I purchased these hinges from defender, received them timely and finished installing them tonight. The model # is C3831-0001 Item#012089 These are the 4" model, 316 SS. They are $13.99 each.
The quality is good for these hinges. They are solid stainless not punched. I guess they are investment cast. They look very good, I would put them in any boat, not just my old project boat. They are a little loose; there is some slop in them. I think they are supposed to be that way so they will self align. But this is the only pair of flush hinges I have ever purchased. I would appriciate others experiences for other hinges.
One tip about these hinges is that they are not exactly the same size. They are made by some guys in China and then hand ground and polished to look good, So when you install them be aware that when you route out a cut-out for them, it may very well only be good for that one hinge.
How I cut the grooves for them was to trace out around them with a pencil on a practice board. Set my router to the proper depth and start practicing. I measured and drew a center line and then eyeballed them to split the line they will hinge on. I set a flash light to shine on the router bit and only cut in the direction where the cut is clean not frayed. I adjusted the depth of the cut to where the hinges were just slightly above the level of the table top, for two reasons. There is a slight round to the top edge of the hinge, so even if you cut it perfect there will be a gap. And since I was free handing the groove, leaving the hinge just above the surface hides any inconsistencies in the edge I cut.
I intended to make a jig for this hinge, but after a few free hand practice cuts I realized they were slightly different sizes.
The table seems to be self supporting while opened. I may end up putting a fold out support but I will have to wait until it is in the cabin to test it.
The quality is good for these hinges. They are solid stainless not punched. I guess they are investment cast. They look very good, I would put them in any boat, not just my old project boat. They are a little loose; there is some slop in them. I think they are supposed to be that way so they will self align. But this is the only pair of flush hinges I have ever purchased. I would appriciate others experiences for other hinges.
One tip about these hinges is that they are not exactly the same size. They are made by some guys in China and then hand ground and polished to look good, So when you install them be aware that when you route out a cut-out for them, it may very well only be good for that one hinge.
How I cut the grooves for them was to trace out around them with a pencil on a practice board. Set my router to the proper depth and start practicing. I measured and drew a center line and then eyeballed them to split the line they will hinge on. I set a flash light to shine on the router bit and only cut in the direction where the cut is clean not frayed. I adjusted the depth of the cut to where the hinges were just slightly above the level of the table top, for two reasons. There is a slight round to the top edge of the hinge, so even if you cut it perfect there will be a gap. And since I was free handing the groove, leaving the hinge just above the surface hides any inconsistencies in the edge I cut.
I intended to make a jig for this hinge, but after a few free hand practice cuts I realized they were slightly different sizes.
The table seems to be self supporting while opened. I may end up putting a fold out support but I will have to wait until it is in the cabin to test it.
