Hinge to Support Flip-Up Shelf

Glider · 10-08-2017, 07:19 PM

At present, I do not have a cabinet face in front of the cavity where my new stove is located:

My current plan is to install a flip-up shelf here. When down, the shelf will cover the open cavity. When up, I will have a handy food prep area. I intend to screw a cutting board to the top of the shelf, so this will serve as a simple location from which to chop my veggies.

Figuring out how to hinge the shelf has been interesting. I do not want to do a piano hinge at the edge of the counter overhang, as that will mean that the shelf will have to angle inward when it is down. I don't like the look of that, and it will take up additional aisleway space that way. Instead, I want the shelf to sit vertically at the front face of the cavity when it is down.

I came up with the following scheme for a piano hinge that would do the job. I'm curious if anyone has any alternative ideas.

boywonder · 10-08-2017, 09:18 PM

Blum style Euro hinges.....Perhaps a pair with damping built in.....

Super easy to install..I bought a kit with the forstner bit and a plastic template for about $10 if I recall correctly.

Glider · 10-08-2017, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boywonder

Blum style Euro hinges.....Perhaps a pair with damping built in.....

Super easy to install..I bought a kit with the forstner bit and a plastic template for about $10 if I recall correctly.

That would be cool...if only...

Note that the upper leaf of the hinge is attached to the leading edge of the underside of the countertop, above the trailing edge of the shelf. If I could attach the upper hinge leaf behind the trailing edge of the shelf, I could use the Blum Hinge. But I can't do that. That portion of the countertop is the big hole where the stove is mounted.

The only place I have to attach the hinge is a 1.5" strip of countertop in front of the stove.

86Scotty · 10-09-2017, 07:19 AM

I understand your concern about having the perfect broccoli-chopping locale, but I also seem to remember that you have about 20' of excellent counter space forward of that. Have you considered a fold down shelf instead of a fold up? This would make access to the storage under the stove much easier to get at and provide a good spot to sit things a little more convenient to the couch across the aisle, such as a coffee cup or cans or whatever else you might be cooking. I did this on Rusty and really liked that type of access. We used it all the time and things were less prone to get knocked off by elbows in the tight space. Also, I do like the idea of a fancy hinge but a simple cable setup works admirably well if you go the fold-down route. Maybe a little old-fashioned but cheap and effective.

boywonder · 10-09-2017, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glider

The only place I have to attach the hinge is a 1.5" strip of countertop in front of the stove.

Not so fast......

Is there any reason why you couldn't screw say a 2" or 2 1/2" wide strip vertically under the overhang flush with the cabinet face? That would allow a Blum type hinge or many simpler other hinges including piano.

JackTuppVan · 10-09-2017, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boywonder

Not so fast......

Is there any reason why you couldn't screw say a 2" or 2 1/2" wide strip vertically under the overhang flush with the cabinet face? That would allow a Blum type hinge or many simpler other hinges including piano.

I was thinking the same thing.(horizontal brace to mount hinges)

also there are many swing up cabinet door hinges / lid support hinges that mount to the interior sides of the cabinet and are weight bearing to facilitate use as a cutting board.

Cabinet Door E-Z Open Swing-up Fittings - Lid Stay, Silver, 235mm (9-1/4'') Length, Holds 22.5 lbs. or 33.7 lbs. by Hafele | KitchenSource.com

Glider · 10-09-2017, 09:53 PM

A collection of interesting ideas. Thank you!

86Scotty: Your fold-down shelf was a cool idea. When making lunch in the van today, I did a thought experiment with that setup. Given how I sit when I'm working the stove, however, my legs occupy the space where the fold-down shelf would be. If I stick with the flip up shelf, my legs will fit comfortably under the shelf. So--while it would be a very easy installation, the fold-down will not fit the use case this time around.

boywonder: You've got me thinking. A very cool idea. But I don't have 2" of depth to work with; much less 2.5". I"m going to play with this idea a bit further to see if there is any way to make it work, though. Stay tuned.

JackTuppVan: The Blum hinges are very cool. And the lift struts would be great for a cabinet door, but I think for a shelf, I am going to need a positive lock, rather than something that gives under pressure. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like the struts do not have a positive lock.

Even though I don't yet have the exact solution, I love these ideas. They are helping me to think this thing through from more angles. Please keep those cards and letters coming. In the meantime, I have ordered a vice-mounted, 5" brake, just in case I need to bend up some hinges--and because it looked like a fun tool to have in my kit. I'm continuing to contemplate possibilities, and play with ideas. Many thanks to all of you for your most excellent thoughts.

86Scotty · 10-10-2017, 11:55 AM

Ah, I forgot that your cabinets are much lower than mine were in Rusty (pic above). Knees would be an issue with the lower SMB countertop. Carry on.....

boywonder · 10-10-2017, 05:01 PM

...the 2" or 2 1/2" filler piece would be on edge...ie vertical under the cabinet....not toward the sink/stove, although that would work too.

There are lots of latching/locking shelf support thingies...check McMaster, Rockler and maybe southco.

Glider · 10-10-2017, 10:18 PM

86 Scotty: the countertop is at 29", but the flip down, if I am understanding your intentions correctly, would be at 17". That's below knee level. Photo below.

boywonder, I have a scant quarter inch of depth to work with, if I mount the flip up shelf so that it is flush with the existing vertical cabinet walls--which is what I want to do. If I mount it outside of the existing cabinet walls, then I gain a half inch. I actually found one set of Blum hinges that might work in that tight space, but only if I mount the shelf on the outside of the cabinet walls. I would prefer to avoid that, though.

If you look at the photo below, you can see that there is less than 3/4" from the outside face of the vertical cabinet wall to the front edge of the stove. There's just enough room for a 5/8" shelf to sit in there, but no room behind it to mount a hinge. That's why my initial drawing has the hinge bent up and forward.

Another thing that occurs to me is to do a spring-loaded pin hinge. That would be a zero-clearance item. If I can figure out how to build it.

By the way, having used the stove repeatedly this week, I have to say that I absolutely love it. It works beautifully, and due to the enclosed flame and the fact that the stove pulls combustion air from the inside and vents it to the outside, it actively pulls moisture out of the van's interior. I am very happy with my decision to go this route instead of an LP unit.