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.
Frequently Bought Together
Questions and Answers
Start typing your question and we'll check if it was already asked and answered. Learn More
Browse 19 questions
Browse 19 questions
and 92 answers
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.
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- 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.
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
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- 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.
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- 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.
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- 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
- Reply(1)
- Inaccurate
- Jan F on Feb 1, 2016
- Purchased on Mar 4, 2015
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: Just had a blanket chest built for my wife that was fairly large (24×57) out of cherry, top is 3/4 " thick, so quite heavy. Used two of strongest torsion hunges abd while they made the top open and close nicely, they would not hold it open. So I added a brass hold ooen support on each side. It guarantees top will sray open, especially when open to 98 degrees, and my wife likes the look they provide. Used item #32102 from Rockler, solid brass support. Put them on inside and they look nice and do nit take up much room. Only other solution was to add 2 or 3 more torsion hinges and did not like the looks of that.
- Reply(1)
- Inaccurate
- Tom B on Dec 1, 2015
- Purchased on Mar 5, 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!
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- 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.
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- 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.
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- Bryan C on Jun 29, 2015
- Purchased on Mar 2, 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.
- Reply(1)
- Inaccurate
- 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
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- 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
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- Andrew S on Apr 21, 2016
- Purchased on Mar 1, 2015
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!
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- 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.
- Reply(1)
- Inaccurate
- 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
- Reply
- Inaccurate
- 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
185 Reviews
Great design but after 1 1/2...
Great design but after 1 1/2 years of use by two little boys one of the hinges cracked in half and the other has a crack started. After first installing I though these were the next best thing since sliced bread. Now for the price I am thinking lowered sides and front to a toy box is a much better way to eliminate pinched fingers.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (12) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
August 19, 2013
- Was this review helpful? Yes (12) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
Awsome hinge
These hinges work great. Easy install with the jig I purchased for these hinges. These are the only hinges that I could find that would work for my project. I made a toy box for my 2 year old Grandson and he will not be able to slam the lid on his fingers with these hinges. There very strong and hold the 15 pound lid up in any position.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (6) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
- Was this review helpful? Yes (6) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
Torsion hinges worked out great, I...
Torsion hinges worked out great, I had to route out an area for them to work, since they are made for a 3/4" thickness. The online calculator worked out to 95 lbs but I was able to use 2-60 lb hinges with no problem.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (4) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
December 22, 2012
- Was this review helpful? Yes (4) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
Torsion hinges
I used the Torsion hinges on 2 cedar chests/toy boxes for my 2 youngest granddaughters. One had a fold out chalk board under the lid & the other had a crowned lid, so both of the lids were quite heavy. I used 3 - 60 lb. hinges on each of them. They were easy to install but the biggest thing is to get the weight of the covers right. I have 4 more granddaughters that are older which I plan to make cedar chests for & plan on using the same hinges on them. I like the hinges because I don't have to worry about pinched fingers.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
The way a toy box lid should be
These hinges do the job. Very easy to install the the Jig. Well worth the money. Nice not to have little fingers hurt.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
These work great. I don't have to worry about lid slamming shut hurting my daughter. Would recommend this product to anyone.
Cedar chest
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
Nice solution to a common problem
These torsion hinges are just the right solution to the common problem of how to keep a heavy lid from slamming shut. For a 15 lb, 16" deep lid, I ordered 2x40 in-lb and 1x60 in-lb hinges, based on the online calculator. These do a good job of supporting this lid - it can be stationary at any position. These hinges are far more clean and elegant than any lid support rod.
I inset these hinges about 3/32" vertically into the top of the case so that the lid would fit closer to flush with the top of the case, leaving a 1/16" gap instead of a 5/32" gap if the hinges are installed without an inset. See photo.
Thanks for providing this innovative hardware.
I inset these hinges about 3/32" vertically into the top of the case so that the lid would fit closer to flush with the top of the case, leaving a 1/16" gap instead of a 5/32" gap if the hinges are installed without an inset. See photo.
Thanks for providing this innovative hardware.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
This is the second time I...
This is the second time I have used these hinges for blanket chests. They perform great. Do not test fit with the supplied screws, and do not overtorque! You will regret it.
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
March 31, 2011
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
not happy
I was not impressed with these they really seem to be more hype than they are worth,
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
Breaking after 4 years
I've used these hinges to build 5 tack trunks. I'm starting to have to replace them because they crack as one other reviewer posted. They function very well when new, but they just dont hold up,
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
January 20, 2017
- Was this review helpful? Yes (1) No (0)
- Flag as Inappropriate
