

A—The cylinder lock, standard for most doors, may be used on any type of door.

B and C—Various ways of using a piano lock: (B) with sliding doors; (C) with a hinged door.

A—This bar lock method closes both doors at the same time.

B and C—Plate glass locking devices which are particularly useful: (B) is secured with screws; (C) is applied to the base of the plate glass.

Pulls

A through D—Many types of pulls or knobs made of wood or metal may be purchased and applied to furniture. Pulls may be used decoratively, but it is usually best to build them into the actual furniture as shown in (E).

E—Drawer or door pulls built into the furniture

A and B—Two examples of pulls cut into the bottom of a drawer

C and D—Pulls built into cabinet doors

E—Sliding door pulls are cut into the wood; a similar method is used for plate glass sliding doors.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...