I need to do something with the kitchen - new base units and worktop, but I can see no justification to change the wall units.
Is there a standard for the hinges spacing and sizes so that I can consider new doors? Alternatively - what is involved in making the counterbore for hinges in new doors?
It isn't difficult to make the holes for the hinges if you have the right equipment, which is in any case useful for other purposes.
Method 1 is to use a Forstner bit in a pillar drill. THis is a type of bit which produces flat bottomed holes. They come in a variety of sizes or complete sets. 35mm is the common hinge size. You can't use these bits very effectively in a hand held drill. A basic benchtop pillar drill can be had for about £100 and obviously it has other uses. The technique here is to mark the hole, set the depth and drill carefully.
Method 2 is to use a router with a straight bit, a guide bush and a template. You could get away with a small 1/4" router for this job if you take your time. Trend make a good selection of templates and guide bushes and their T5 router is quite good as well. The technique here is to clamp the jig to the door, set up the router and plunge the router in stages as it cuts the material away until you get to the required depth. There's a downloadable guide on Trend's web site which explains what's involved. Again a router is a very worthwhile tool to have for all kinds of jobs.
.andy
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Crikey !! is it gold plated this is expensive
You won't get a decent one for £50, although if it were only going to be used for very light and occasional work it might be OK.
The bearings on the very bottom end bench drills are not up to much. THey will show wear quite quickly and then you've had it basically.
.andy
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Back to the old arguments on this newsgroup about buying cheap and throwing away when it is no longer roadworthy :)
PoP
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The average Forstner bit will blunt very quickly if used on mdf or chipboard. Pukka 35mm hinge sinkers with TC tips are a better bet IMHO.
snip
Some time back I made a simple jig from 1/4" perspex. It allows me to use a 3mm bit to set the position of the 35mm hinge cup to both the edge of the door and the top and bottom of it. It is then simple enough to centre the 35mm bit on the 3mm hole and bore away. The depth can be established by eye after a few trys. Its not that critical as if you go too deep the hinge is restricted in the depth it will drop. Once the hinge has been inserted it can be eyeballed into lateral position and the 2 outer screws inserted.
1/4" perspex is not the ideal material for this type of jig. It was handy ! It is not that hard to ensure the drill is not turned on until the 3mm bit is in the hole.Paul Mc Cann
I've never understoodthe need to remove the base units!
This is something I have never checked out. Be assured that the next time I'm in B&Q I shall forget to do so.
You only get 5/8ths of mdf to play with. There are higes you can use thaty are just like thes hinges but screw directly to the surface of the carcase/door.
Failing that the ordinary storm hinges used on windows work OK too.
I wouldn't rely on any standard spacing!
Making the counterbores is easy enough. You can buy special 35 mm bits for about £15. It's best to use a pillar drill (or vertial drill stand) with depth stop in order to make sure that the hole is square (or rather that it's axis is perpendicular to the surface!) and that it is exactly the right depth.
Although I agree it's less than ideal, these bits can certainly be used using a bog-standard hand-held drill; I've done so myself with perfectly OK results on several occasions. But I would think that doing a full kitchen's worth of doors would be the perfect excuse to buy a pillar drill! :-)
David
Our good friends at Axminster have just the template for marking out cabinet hinges:
To do a decent job you also need a drill, either a proper pedestal unit or a simple stand for an electric hand drill. The door thickness is 15mm and the hinge boring bit must take out 12mm of material - this isn't something you can do a reasonable job of freehand.
PoP
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Some of my base units are in poor condition (due to water leaks) and were not good quality - but the wall units are still fine.
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