S1 Ringmaster

Just a heads up when one uses pin hinges such as Dubro's offerings. You must individually check each hinge by moving it and insure that there's no clicking. Flash forms on the barrel which causes the hinge to momentarily bind for a second. One needs to trim all flash off of both side of the hinge barrels with a sharp #11 blade. Once that part is done, I use a carbide file and I totally rough up the entire hinge leaf on all four sides. The rougher the better. I even go as far to drill additional holes in the leafs. At this point, I use a fairly viscous oil which I apply with a Q-tip. It usually wicks immediately into the barrel. It does however get onto the barrels and leafs. I then use acetone and a acid brush to clean the leafs thoroughly and put them aside until use. The oil will remain in the barrels thus not allowing the epoxy to get into them and hinder there movement.

Once the hinge slots are cut and test fitted, insure that all leafs are parallel and inline. I made a tool with a dowel and 1/64" ply which looks like a tiny spatula. This fits the hinge slots perfectly. I mix up 30 min epoxy and apply the epoxy into the slots with the spatula tool. DON"T glue the hinge and slide it in, this will force epoxy into the barrels. Once the epoxy is in the slots, take a heat gun and heat the epoxy aiming it at the elevator slots. This will thin the epoxy which will soak into the wood further. Apply a bit more epoxy with the spatula and clean any residual epoxy off of the outside of the elevator. Don't install the elevator to the stab or vice versa. DO ONE SIDE at a time. You can take a straight edge on the bench and lay all the hinge leafs flat and insure all of them are at right angles and are sticking out the same amount. This is critical to a bind free installation. I've gone as far as to remove the pin and use a long piece of music wire slipped through all of them to align properly. I do this with flaps usually. Once dry, insure movement is okay and proceed to installing into the other side.