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Coming soon (June 12) in the August 2012 Issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine is an article by Willard Anderson titled “Rule Joints by Hand and Power,” which explains the history of rule joints, walks you through the process of cutting them and explains how the hinges work. When it comes time to hinge the joint, you’ll want to make sure you buy quality hardware. In the article, Bill tells you what makes a good rule joint hinge. Here’s where you find them:
For the article, blacksmith Peter Ross made a fine pair of wrought iron drop leaf hinges, copied from original 18th century hinges. These hinges can be obtained through Peter’s website.
For steel and more modern brass versions, look to Horton Brasses, which sells rule joint hinges ranging from $4 to $18.
Lee Valley also sells quality brass hinges by the pair for $24 to $26.
Whitechapel Ltd. also sells them in unfinished brass for $6 to $11 each.
If you’d like to build a handsome table and try your own hand cutting rule joints, I suggest Steve Shanesy’s Shaker Drop-Leaf Table.
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
