I de-winterized this weekend and installed the icebox hinges I picked up over the winter. They are standard take-apart hinges from West Marine and cost about $20. That and (8) 3/4" screws, a hand drill, screwdriver and about 15 minutes was all it took.
After eyeballing it for a few minutes, I decided to hinge on the forward side of the lid, swinging towards the bow. This way the lid stays up on it's own and gives me the most unrestricted access. It's a 1/4" clearance with the storage areas above, but it clears. The pictures tell the rest of the story.
Go here and click on the pics titled "icebox hinge":
http://users.erols.com/reedbr/temp/
Nice idea, great pictures. This is a continuation from: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=2742.0
Brian : A SUPER idea of placing the hinges on the forward side. I would never have thought of that!!! Good Job :thumb:
I'll have to check, but I don't think the MKI has the clearance to lift the lid up as you can. Clever idea.
Great Idea for a MKII!!
I did check and the early MKIs have a larger lid and it will NOT clear the cabinetry above!!
Still a nice modification for the newer C34s. :!:
Brian,
Nice idea. I put the same type of hinges on the outboard side but forgot the camera. Getting the drill angle right on the counter top part was a tad tricky. Still working on a way to keep it up as the cabinetry won't allow it to tilt past vertical & stay up by itself. Will try to get that resolved this weekend & provide pictures.
Hi,
Loved the idea to hinge the top. Immediately went out and picked up the hinges at West. Guess what, should have checked the boat first. My MKII, #1679, does not have the clearance. Was sure that it would.
Guess I live with it as hinging any other way does not float my boat either.
Great pictures though.
Tom Mallery
My MkII (#1477) did not have the clearance to hinge the lid on the forward side. It would hit the cabinet above. I ended up hinging it on the outboard (starboard side).
Sorry guys. I didn't realize dimensions varied that much in the MkII's galley. Do you have microwaves or are the cabinet doors made of a thicker material? If it's close, I might be tempted to recess the cabinet doors into the openings or try to hinge it on a slight angle, but that seems like a lot of work.
One of the original 1987 ideas on the Mark I boats was to hinge the top and then use a simple string and loop to hold it up with a hook on the cabinets. I see no reason why this basic concept could not be used on the mark II boats for situations as described in the past few posts. Since the factory-installed "pick up" loop is recessed into the CENTER of the fridge top on the Mark IIs, compared to being on the port edge of the Mark Is, it may be necessary to add say a small eye hook to the top to tie the string to.
It's not the door that the lid hits, but the frame.
Mine too! Nor even close on Splash Dance, #1679. Still love the idea, just can't make it work at any angle but inboard and that is not very convenient.
Tom Mallery
Tom,
You should be able to mount the hinges outboard, so the lid lifts 'away' from you. That's how mine is.