The Hinge Guys

The most experienced locksmiths I know tell me, “If I can finish an installation or repair faster, I can fit more jobs in my schedule and make more money that week.” The challenge for them is how to shave minutes off each job. Here at SELECT, we heard what installers were saying and came up with four new time-saving products to add to their toolboxes.

Problem: Having to use a center punch. When installing a hinge, accurate hole placement is critical. It takes time to mark where each hole goes and then use a center punch to make an indentation before drilling. Eliminating the center punch step would speed up installations.

Toolbox Solution: Self-centering through-bolt drill bit. The SELECT HB375 drill bit has end flutes that prevent it from walking side-to-side, so you can mark for the holes and immediately start drilling. This bit is designed to punch through quickly and create a smooth, clean, and accurate .375” diameter bore every time. The bit has added length designed for 1-3/4” doors. Locksmiths have told me it saves them “about 5 or 10 minutes a door.”

Problem: Door/frame adjustments. The hardest part of installing a concealed continuous geared hinge is shimming the door properly, especially with a pair of doors. Installers have devised creative ways to square up doors and frames when installing hinges, including the use of cardboard boxes, electrical wire, etc. For higher-end doors especially, a less-than-seamless-look is not acceptable to customers. What installers want is a fast, easy, and clean-looking solution.

Toolbox Solution: Shim stock that blends in with door or frame. SELECT Hinges’ shim stock is designed to quickly and easily solve multiple problems. First, when installing concealed hinges, the shim stock reduces incorrect gaps between the door and frame. It can also reduce the center gap between a pair of doors. It’s non-compressible and self-adhesive, so you can peel and stick it to the frame or the hinge. It’s translucent so you can see your fastener holes. Furthermore, you can use it to correct an opening if the frame is twisted (out of plumb or square.)

When putting in full surface or half surface hinges, the shim stock can provide door inset from the frame. This new shim stock is available in translucent UHMH on 100” rolls, available in four sizes, 1/32”x1/2”, 1/32”x1-½”, 1/16”x1/2” or 1/16”x1-1-½”. You just cut to the length needed.

Problem: Holes left by previous pivot hinge preps. Locksmiths get called out to fix failing pivot hinges all the time and love to replace them with geared continuous hinges. But removing the old pivots leave unattractive frame holes that can also harbor insects, water and debris. What is the best way to replace a pivot hinge and leave a professional looking job?

Toolbox Solution: Self-adhesive pivot hinge hole cover. Just peel the backing from these 1-11/16” by 31/32” covers and apply over the hole. SELECT offers two color choices to match clear or dark bronze frames.

Problem: Difficult-to-repair electrified door hinges. Locksmiths know that electrified doors are notorious for failing. When repairs are needed, rewiring the hinges is difficult and time-consuming. What locksmiths want is faster, easier access to the wires.

Toolbox Solution: 5-minute wire fix. SELECT recently introduced its breakthrough solution, the Accessible Through-Wire (ATW) electrically modified concealed hinge. It lets you access the wire problem and make repairs in less than five minutes. SELECT solved another aggravation by using longer-lasting wires so you seldom have to make repairs. The ATW prep is available on new hinges or as a removable panel retrofit option for existing concealed hinges.

Have other hinge installation problems that you’d like to find a faster tool or workaround for? Do you have hinge installation solutions you’re using now that other locksmiths could put into practice? SELECT Hinges is always looking for innovative ways to make locksmiths’ jobs easier and more profitable. Let’s talk.