Hinges facilitate the movement of many common objects. They are found on doors, cabinets, access panels, lids, appliances and more. While most hinges consist of two leafs and a pin, however, they support a variety of accessories, including the following.
Caps
Hinge caps are decorative accessories that fit over the knuckle. Also known as hinge tips, they fit on the top and bottom. Some caps are a push-fit, allowing for a snug fit into the knuckle holes. Other caps are magnetic and designed for use with magnetic hinges. Regardless, once installed, caps will enhance the hinge’s aesthetics while also keeping dust and debris out of the knuckle.
Covers
In addition to caps, there are hinge covers. Covers fit over the leafs of a hinge to provide a cleaner appearance. They typically come in pairs — one cover for each of a hinge’s two leafs. They are commonly used when one of the leafs stands out from the other. If you have a hinge with a stained leaf, for instance, you may want to use covers to create a cleaner and more balanced appearance.
Shims
Hinge shims are spacers that are designed to fix alignment issues. They typically consist of rectangular-shaped pieces of hard cardboard, plastic or metal. If you have a door that’s sagging or not closing properly, shims offer a potential solution. You can slide shims in the open space between a problematic hinge and the door or door frame. Shims can “push” or “pull” the door in a particular direction, thereby fixing the alignment issue.
Security Pins
Another common accessory for hinges is a security pin. Not to be confused with hinge pins — the long rod that holds the two leafs together and forms the knuckle — security pins are designed to protect against tampering. Outward-swinging doors pose a security risk. A burglar may be able to remove them by popping the hinge pin out of the knuckle. Security pins, though, keep the two leafs joined so that even if the hinge pin is removed, the hinges will stay in place.
Bender
A hinge bender is a tool that’s designed to adjust the alignment of a hinge by physically bending the knuckle. Most benders consist of a long rod with a C-shaped tip. To use them, you need to slide the C-shaped tip into the hinge’s knuckle. You can then twist the bender so that it bends the knuckle in that direction.