Overview
Similar to hinges in laptop computers, these heavy-duty cast-zinc hinges allow virtually any size lid to open smoothly, hold its position (when opened to 90 degrees, beyond that the lid will swing open), and then easily close - all with little effort and no additional hardware! Now available in two attractive finishes, Satin Nickel and Rustic Bronze, to complement any project - from chests, to boxes, to storage units, and more! Designed to fit 3/4" thick stock. Hinges are available in 15, 30, 40, and 60 inch-pound ratings.
Features:
Features:
- Support any size lid by simply adding more hinges
- Unique torsion mechanism holds lid in any position
- Hinges can be installed for both overlay and flush fitting lids
- Torsion mechanism is tested to 25,000 cycles to assure a long working life
- For ultra-fast and easy installation, use our Torsion Hinge JIG IT® (sold separately)
Related Products
For faster and more precise installation, we recommend using our Rockler Lid-Stay Torsion Hinge JIG IT® to make installation of these hinges accurate and easy.
What's included
Rustic Bronze Lid-Stay Torsion Hinges Available Individually or in Pairs
Technical Details
- Brand: Rockler
- Finish: Rustic Bronze
Product Warnings
WARNING Cancer and Reproductive Harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/product Technical Downloads
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Questions and Answers
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Browse 28 questions
Browse 28 questions
and 110 answers
Why did you choose this?
Rockler Store
Needed a simple hinge that also worked as a stay. We’ll see if there are the quality issues that are reported on the review pages.
Patrick D
on Apr 23, 2018
don't want those little fingers to get pinched
Gordon K
on Apr 1, 2018
Needed a simple hinge that also worked as a stay. We’ll see if there are the quality issues that are reported on the review pages.
Patrick D
on Apr 23, 2018
Am building a chest. These are good.
GREGORY M
on Apr 8, 2018
How far does the top have to overhang the back of the chest to fully cover the hinge?
BEST ANSWER: When I make the box the hinge sticks out beyond the box the width of the hinge portion.
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- Donald W. I on Dec 5, 2016
- Purchased on Nov 11, 2016
How would these hinges hold up outside? Building a poolside storage box ... in the event you have a better option for exterior use.
Building a blanket chest out of 3/4" purpleheart. The lid will be 22" x 48". I understand the weight will be approximately 37 lbs (based upon 5.02 lbs/bd.ft. the calculator says I need 407 in.lbs but also says the lid is over the recommended limit. Any thoughts here?
BEST ANSWER: Hello Frank - I built a blanket chest this year with almost the same sized top, mine weighed 35 pounds. I used 2 60inch hinges and a 40 inch in the center. The top will stay open until there is only about 3 inches of space left then will close completely. I used some small rubber bumpers on the top (you will need something to make up for the thickness of the hinge on the back) and the top makes almost no sound when it closes. (I originally used 3 60 inch hinges, but the top would not close completely on its own.) Hope this helps.
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- DEL D on Dec 1, 2015
- Purchased on Mar 31, 2015
What is the Warranty on lid stay torsion hinge?
The thickness of my chest back is 15/16 inch -- will this require mortise?
BEST ANSWER: No you shouldn't. It should just clear at that thickness. I did mortise the top of the back of the chest for proper top spacing. Also, their torsion calculator did not work for me. It said I would need four of the heaviest hinges. Way too much. I used two medium and one heavy in the middle.
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- J. S on Mar 19, 2018
- Purchased on Apr 6, 2016
If the back of the chest is thicker than ¾", can I 'carve out' a channel for the body of the hinge to 'sit in' and still use the hinge?
BEST ANSWER: Yes you can. I didn't realize that the back needed to be 3/4" thick when I bought the hinges. I had installed a lip on the top of the case - toy box - similar to a horizontal "face frame". I cut and chiseled and basically carved out a location and they work fine. Just not the prettiest on my first one because I wasn't sure how much I needed to remove. The second one went much faster and looked a lot better. Hope this helped. Good Luck.
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- Paul K on Mar 15, 2018
- Purchased on Mar 28, 2016
Can these hinges be used for a medicine cabinet door application? Each door will be 28.5"x35" on 7/8" wood with an inset mirror. Each door will weigh around 40 lb but the weight would sit differently than a lid so I need to be sure they'll support that weight and operate properly.
BEST ANSWER: Chris, I never used these hinges on the vertical use. I would make two doors with that 28" opening and use three euro hinges on that 35" heigth
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- Nick P on Mar 9, 2017
- Purchased on Mar 31, 2015
what size screw do i need for this hinge ?
BEST ANSWER: In the set I bought the correct screws were provided in the package. I don't recall what they were.
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- Allen M on Apr 4, 2016
- Purchased on Mar 28, 2015
Your calculator says I need 94.5 inch lbs. can I use 2 60's or will that be too tight?
BEST ANSWER: that depends on whet you are using them on. if it's a larger lid like a hope chest than your ok with a little overkill. for smaller lids try to stay as close to the recommendations as possible.
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- Doug B on Feb 2, 2016
- Purchased on Mar 23, 2015
The illustration shows the support laying on top of the trunk such that there is small gap when the lid is closed. Can I cut a slot and lower the support to enable the lid to contact the trunk?
BEST ANSWER: I have cut a slot like you say several times, and they work perfectly. Just make sure you do NOT cut too deep or they will not work at all. But if you cut the slot correctly, it will work fine. Jan
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- Jan F on Feb 1, 2016
- Purchased on Mar 4, 2015
Rather using slides, I want to hinge a 12", 3/4" stock, 4.25 lb platform to swing 180 degree back under my farm table. Basically, I will use the torsion hinges upside down. Will it work, and is the calculator at 2, 15 lbs hinges the right hinge for the job? Thank you.
BEST ANSWER: It will probably work, depending how you mount it to the underside, but that low of a spring rate won't support much weight on the leaf. It would just fold down. If you put some kind of a sliding support under it, I imagine it would work!
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- Leonard P on Aug 5, 2017
- Purchased on Aug 19, 2015
I am building a pirate's chest that has a lid of 3+ pounds and a width of 11 inches. Will these hinges work for this application?
BEST ANSWER: I do not believe these hinges are appropriate for this application. Using the torsion calculator with a 3 lb. lid of 11 inches width, there will not be enough weight in the lid to allow it to close.
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- DAN C on Jan 11, 2016
- Purchased on Mar 23, 2015
What is the range of motion for the hinge? All I have seen depicted is approximately 90 dgrees. Any info would be appreciated.
BEST ANSWER: My application worked through 180 degrees.
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- Bryan C on Jun 29, 2015
- Purchased on Mar 2, 2015
I have a lid calculation of 52.5 will a 60 in. pound hinge be to much?
BEST ANSWER: No, a pair of the 60 in. pound lid-stay hinges should work just fine. I built a Toy Chest (about a year ago) that had a lid that weighed about 53 lbs and I used the item #36275 hinges. They have worked very well.
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- Randy V on Nov 20, 2017
- Purchased on Nov 25, 2015
do i need some type of limiting device to limit top (toy box)opening to 105 degrees? and wut kind would u recommend?
BEST ANSWER: As these hinges have no limiter to prevent the lid from opening too far, you will have to add something to do that. Rather than recommending a specific type, I would easy look at the project and then choose a limiting device that that is appropriate to the design and the purpose of the box. Safety of a child's fingers and such are utmost. Also be sure it fits YOUR taste.
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- Donald G on Aug 25, 2017
- Purchased on Aug 29, 2015
Will Rockler hinge holds it's position on either side of 180 degrees, in other words stay level at the specified weight on either side of the hinge at 90 degrees?
Are these rated for exterior use?
BEST ANSWER: Hi Luke
I would only use these hinges inside as there is no protection against water from getting into the mechanizm.
I would only use these hinges inside as there is no protection against water from getting into the mechanizm.
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- Ted K on Apr 18, 2017
- Purchased on Apr 20, 2015
my hinges arrived today but will not move. What do I do?
BEST ANSWER: they are difficult to open by hand but once on the lid they work superbly
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- dave o on Dec 30, 2016
- Purchased on Dec 8, 2016
Do you think these would work with a hidden shelf made from all hickory?
BEST ANSWER: i know I used them on all my toy boxes I made and no one has gotten hurt by the lid
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- Andrew S on Apr 21, 2016
- Purchased on Mar 1, 2015
The calculator calls for 144 inch-pounds for my lid. I already have (3) 60 inch-pound hinges, which equals 180 inch-pounds. Will those 3 hinges be too much, and cause the lid to either not close, or not stay closed?
BEST ANSWER: I'm over-hinged on my latest project and it's not a problem at all. Lid stays exactly where you put it, either open or closed ... and wherever you like in between.
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- David T on Feb 5, 2018
- Purchased on Feb 8, 2016
I’m building a chest with a lid that has been dimensioned to overhang 3/4”, on all sides - what is the actual overhand of the hinge and will that work?
BEST ANSWER: I have used these hinges with a 1" overhang and they worked just fine. Mount the "saddle" side of the hinge to the back top of the back side of the chest. Be sure the hinges are spaced exactly where you want them to be. close the hinges and place your top on the chest with the desired overhang. Carefully mark the location on the lid where you want the back of the hinge mounted. Remove the lid and dismount the hinges. Place the back of the hinges on the marks and mount them. Mount the lid on the chest.
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- Wally M on Feb 10, 2018
- Purchased on May 27, 2017
Will these work if you need to place the box side of the hinge on the vertical part of the box instead of the top, flat surface or is there something else that could be recommended for that kind of application?
BEST ANSWER: Not sure. The hinge works well when used to support a box lid which opens from horizontal to vertical, but I don't know if the hinge would hold when used on a vertical to horizontal set-up. Might work as a hinge, but the self-support may not work.
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- Dale L on Nov 10, 2017
- Purchased on Dec 15, 2015
What is the board width to be used with these hinges?
I am making a desk with a hinged top. So the top will open from the base. Problem i have is i have some gaps on the sides. about a half inch. I was thinking to mortise the .5 inch into the base of the project. I am unsure here as the instructions state not need for mortise. Please advise. Thanks for your help. Has anyone had to mortise these hinges? Any advice here would be great. Thank You!
BEST ANSWER: I used these for two desks I built. Routing a mortise seemed too complicated and a little risky if I didn't set everything up just right. So my solution was to drill and install wooden plugs at the front edge in each corner to compensate for the thickness of the hinges. I think I got the plugs at the big box hardware store. They're "decorative" plugs used to cover screw holes and sit about 1/4" above the surface. This was just right to match the height of the closed hinge. The only concern would be if for some reason you want/need the lid to close flush to the sides without a gap of any kind. With this method there was a gap between the lid of the desk and the sides, but you would have to look pretty hard to see it. They're desks so the "seam" is never at eye-level. If you do decide to go with a mortise you'll need to do it on back edge and the underside of the lid to make it completely flush. Another tip: I tried the hinges based on the calculations suggested and ended up sending them back. They worked, but were not as stiff as I wanted them to be. They would creep down until it eventually closed. So I ended up buying the hinges for the heaviest top even though my top was made out of lighter limber. If you really want it to stay up when you open it, I'd go overboard beyond the recommendations. Hope that helps!
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- Steve S on Jul 31, 2017
- Purchased on May 18, 2015
What would happen if I used a hinge rated for a heavier lid than the weight of the lid I plan on using, I may want to upgrade to a heavier lid later ? Would the "stronger" hinge for a lighter lid make it too hard to close ?
BEST ANSWER: No it wouldn't cause too much force to close. The only problem that would arise is metal fatigue. It might cause shearing of the hinge over time, causing the hinge to fail.
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- Shawn F on May 1, 2017
- Purchased on May 8, 2015
My lid is on a 45 degree angle. Can these hinges be used for this application? Secondly what size of centering tool would be needed for 15in-lb hinges?
BEST ANSWER: I don't think it's going to work on a 45'. I had a to use a #8
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- Matthew G on May 9, 2016
- Purchased on Mar 29, 2015
Using this hinge you will have a gap on the back side that I don't want. How do I. fix it?
BEST ANSWER: If you do not want a gap at the back, the only suggestion I can offer is to cut a notch in the vertical riser. The notch would need to be a depth equal to the thickness of the hinge (~0.125 in.), and a width equal to the width of the hinge (~3.25 in.).
I took a different approach for my bench. I used clear self adhesive rubber bumpers ~ 0.125 in. thick mounted on the vertical riser at the front to support the lid with about the same gap width in front as in the back, thereby keeping the lid level.
- Dan C
I took a different approach for my bench. I used clear self adhesive rubber bumpers ~ 0.125 in. thick mounted on the vertical riser at the front to support the lid with about the same gap width in front as in the back, thereby keeping the lid level.
- Dan C
- Reply(1)
- Inaccurate
- DAN C on Jun 11, 2015
- Purchased on Mar 23, 2015
Reviews
4.6 / 5.0
219 Reviews
These hinges work perfect for cedar chests. I have used 15, 30, and 45 foot pound rated hinges for the lids. The correct rating will allow the lid to close smoothly without smashing fingers because of its weight.
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Excellent hinges!
These work like the hinges on a laptop, making them the perfect choice for a toy box lid that could crush little fingers. I used the calculator to select the hinges, and they worked just as I'd hoped. The only issue that you may need to deal with -- as non-mortised hinges, they leave a gap of about 3/32 between the case and the lid. I dealt with that by adding spacers on the sides and front of the chest.
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Great but expensive
Have used these hinges before with good results but because they are so expensive I reserve use for projects where safety is an issue.
KDW
KDW
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Perfect product for chest lids.
I used these hinges on the cedar chest that I built and found them to be the best product I have used to prevent the lid from slamming shut. I also purchased the drill jig that is recommended for installing the hinges and it made installation easy and accurate. I will definitely use these products on future projects.
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Good quality and holds the cover to protect little fingers
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fantastic
It takes a bit to calculate, but other than that the hinge system is easy, fast or you might say fastastic!
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Great hinges way to expensive
I've used these hinges on more than one project. My only wish is that they were more affordable. I would use them more often if I could afford them. I only use them for projects like toy boxes where I don't want little fingers to get pinched
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Very safe for the kids toy boxes i made. wish they didn't take a 3rd of the profit being $50 a set...
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Torsion Hinge Lid Support
They worked great on the shoe chest I made for my daughter for Christmas. And they arrived a day earlier than scheduled which was an added bonus.
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Perfect hinge for my toybox lid so it doesn’t slam on little fingers!
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