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I bought a very large chest made of teak and mounted a 50" LED TV to the inside of the lid so we could hide the it when it wasn't in use. The lid (with the tv mounted) is about 80 lbs and 24" from hinge to lip. I want something that keeps the lid open at 90 degrees and keeps the lid from slamming when it closes. The best thing I've found are a pair of these Stabilus gas springs but they can only handle 56lbs. Is there a better product for this application?

Chest Closed Chest Open Side of chest where support will be mounted

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  • Could you put on a picture, would help me have a clearer image. Thanks
    – Ljk2000
    Jun 4, 2016 at 12:33
  • @Ljk2000 Good idea, I added some photos.
    – Dev01
    Jun 4, 2016 at 12:47
  • This made me think of torsion hinges, and the claim "Support any size lid by simply adding more hinges." But the calculator claimed your 960 inch-pounds is over the recommended limit. (And would cost a ton in the hinge increments sold by the vendor.) Jun 4, 2016 at 13:10
  • 2
    Nice chest and clever idea!
    – Ashlar
    Jun 4, 2016 at 14:01
  • 1
    Rear-hatch gas struts for an SUV or minivan might do the trick, though they wouldn't look spectacular.
    – FreeMan
    Jun 6, 2016 at 20:19

2 Answers 2

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A commercial grade door closer might do the trick. A door closer can be set with a limit to prevent the door from opening too far, and can close the door once triggered. It gets its power when the user initially opens the door. In your case, you would rig the closer in reverse to assist (close) when you open the lid and resist when closing it. The important thing is that commercial doors are heavy and the closers should be strong enough to offer real assistance in your setup. A good commercial carpenter would be able to assist you on selecting the right style of closer and how to rig it in the cabinet.

enter image description here

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  • I'm not sure this will work. It would help with closing so that the lid doesn't slam but it wouldn't keep the door open, would it?
    – Dev01
    Jun 4, 2016 at 20:48
  • You can't necessarily reverse the action on these things either.
    – Chris H
    Jun 4, 2016 at 21:02
  • @ Tom Krones Closers also come with hold open features. They will stay in a fixed open position until sufficient force is applied to close them.
    – Ashlar
    Jun 5, 2016 at 0:20
  • @Chris H There are a wide variety of closers available and commercial hardware suppliers often have experienced hardware specifiers who will be able to identify a closer that will work. Many closers work on a hydraulic cylinder and even though they pull a door closed, they will not slam it, they work at a slow pace. One problem in this situation is that the action must accommodate heavy loads and the user may need assistance lifting and lowering. I,m not positive if this will meet the situation adequately, but it has a strong chance of doing so.
    – Ashlar
    Jun 5, 2016 at 0:28
  • @Ashlar I'm familiar with the hydraulic sort and can't see how they would adapt as their main feature is a damping action. If there are other types designed to assist opening that could be of interest.
    – Chris H
    Jun 5, 2016 at 8:20
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I assume you've read the detailed specs on the gas springs, because simply taking the pressure from the website and equating that to the mass won't work. They may still do for damping the closing movement.

Automotive gas springs may have a higher load.

If you want it to hold at 90 degrees you'll need some kind of stop. And the lid will be nearly balanced at this point. So some big rare-earth magnets in the stop may be what you need. You can buy them with a countersunk hole for screw fixing, though I suggest also sinking them into pockets with just enough recessing that they don't hit each other.

I've taken the whole weight of a decent size monitor on quite small magnets.

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  • Thanks for the answer Chris. I've read the specs of the gas springs but that doesn't mean I understand everything. :) I found some 200N gas springs (amazon.com/Apexstone-Spring-Strut-Shock-Support/dp/B01CMI5ZE8/…) that are rated to 90lbs together but it sounds like it might not be that easy?
    – Dev01
    Jun 4, 2016 at 21:24
  • You need to calculate or measure the force needed to hold it open, and check that the gas springs can deliver that force at that extension (which you can figure out with trigonometry). I used them in an engineering context years ago and I remember that they gave the force at full extension. You can measure the force by lifting with a spring balance (even luggage scales) if you have one big enough.
    – Chris H
    Jun 5, 2016 at 8:22

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