# Need ideas for cabinet hinges.



## wfischer (Dec 29, 2007)

I'm looking to replace the hinges on all my kitchen cabinets. The old hinges were mounted on front of the doors, but I'd prefer them to be more hidden. I bought a pair of self-closing 3/8" offset hinges to test out, but it turns out that the offset on the doors themselves is *3/4"*! How can I keep new hinges hidden?


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## troubleseeker (Sep 25, 2006)

They also make 3/4" offset hinges for use on a full 3/4" thick door, or am I misunderstanding the description?


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## canolajetta (Jan 7, 2008)

Check out ebay, write in exactly the offset you are looking for. 

Don't forget to pay attention to the distance between the top and bottom screws in your current hinges, because you'll want to either match that, or be sufficiently different to be able to drill a new hole without creating a mess.

Failing that, get the kind of hinge where the screws are mounted on the inside of the cabinet, while the hinge itself is on the outside. I thought it was easier to do that than to do the completely recessed hinge, less drilling was involved in my case.


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## tubguy (Nov 10, 2007)

Are you wanting to use the European style hinges found on the newer cabinets? They are available with overlay. How much overlay did your old hingers have?

Mike


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## ChrWright (Aug 19, 2007)

Cup hinges are available in a variety of overlays and insets--but are probably not the easiest solution.

You might try looking on Rocklers website (www.Rockler.com). They offer a variety of hinges for woodworkers & hobbyists.

If you were to post a picture of your existing doors/hinges, I could recommend a specific product to you.


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## wfischer (Dec 29, 2007)

ChrWright said:


> If you were to post a picture of your existing doors/hinges, I could recommend a specific product to you.


Alrighty then!

First up, a photo of the cabinets as they were when I moved in:









My problem with this is that I want as little of each hinge showing as possible. You can see here that the entire hinge is visible, which is aesthetically unpleasing in my opinion, especially when taking into consideration the style of the kitchen as it is now.

This is the type of hinge I originally intended to go with. I picked this one because most of the hinge is hidden behind the door, and the style matches the new knobs and pulls, as well as a couple of the light fixtures.









This is one of the cabinet doors, face down. That new hinge I bought has a 3/8" offset, and it's pretty obvious in this photo that the doors are much thicker than that.









My main concerns as far as the hinges are as follows:

1. Looks: I want them to be hidden as much as possible, and whatever isn't hidden needs to match the other hardware.
2. Price: I have 19 doors to do, and I would prefer not to spend more than $3 per pair of hinges, if possible.
3. Availability: Living in Juneau, Alaska can be a challenge. The only way in or out of town is by boat or plane, which tends to drive shipping costs up. Seriously, my work ordered a $5 computer cable online and had to pay $50 to get it here in 10 business days. If possible, I'd like something that would be available at Home Depot, or one of the small local hardware stores. 
4. Ease of installation: I'm prepared to do whatever I need to to get the hinges to look and perform the way I want, but as with anything... the easier the better!

If you need any more pictures or info, let me know and I'll be happy to post them.


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## ChrWright (Aug 19, 2007)

The following is exactly what you need, but doesn't meet your price requirement:

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17284

I know that lowes & home depot both carry cup hinges for inset doors (at least some of them do--stock & product can varry from store to store) that would be in your price range. You'll need to drill the cup on the back of the door and mount blocks inside the cabinet for the base plate to mount. Even the cheap ones are usually 2 dimensionally adjustable to make it a little easier to fine tune the door once it's mounted.

You'll have to test the ones they stock to ensure they'll work. The projection and clearance for cup hinges varies from model to model & manufacturer to manufacturer. You want to be sure the back edge of the door doesn't bind & make contact with the face of your cabinet.


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## wfischer (Dec 29, 2007)

You're right about that price... I nearly had to change my undies!

Here's a photo of that same area of the kitchen, as it is now.


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## wfischer (Dec 29, 2007)

*Had an idea...*

What if I used the hinges pictured here, and used a router to cut a notch out of the door just big enough for the hinge to sit in, so that it's lined up the way it's supposed to be?


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## wfischer (Dec 29, 2007)

Any thoughts on this idea?


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## sebastien1 (Oct 5, 2006)

Your looking for a 3/8" inset hinge. To hit a $3/pr target for concealed hinges is pretty difficult through places like Rockler. However, you can try "woodworkershardware.com". You can probably get it done for $5-6/pr. You'll have to match the hinge you choose with the appropriate mounting plate. Off hand I don't know which one this is, but give them a call. Great people to deal with...1-800-383-0130


http://wwhardware.com/catalog.cfm/G...&#174; Concealed/SubCatID/107&#0176; Clip Top


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