Hook and band hinges

[paul243]

I'm fitting a new wooden garden gate. 6'x3' and heavy.
I have the hook and band hinges but there is a 3mm "play" between the hook and loop on the hinge, is this correct?
Surely if I fit the hinge square on the gate and the hook square on the post, then how can the gate hang square?
Am I missing something?
Thanks

 

[big-all]

if what you are saying is the gate hangs away 1.5-3mm at the top and in towards 1.5-3mm at the bottom then just move the hinge on the frame bottom to level when shut and live with the difference [lean]when open

 

[paul243]

if what you are saying is the gate hangs away 1.5-3mm at the top and in towards 1.5-3mm at the bottom then just move the hinge on the frame bottom to level when shut and live with the difference [lean]when open

Thanks for quick reply!
I have yet to fit the hinges, do you mean fit the bottom pin on the post at an angle to compensate? Should there be that much "play" on the pin? Thought they should be a tight fit.

 

[big-all]

more like 1mm
you could make the adjustment on the gate side off the hinge to line the hinge knuckles up perfectly to stop binding but iff theres a 3mm slop its unlikely to bind

 

[paul243]

I thought the hinge should tighten on the pin when bolted up but these hinges are already flush tight.Maybe I should return them ?

 

[JohnD]

hinge should tighten on the pin when bolted up

what do you mean?

the pin should be a loose fit, and will get looser as it wears in. Even the galvanising wearing away will make it looser. you can compensate a bit by moving the upper one in.

You can compensate for the hinges dropping a bit by lifting the gate off and dropping two or more stainless washers on the pin. This will also help it swing freer, because you will have two flat smooth surfaces running together. You can put a brass washer between the two stainless ones if you want.

 

[paul243]

Sorry but I don't seem to have explained it clearly.
The hole in the pin measures 19-20mm
The pin diameter is 16mm
Therefore if I fit the hinges square on the gate and the pin square on the post then the gate will sit at an angle of around 10 degrees from horizontal and vertical.
Surely that can't be correct and the hinge should fit fairly snug to the pin.
Do I have defective hinges or is this normal?

 

[big-all]

8mm over say 4ft will be nearer 1-2degrees but as said just move the hinge

ok sad as i am just been out to the shed set the pull saw to 1 degree and over a foot was about 4mm so assuming your hinges are around 4ft apart it will be 25% off that or iff we assume the total deviation will be the full 8mm that would make it 50% off 1 degree or half a degree out

 

[paul243]

Just noticed an error in my last post!
Pin diameter is 16mm
Diameter of hole in HINGE is 19-20mm.
Question is; is that correct, I have other, metal, gates which hang with no movement. All photos I have seen show hinges and pins fitted nice and square but I can't do that with these hinges.

 

[JohnD]

the gate will sit at an angle of around 10 degrees

No, because the arms of the hinges are rigidly fixed to the gate, and are horizontal and parallel. The pins are rigidly fixed to the post, and are vertical and parallel.

So you don't get the hinge arms tilting.
(if you hold a hinge in your hands, not fixed to the gate, it will waggle quite a lot)

The whole gate will tilt by (say) 1mm out at the top and 1mm in at the bottom, as the hooks take up the slack in their hole. I don't know what that is in degrees. Let's say the hinges are 1500mm vertically spaced, and the door is 2mm slope over 1500mm. Not much. You can space the hinges, or plane the locking edge of the gate to loose it. You'll be lucky to have a gatepost that vertical.

The hinge pin could run in a hole twice its size, it doesn't matter because only a tiny portion of the pin will be bearing; that part furthest from the centre of gravity of the gate. It's only the bearing part that you might want to tinker with, moving the top pin by (say) 2mm outwards with the gate in its closed position.

 

[paul243]

No, because the arms of the hinges are rigidly fixed to the gate, and are horizontal and parallel. The pins are rigidly fixed to the post, and are vertical and parallel.

So you don't get the hinge arms tilting.
(if you hold a hinge in your hands, not fixed to the gate, it will waggle quite a lot)

The whole gate will tilt by (say) 1mm out at the top and 1mm in at the bottom, as the hooks take up the slack in their hole. I don't know what that is in degrees. Let's say the hinges are 1500mm vertically spaced, and the door is 2mm slope over 1500mm. Not much. You can space the hinges, or plane the locking edge of the gate to loose it. You'll be lucky to have a gatepost that vertical.

The hinge pin could run in a hole twice its size, it doesn't matter because only a tiny portion of the pin will be bearing; that part furthest from the centre of gravity of the gate. It's only the bearing part that you might want to tinker with, moving the top pin by (say) 2mm outwards with the gate in its closed position.

Well explained John! Thanks