Getting started with European hinges...

[AndyF]

I've finally moved to a project that uses a door.

The "boss" has settled on European style. I'm making face frame cabinets with 3/4" thick doors. I suspect I'll need 3/4" overlay with at least 110deg opening to keep the inside of the door from interfering with the opening.

I've seen a variety of setup jigs for locating and drilling the cup holes for drill press, hand-held drill, and router.

If you were starting with these style of hinges, what would you recommend for hole setup?

Drill press setup blocks?
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10250&rrt=1

Hand-held drill guides/stops?
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5878&rrt=1
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/200...g-and-bit.aspx

Router template holes?
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18060&rrt=1

The variety of templates for the drill press and drill guide suggest to me that you have to match the guide/template with the type of hinge you're installing; so, i'm questioning the simpler router and drill guides.

I know Blum is the most expensive, but seem to be the most widely available. I ran across a thread on SawmillCreek that the setup for the various brands of European hinges are not the necessarily the same.

Any other words of wisdom?

Thanks,
Andy

[DannyT]

i bought hinges at HD and got one of these

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...&storeId=10051

[cabinetman]

After the thousands of hinges I've installed, I never found a need to buy a jig to do the drilling. A simple shop made jig like this works just fine for any euro hinge. All it is basically is a board (could be plywood, MDF, particle board...any substrate) with a short strip on the back side for a fence.

It mounts to the drill press table. The setup is simple. It gets placed so that when a door is placed against the fence the center of the Forstner bit is 7/8" from the edge of the door. That puts the edge of a 35mm hole about 3/16" from the edge of the door. Most all euro hinges use that drilling pattern. If the hole needs to be different, the jig can be moved forward or backward very easily. The jig can be clamped to the DP table with "C" clamps.

A mark can be made on top of the fence for the center of the drill bit, and marks to the right and left of center for the top and bottom of a typical door, like 3" to center for the hinges. If you prefer flip stops for the edges of the door for placement, you could use the surface mounted self closing hinges like these, with a stop block attached.

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[JimD]

I agree with C'man. All you need is a 35mm forstner bit if you have a drill press. My drill press has a moveable fence on it all ghe time. So I just adjust the bit for depth and the fence for setback from the edge and mark the door for height and drill.

[atgcpaul]

My jig is like C-man's, too. The hinge manufacturer's usually have a diagram--either in the packaging or on their website--of where the whole should be drilled. For the first door, I measure and mark where that should be, place the door part and jig on the drill press, line up the mark with the Forstner bit tip and clamp the jig to the table. Then with the drill press set up, I do all my doors at once.

Paul

[AndyF]

Thanks guys!

Had it in my head that I needed to stick with a particular brand.

C'man, that drill press setup should allow for any manufacturer variations.

Any manufacturers to avoid?

[cabinetman]

Thanks guys!

Had it in my head that I needed to stick with a particular brand.

C'man, that drill press setup should allow for any manufacturer variations.

Any manufacturers to avoid?

Not really. Any differences in the setback from the edge of the door only requires the jig to be moved slightly closer or away from the column. Some hinges have a more shallow bore, or some may be larger or smaller than 35mm. In any case the jig will do whatever you need, and the rest is done with adjustments to the drill press, or just changing the bit.

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