What Are Weld-On Hinges?

When shopping for hinges, you may discover that some of them don’t have precut holes for bolts or screws. Most hinges, of course, have holes for fasteners. You can install them on surfaces by driving a screw or bolt through the hinge’s hole and into the surface. Some hinges are designed without holes, however. Known as weld-on hinges, they require welding to install.

Overview of Weld-On Hinges 

Weld-on hinges are characterized by the use of smooth and complete leafs without any holes. Like all hinges, they consist of two leafs that join together at the middle. The two leafs interlock to form a knuckle, which is secured using a pin. A pin is inserted through the middle of the joined leafs to hold them together.  

While most hinges have two or more holes in each of their leafs, weld-on hinges are devoid of holes. They don’t require holes because they aren’t intended for use with fasteners. Rather, weld-on hinges are designed to be installed via welding. You can install a weld-on hinge by fusing each of its two leafs with the appropriate surfaces using a welding torch.

When to Use Weld-On Hinges

You should consider using weld-on hinges for applications involving metal surfaces. If you want to install a hinge on a metal wall, for instance, you may want to use a set of weld-on hinges. You can’t easily drive screws into metal surfaces. Depending on the specific type of metal, it may not support screws. With weld-on hinges, you won’t have to use screws or other fasteners. You can install them by welding them onto the metal surfaces. 

Even if a metal surface supports fasteners, weld-on hinges could be a better choice than traditional hinges. Using a set of traditional hinges means you’ll have to drill holes into the metal surface. Weld-on hinges eliminate the need for drilling. You can install them directly on the metal surface.

Materials for Weld-On Hinges

You can find weld-on hinges in several different materials. Some of them are made of stainless steel. Stainless steel weld-on hinges offer a high level of protection against corrosion and rust, and because stainless steel is such a common material, they are typically inexpensive. 

Weld-on hinges are also available in carbon steel. Carbon steel weld-on hinges are exceptionally strong and durable, making them ideal for high-stress applications. Without the presence of chromium, though, carbon steel weld-on hinges are more susceptible to corrosion and rust.