Hinge options for blanket chest/coffee table?

[Dave Stuve]

Hello,

I'm building a blanket chest that I'm trying to make look good from front and back because my better half is threatening to use as a coffee table for a while. So I'm thinking the lid should overhang on the front and back by 3/4":

Rember ascii art? This is a side view of the blanket chest showing overhangs of 3/4"...

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..|...............|. ( <-- hinge should go here somewhere )
..|...............|.
..|...............|.
..-------------.

All that I can think of that would fit with this frame & panel chest:
1) butt hinge, fully mortised into the box side - lid lays flat but ugly mortise hole when lid is raised
2) butt hinge, half mortised into the box side - then somehow mortised into the lid so that the lid lays flat when closed
3) no-mortise hinges (not the classiest, but would work)
4) ??

Thank for any ideas,

Dave

[Jamie Buxton]

I like B -- hinges mortised into both the box and the lid, just like they'd be mortised into the door and into the carcass in a standard cabinet door application.

One issue is that if you put the hinge knuckles close to the back of the box, the lid can only open 90 degrees. Ideally you want it to open a little more than 90 degrees, so that you won't need to hold it open while you're fishing around inside. If you use knuckle hinges with somewhat longer leafs, you can push the knuckles further away from the back of the box, and allow an opening angle of greater than 90 degrees. You'll probably also want a chain or the like to prevent the lid from trying to rip the hinges out.

[Jamie Buxton]

Wait a minute. You said "mortised into the box side". I assumed that you mean "mortised into the upper edge of the box side." Is that true? That's the plan I said I was liking.

[Dave Stuve]

Hi Jamie,

Thanks for the feedback - yes, option #2 was mortised into the top edge. So when the lid is closed, the hinge is completely closed too.

Dave