Everything you need to know about lock hinges

The quality and correctness of the selection and installation of the eyelet for the padlock will determine not only the quality of its work, but also the safety in case of possible burglary. Hinges for the lock, installed on a wicket in the front garden, garage doors or any other door, can come in a ready-made set with a padlock or purchased separately. To ensure the safety of the property, it is necessary not only to choose a reliable lock with a good quality of the case and the locking bow, but also to correctly install reliable locking loops.

An important feature of a quality lock hinge is its flexural strength. If the eyelet bends by hand or breaks when hit with a hammer, this means that the fasteners are not made according to standards, and such a product cannot be used for installation on doors and gates.

To make sure that the hardware product has resistance to the listed power loads, when buying a product in a store, you must request a quality certificate from the seller, which the product is supplied by the manufacturer. If such a document is not available, it is better to refuse the purchase.

If you decide to make your own locking hinged lugs, then it is recommended to take sheet metal with a thickness of 3-4 mm to complete this task. When making a loop, it must be borne in mind that the diameter of the product must be made slightly larger than the diameter of the lock shackle at least 2 times, while the shackle should pass freely into the holes, leaving a minimum gap.

You will need to make 2 hinges, one of which will be fixed to the door leaf, and the second to the jamb of the door frame. If the eyelets are made for swing doors, then one hinge is placed on one door leaf, and the other on the other. When both door leaves are closed, the hinges must be perfectly aligned with each other.

Some craftsmen weld 2 identical loops together to increase the strength of the hinged eyelet, thereby increasing the strength of the finished product by 2 times. This strength pays off - no lock can guarantee reliability if it is attached to weak lugs.

The manufacture of ironmongery by an industrial method is regulated by GOST standards, which determine not only standard sizes, but also types of loops according to their configuration. All hardware - reinforced and standard, are made of high strength steel grades. The eyelet can be welded or laid on, fastened with hardware. In appearance, hardware hinges are divided into:

• straight;
• corner;
• captive.

The choice of the type of eyelet depends on the methods of their fastening, and in some cases, both hinges of the same type and a mixed version can be used for installation. Each keyhole has its own additional characteristics. With regard to the shape of the product, the hole in the hinge must match the configuration of the padlock or bolt overhead.

It is much easier to choose hinges for a padlock type, since perfect accuracy to the millimeter is not so important here. To select a bolt for an overhead lock, you will need to choose options that are suitable for the design of the locking element. The bolt hole must completely match the size of the undercarriage of the locking cylinder, and the body of the padlock itself must come close not only to the edge of the door leaf, but also to the eyelet.

It is noteworthy that the larger the size and weight of the lock, the thicker and stronger the eyes should be for it, and if they are overhead, then there should be a sufficient number of holes in them. For example, for small-sized locks used on mailboxes, it is enough to make 2 holes for fastening on each hinge. For a lock used on heavy metal garage doors, there should be at least 5-6 holes on the overhead lugs for fastening.

The color scheme of the lugs does not play a big role for the reliability of the lock. In order to protect against corrosion, the lugs are coated with a layer of powder paint, chrome-plated or galvanized. If you purchase a ready-made set of lugs with a lock, then the manufacturer, as a rule, performs them in the same color scheme in order to give an aesthetic look to his product.

In case you do not want to make your own padlock hinges, you can purchase a ready-made hardware set. To choose a quality product, experts recommend paying attention to the following important features:

• Quality lugs contain boron components in the steel alloy. Such ultra-strong steel prevents the product from breaking when hitting and greatly complicates the process of cutting the loops. If, with a strong pressure, you can bend the loop even a little, this will mean that this is a low-quality hardware product and it is not recommended to buy it.
• For most padlock structures, the optimal hinge thickness is 4-5 mm. If thick and massive heavy gates are to be locked, then the thickness of the lugs for a large padlock should be even greater. For example, you can weld 2 lugs together. Then, for installation, you will need to purchase 4 identical hinges.
• The hinges must be chosen so long that it is possible to bring the area of ​​their attachment to the inner side of the door, since installation on the end part of the door is considered a rather unreliable option.
• When choosing the lugs for the padlock model, choose such an option so that the bow easily fits into the holebut when the lock is closed, the gap between it and the hinge would be minimal. This option greatly complicates the hacking process.
• A high-quality hinge should have a sufficiently large attachment area. This pad is used for fastening by welding or screw-in hardware.

Both metal and wooden door structures can be fitted with hinges for hinged hardware or overhead bolts.

Installation of hinged hinges on doors made of wood material is as follows:

1. For installation, you will need to prepare tools - a carpenter's square and a marking pencil, a hammer, a screwdriver or screwdriver, a chisel, an electric drill and self-tapping screws.
2. Before installing the hinges, it is determined at what height the lock will be placed. The results obtained are marked on the door and door frame strip. Then they take a loop and apply it at the place of placement, after which the contours of the product are drawn with a pencil.
3. Using a chisel, small indentations are made along the contour of the lugs, equal to the thickness of the loop, in the wooden canvas and the box.
4. The hinges are mounted in their places using self-tapping screws. If the wood is very dense, then with the help of a drill, small planting holes are made and only after that the hardware is screwed in. Additionally, you can fix the screws in the holes by applying a layer of PVA glue on them before screwing in.

After the hinged lugs are installed, a lock is hung on them.

Installation of hinged hinges on metal doors:

1. To complete the work, you will need to prepare a tool - a welding machine, metal drills, an electric drill, a marker for marking, a center punch.
2. For installation, L-shaped hinges are used, which will be mounted on top of a metal door. Before work, determine the height of the placement of the loops and outline, by circling their contour, the attachment point.
3. After marking, the lugs are welded by welding. The finished weld is cleaned and painted to protect against corrosion. In some cases, instead of welding, the hinges are fastened with a bolted connection. Then, in the area of ​​the mounting platform at the hinge, holes are drilled for the bolts with a metal drill, having previously marked the place for drilling with a center punch.

After installing the hinged lugs, you can make a special hinged cover for additional external protection of the lock. It is made of metal in the form of a small visor or a removable structure in the form of a box, which is put on over the lock, passing through the hinges. Such a device protects the structure of the lock itself from the effects of atmospheric precipitation and is an additional obstacle against burglary.

See below for an overview of padlock hinges.