Woodworking help needed...

[Manhattan]

I'm in the process of making a center console (armrest, cupholders, storage) for my '84 Pickup. Once complete, I'll have the upholstery shop pad/wrap it to match the seats they did for me. But, I've hit a snag.

The lid will be hinged to open length-wise toward the passenger seat. Initially, I'd planned to attach the hinge to the top edge of the box. But, that means screws going into the edge of the plywood - nope. That'll never hold up to repeated open/close, arm on armrest, etc.

I'm thinking I should attach the hinge on the side - screws going into plywood the "right" way. That does mean exposing the hinge (first and second pic). I bet the upholstery guy has some tricks to hide the hinge... or at least make it a bit less obvious.

Totally hiding the hinge (third pic) means getting more creative. I'd need to add wood to the top of the box - a perimeter piece that provides a stronger means of attaching the hinge.

Any suggestions?
Thanks!!!

If I go this route, the screws will go through the hinge and into the box from the side; the screws into the lid, will point up into the lid.

This way - screws into the box point down; into lid point up - seems like I need to add another board to the top - then attach the hinge to that - screws pointing down

 

[JohnVee]

You could recess a piece of angle iron into the top of the side of the box so it would sit flush and would screw in from the inside of the box. Then weld the hinge to the top edge of angle. The lid get screwed to the hinge point up. You might also be able to find small enough T-nuts that will allow a full thru-bolting of lid and box for the utmost of sturdiness while still remaining flush on the outside (but they'll be upholstered over anyway).

Or maybe use cabinet hinges of some sort? They wouldn't offer the lateral stiffness of the piano hinge, I'd suppose, but they'd be completely concealed inside the box. Might have to use 3 or 4, but I still think the piano hinge would be stronger for the intended usage, less finicky too.

 

[JohnVee]

There's probably also an offset piano hinge somewhere that would allow the preferred screw direction in top & side while remaining concealing inside the box.

 

[fyton2v]

Google partial wrap hinges. You may need a couple instead of a single, long hinge... but they can come in a "non-mortise" style that'll let the top sit flatter. Or you could recess it a bit and it'll be dead flat.

 

[KLF]

Too late now, but I would have made that out of poplar. Plywood rattles/vibrates.

Maybe inset a piece of hardwood down into that edge with tenons, then use these nifty hidden hinges

(1 Pair) Hidden Door Hinge Stainless Steel Hidden Door Hinge Hidden Barrel Wooden Box Silver https://a.co/d/ia2yiHu