Hinges and Hardware 101 – Unbalanced Shear

There are many ways to cut a hinge, but an unbalanced shear can also satisfy two requirements. This type of cut shears through the knuckle instead of between two knuckles. For example, on a hinge with .50” knuckles, the length would be 10.30” instead of 10.00” or 10.50”. When the shear comes down, it will crush the knuckle a bit and deform it. This will end up trapping the pin and acts as its own form of pin retention, so it doesn't fall out of the hinge saving an extra operation of staking or welding the pin. So, if a slightly deformed knuckle doesn't bother your application, this would be a cheaper alternative to a saw cut which will be highlighted in a future post. You can also check out a little more on Unbalanced Shears here.