*Below learned from trying to use them for tophinges:

1.) Wait until you'll have several hours to yourself with nobody around, this way nobody will run up to you and ask why you're yelling and nobody will be offended by the long strings of swear words emanating from your workshop.

2.) Practice on some spare wood, a lot, lots lots, this way, when you actually start trying to hinge your surfaces and crap doesn't work out right you can blame it on the hardware since you practiced so much you should be a pro at it by now.

3.) Only flatten the NON MOVING surface's edge, leave the moving part's edge sharp.

4.) Once you've marked where you want the hinges to be, get a file and file a groove the width of one of the hinges into the edge of the MOVING surface.

5.) Find that nice new 'hinge drill guide' you bought and put it within arms' reach. That way you can throw that piece of crap at the first person who asks what your problem is.

6.) HAND DRILL all the holes, if you can cram the drill bit into your dremel lucky you, use that, DON'T use a real drill.

7.) Put the holes as close as possible to the surface, you should be able to see the hinge part in the groove you cut on the MOVING surface.

8.) Begin to visualize how good the hinges are going to look.... on the next plane you build.

Man these things are hard to friggin use, they better work like a dream.

Is this correct ?

According to a hinging section in a builder's book I bought, and after I tried it on the 5th hinge it worked like a charm.

Sizam, what I meant was whether it should have been "non-moving surface" in point no. 7

Oh, no, I'm pretty sure about this one. Put 2 hinges in the way I mentioned and watch the motion of the surface, the moving surface's edge moves against the stationary's edge on the axis. It moves such that if you hold the stationary part stationary the two edge's are always in contact _at the same point on the stationary edge_. If you do it vice-versa the edge of the moving surface is actually moving up and down, not at all like a real plane. Its hard to visualize unless you're looking right at it, hence it took till my 5th hinge to get it.

Thanks sizam. I re-read your original post and I think I got things mixed up between the moving and non-moving surfaces. I can visualize what you're saying. BTW, which book were you referring to ?

"Model building is mostly mounting", lots of good info and cheap, I bought it just because it had a hinging section using robart hinges.

Aahhh, the "yellow" book. Yes, I should look them up again. I believe I have the complete collection