Standards & Finishes
The how and why of ordering: the dimensions we stock, the weight of material we use, our tolerances, and the weatherproof finishes we offer.
We can make any hinge or pintle to any dimension, but we can’t stock everything. So we’ve settled on standard lengths, standoffs and throw, based on real-world examples, that work in most cases.
| Dimension | How it’s measured | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Pintle standoff | Base of the pintle (at the mounting surface) to the centerline of the pin or female cavity | 1″, 1-½″, 2″, 3″ (others at an upcharge) |
| Hinge standoff | Back of the hinge (as it lies on the shutter) to the centerline of the barrel | 0″ (flush), 1″, 2″, 3″ |
| Throw | Offset bend in the hinge to the centerline of the barrel | 1-½″ (for a 3″ casing) |
| Strap hinge length | The part that lies on the shutter — offset bend to the end | To order |
| First fastener hole | From the hinge offset bend | 1-¼″ (mid-line of a 2-½″ stile) |
| Fastener holes | Diameter in strap hinges | 9/32″ for a ¼″ fastener plus finish |
If we have to jiggle standoffs between hinge and pintle we usually change the hinge — much easier to vary than the pintle. With a 4″ casing and a 3″ throw, one inch of casing would be covered when the shutter is open.
Our standard heavy strap hinges are 3/16″ thick mild steel for a simple reason: we’ve never seen a hinge of this material fail. We’ve seen lots of 1/8″ hinges fail — and thousands of others that worked fine. Failures often stem from design flaws: too little clearance between pin and barrel encourages rust, hinges and pintles rust together, and along comes the painter who pulls the shutter open and the hinge bends or cracks.
| Line | Thickness | Decimal | Approx. gauge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barn-weight straps & pintles | 1/4″ | 0.250″ | — (plate) |
| Heavy strap hinges (shutter & door) | 3/16″ | 0.1875″ | ~7 ga. |
| Mid-weight hinges | 1/8″ | 0.125″ | ~11 ga. |
| Hooks & stays | 3/8″ round | 0.375″ dia | — |
| Heavy pins | 1/2″ round | 0.500″ dia | — |
We provide this listing as a gauge when other makers quote metal thickness in gauge. If they don’t mention hinge thickness, ask — skimping on material is how a lot of imported hardware gets so cheap.
E-coating (our standard)
Electro-deposition coating is our preferred exterior finish — an automotive industrial finish used on under-car parts like trailer hitches. Parts are stripped of dirt, oil and scale, dipped in liquid plastic and baked, then powder-coated and baked again. Because the first coat is a dip, it flows into hinge barrels and every fastener hole for 100% coverage; the powder coat adds color and UV stability. The result is a nice satin black that will accept sprayed paint if you want another color.
Mechanical galvanizing
For severe protection of mild steel. It isn’t cheap and adds about two weeks to delivery, but it’s a superb substrate: zinc is micro-hammered into the steel as parts tumble with tiny glass-like beads — no heat, no harsh chemicals. The coating is 3–5 times as thick as hot-dip and far thicker than electro-galvanizing. We inspected hardware after 15 years of ocean-front exposure and the finish was unblemished. Its textured, porous surface takes paint or powder coat well.
Powder coating
We used to powder coat everything, but found powder alone didn’t give adequate weather protection. It’s physics — the “Faraday cage”: electrostatically charged powder can’t get inside charged rings like fastener holes and hinge barrels, which are exactly where rust starts. Today powder is a top coat over e-coat or galvanizing.
Bare metal
Nothing done — as it came from the forge, with some scale and bright spots where edges were ground. Bulk-packed, so it’s a nice place to save money; a few good coats of rust-preventive paint is one of the best finishes we’ve seen in salt-free environments. Also the right choice if you plan an exotic finish or custom powder color.
304 stainless steel
Close to salt water, stainless is the one solution we’ve found that needs no maintenance. Supplied bare or with a semi-gloss black e-coat. See our stainless line.
| Finish | Coverage in holes & barrels | Best for | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-coat | Complete (dip) | Most exterior installations | Standard |
| Mechanical galvanizing | Complete (tumbled) | Severe exposure, mild steel | About +2 weeks |
| Powder coat alone | Poor (Faraday cage) | Top coat only | — |
| Bare metal | None | Your own paint or custom finish | Standard |
| 304 stainless | Inherent | Salt air, hurricane coast | Made to order |
We leave 1/32″ of clearance between our heavy hinge barrels and their pintle pins — only 1/64″ each side, but enough wiggle room on purpose. Finishes eat up room, and we want enough clearance that the finish on the pin is never rubbed off. The more intact the finish, the less chance for rust. The clearance doesn’t make for a sloppy swing; it’s taken up when positioning the hardware during installation.
Our dimensions are “nominal”. Commercial steel has plus/minus tolerances in thickness and width, and we work our material by hand — that’s what hand made means. Generally we hold the length of strap hinges to ½″. Hand-forged pieces like beveled hinges and tiebacks will be close enough to tell they were made by the same craftsman at the same time.
What we need from you
Situation
Which of the six installation situations matches your windows.
Offset
Casing face to outermost wall surface — the greatest dimension, plus ½″ cushion on masonry.
Widths
Casing width, shutter width, and stile and rail widths.
Finish
E-coat, galvanized, bare or stainless — and where the house is.