Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Richelieu, Hecho en China, Onward, and Rona packaging hardware components for a SCREAM door!! The Pits!!


Last week's woodworking adventure was to build the screen for the back door as an exact copy of last year's front screen door project.   The front screen door was a piece of cake with the only burp coming up was the 3 spring hinges needed to prevent bowing (binding) which were packaged in pairs.   No problem.   The odd hinge would be used next year... this year ....

 However ......

Between last year and this summer the North Shore Rona outlet on Welch did a Spring cleaning in the Fall and eliminated the packaged pairs of hinges, ..... replacing them with Richelieu's 'full' set of components supplied by Onward and made in China .......... 
Each kit includes:  1 pair of 2-1/2" broad butt hinges, 1 screen door catch, 1 pair of 3" spring hinges, 1 - 4"  gate hook & eye, 1 - 4-3/4" screen door pull, with all of the screws required.  Zinc plated.
NOTE: Butt hinges and spring hinges may be used individually or together.  If using these together, ensure the offset of the hinge pins is the same as the offset of the spring hinge pins to avoid binding.



Note: Butt hinges and spring hinges may be used individually or together
Note: Butt hinges and spring hinges may be used individually or together.

Note: If using together, ensure the offset of the butt hinge pins is the same offset of the spring hinge pins to avoid binding


No, that's not possible.  The screw layouts are not the same as each other, AND how thick is the OFFSET.....???    It turns out that a scrap of wood has to be precisely 1/4" thick.   For the just under $20 that was paid one would have hoped, expected that the OFFSET would have been included.  And on the off chance that the screen door was too heavy for one pair of Springe hinges and another one was needed in lieu of the Butt hinge .... the screw holes are totally messed up when it comes layout.  The local woodpecker would be envious of the interloper.



And $20 for another package when all that is needed is ONE spring hinge more!!

Screw Hole layouts are mismatched and width different by 1/2"

Onward  didn't put the package together??? or did they
Richelieu ...... packaging by the Blister ...




If you're contemplating building your own screen door, or two, don't use the eye and hook method of fastening the door to the jamb, which comes with the Rona Richelieu package.  Lee Valley Tools Rare Earth Magnets are downright powerful, the size of a dime.  Drill a hole for the magnet to set into the door, near the bottom, and then put the flat washer on the Jamb, right down near the bottom .... not hinge side!!!

1 comment:

e.a.f. said...

the worst part of building a screen door, as I understand it, is the packaging some of the parts came in. I feel your pain. some of the plastic/cardboard packaging is enough to want to buy a gun to shoot it off. Enjoy the screen door. I'm ordering one and having a real carpenter install it. So much easier on the nerves.