Frameless Cabinets

I like the Blum 35mm full overlay. Fully adjustable in six directions, and easy to install (assuming you have a 35mm forstner bit, but a 1-3/8" will do in a pinch).
 
I think you can find some 'kits' that have a 35mm drill bit and drill guide pretty inexpensively. You want to make sure you put those 35mm holes in the right place...
 
I think you can find some 'kits' that have a 35mm drill bit and drill guide pretty inexpensively. You want to make sure you put those 35mm holes in the right place...

If you've got a drill press with a fence on its table, that's all you need. The edge of the 35mm hole needs to be 3mm (1/8") from the edge of the door. That spacing works with every Blum hinge I've ever used.
 
This might be useful info:
http://www.rockler.com/articles/choosing-a-concealed-hinge-3.cfm



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I think you can find some 'kits' that have a 35mm drill bit ...

A 1 3/8" Forstner bit works fine. Divide 35mm by 25.4mm(1") = 1.378" - close enough to 1.375 (1 3/8) to work perfectly.

Another option, if you use inset doors is a simple pin or knife hinge. I did that on a cabinet for our family room several years ago and put magnetic push-push catches at the top. Looks great and works just fine.
 
If a person was to build frameless cabinets, what type of hinge would you recommend? I might try making a couple and have no idea about the hinges.

I'd do a euro hinge.

This is from memory so I might be way off here.
With Blum, if you drill the cup at 20.5mm on center from the edge, and use a straight armed hinge, you want to be using a 6mm mounting plate to get a 5/16" overlay. That'd give you an 1/8" gap on a 3/4" partition.

I rarely do anything frameless, but I do use frameless hinges and mounting plates for doing inset stuff with a faceframe. I use a full crank hinge, and vary the mounting plates depending on what the pocket from the edge of the faceframe is to the partition. Also requires some thinking ahead when doing cut out and machining decks.
 
If a person was to build frameless cabinets, what type of hinge would you recommend? I might try making a couple and have no idea about the hinges.

I'd do a euro hinge.

This is from memory so I might be way off here.
With Blum, if you drill the cup at 20.5mm on center from the edge, and use a straight armed hinge, you want to be using a 6mm mounting plate to get a 5/16" overlay. That'd give you an 1/8" gap on a 3/4" partition.

I rarely do anything frameless, but I do use frameless hinges and mounting plates for doing inset stuff with a faceframe. I use a full crank hinge, and vary the mounting plates depending on what the pocket from the edge of the faceframe is to the partition. Also requires some thinking ahead when doing cut out and machining decks.


Whenever I read on of these I always think its too bad no one on here lives close to me. I'd let you drill them with my door machine for nothing.
 
I used euro style hinges I bought at the BORG for about $7.00 each for a cabinet I have in my shop. Like you, Steve, I'd not used them before so I practiced a bit on a couple of pieces of scrap. I used my 1 3/8" Forstner bit and took dimensions off the handy dandy paper template that came with the hinges and they worked out OK.
 
steve, the cup hinges are adjustable.
I thought it was a big deal until I used them. Even if youre off a tad, you can adjust the hinges to line up the doors.
I bought a cheap plastic jig set to set the hinges in the right place. Very easy stuff.
What I learned the hard way, is that if you buy a hinge for a face frame, you must make sure there is enough face frame to screw it in.
 
Okay, more detail. What was said before is right, but here is the rest of the story.

The normal Euro door overlays the 3/4 inch cabinet side. A full overlay hinge is the straight one, with a standard (flat, 0 mm, no boost) mounting plate.

If you have doors on both sides of a 3/4 inch divider, then you only want the door to overlay half the thickness of the divider (or slightly less than half). That is called a half overlay hinge, and it has a bend in the arm. With the half overlay hinge, you can use the same standard mounting plate.

If you don't have a half overlay hinge, you can cheat with a full overlay hinge, but mount it half a panel thickness inside by using a mounting plate with a 9 mm riser, or mount a flat plate spaced out with a 3/8" piece of wood. This isn't quite as attractive since it puts more hinge volume inside the cabinet.

If you want inset doors, mount the plate 3/4" (door thickness) farther inside the cabinet. Use a half overlay hinge PLUS a 9 mm thick plate, and you are good to go. Of course the door must be smaller to be inset.

See my web page for pictures... www.solowoodworker.com/wood/hinges.html
 
The terms full or half overlay are completely pointless and are determined only by the width of material you are overlaying. They're marketing words used by box companies.

There is a massive number of hinge, plate, and cup distance that will give you a desired overlay. Typically the easiest way to adjust a needed overlay on the hinge side is to use the same hinge, the same cup distance, but change the mounting plate.
 
The terms full or half overlay are completely pointless and are determined only by the width of material you are overlaying. They're marketing words used by box companies...

Not exactly, Karl. The 32mm system is a European standard, and the overlay amount referred to is based on their standard (18mm) panel thickness. Sure, it varies here, but mainly because the materials we're using vary from the Euro standard. The info that Charlie gave is spot-on when you adhere to the standard.
 
Both Charlie and Karl are on the right track. I use the full overlay hinge, and different mounting plates to get the overlay. Adding to Charlie's full inset, instead of buying the hinge, use an 18mm plate and a full overlay hinge. I buy hinges in case size, and don't want to decide which hinge I've got on the bench. When the arms get all the fancy bends, some can get confusing. It's easier to identify a plate. Blum and other mfg'ers also have plastic spacers that fit the bottom of the plate. They are 3mm each, and they can snap together for building up.



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There is a massive number of hinge, plate, and cup distance that will give you a desired overlay. Typically the easiest way to adjust a needed overlay on the hinge side is to use the same hinge, the same cup distance, but change the mounting plate.

Boy do I agree with you, Karl. Anytime you have an 86 page catalog/instruction book, that is too many.

You seem to have selected one hinge and many mounting plates to meet your needs, and as a cabinet maker can buy in quantity. I am a custom furniture maker, working alone, and will never use a case quantity of any hinges, but I keep two (not just one) in stock (the 120 degree "full overlay" and 120 degree "half overlay" that I mentioned). I use a standard cup distance for all doors, and do 95% of my hinges with the flat mounting plate. That makes the hinge take a little less space in the cabinet, which (to me) with custom furniture is worth the extra effort of stocking two hinges (and only one mounting plate).
 
I carry four different kinds of hinges, but I really only use two kinds of hinges on a regular basis and that I order 250+ at a time.

I use the straight arm 107* hinge with a 3mm cast plate for face frame stuff. I use a 1/2 inch overlay, and adjust my face frame size if I want a different reveal.
I use the full crank 107* hinges, and 3mm, 6mm, 9mm, and 18mm plates with a combination of spacers for inset stuff. I use the different thickness plates to accommodate different pockets behind the frame to the partition/end
I use half crank 107* hinges with a plate that mounts on the backside of the faceframe for some inset stuff. Pretty much I only use this for angled corner cabinets, or anywhere I don't have a partition or end to attach a plate to.
The last hinge I use is a goofy looking unit, I think it swings 170* and I used to use them on doors that had roll out trays. I've changed the way I do roll outs, and I really don't worry about it anymore.



I still think its a silly way to describe a hinge.
 
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