5mm holes and hinges

sprior

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Feb 15, 2012
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I've got the LR32 system and want to use it for mounting hinges.  I bought a pack of the 5mm euro screws, but noticed the mounting holes in the Blum hinges I got at Woodcraft aren't big enough to fit those screws.  At the Festool roadshow I think I heard mention of some kind of adapter that fits in 5mm holes and accepts the normal sized screws that come with hinges, but didn't catch a source for that.

So what's the secret combination (in the US) of hinge brand and screws that fit in LR32 5mm holes, and where do I buy this stuff?  I can't imagine everyone enjoys drilling out the holes in the hinge mounting plates more than I do.
 
Care to divulge a name of a supplier and/or product name?  Is this something that McFeely's has?
 
I was in the same boat so I buy the blum cast type bases that have 3 screws and adjustable plate on top. Just drill out 2 holes to 5mm and you are back in business.

thx
Lambeater
 
I'm still new to the 32mm system so I'm trying to figure out what the common workflow is.  Are hinges which come with 5mm holes available in Europe but not in the US?  I can't imagine that everyone in Europe is drilling out their hinge plates, but I also find it hard to imagine that everyone needs to buy these plastic 5mm expandable dowels - especially because those dowels seem to only have a couple of suppliers in the US.  It feels like I'm missing something.
 
The hinges I buy come with the screws and the plastic dowels already installed. That way you just tap the hings in place with a hammer. Makes assembly much faster.
 

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Sounds fast, what brand hinges are those and where are you getting them?
 
Yes fidelfs, those are the 5mm screws I have, but noticed that even the Blum hinges have holes that are too small for those screws - that's why I started this thread because I thought the 5mm screws + Blum was supposed to be a good solution and was surprised to find that it wasn't.
 
sprior said:
Sounds fast, what brand hinges are those and where are you getting them?

You will have to check the dowel diameter carefully, the Blum hinges I use come with 8 mm dowels installed. I'll look at the Blum catalog to see if 5 mm are available.

It appears that the Blum plate can be purchased for 5 mm screws or #6 wood screws. The cup mounting dowels are 8 mm.

Tom
 
Sorry if this topic is dragging on, but this is getting weirder.  The Rockler link fidelfs provided to the 5mm screws specifically states that they work with Blum hinges.  However the apparently the same 5mm screws I got from McFeely's don't fit in the Blum hinges I bought from Woodcraft.  The hinges have the word Blum stamped on them so I'm not misunderstanding "Blum compatible" as Blum.  So that's why I'm confused.  Either Rockler is wrong and the 5mm screws don't just fit, or the Blum hinges Rockler sells are different from the ones Woodcraft sells, or maybe I'm just going nuts.
 

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sprior said:
Sorry if this topic is dragging on, but this is getting weirder.  The Rockler link fidelfs provided to the 5mm screws specifically states that they work with Blum hinges.  However the apparently the same 5mm screws I got from McFeely's don't fit in the Blum hinges I bought from Woodcraft.  The hinges have the word Blum stamped on them so I'm not misunderstanding "Blum compatible" as Blum.  So that's why I'm confused.  Either Rockler is wrong and the 5mm screws don't just fit, or the Blum hinges Rockler sells are different from the ones Woodcraft sells, or maybe I'm just going nuts.

To my knowledge I have never seen a blum hinge that takes 5mm screws. The plastic dowels that come on the base plates fit into 5mm holes so I dont see how a screw would fit in them. I have used blum hinges for more then 10 years so I know the product well.
 
Sorry for the long post but bear with me it may be useful.

Spior your confusion is very understandable. Basically you have a hinge that is for fitting with ordinary woodscrews not the 5mm ones you have.

There are two seperate issues here.

32mm system holes and mounting plates

The 32mm spaced holes (each 5mm dia) running up the inside wall of the cabinet are where the hinge plates (also called cruciform mounting plates over here) are fitted. THIS is where the 5mm screws are used. Look at the second picture on the Rockler link and you will see the screw is on the mounting plate (It is also on a white drawer runner which perhaps shows the versatility of the 32mm system.)

There are several types of mounting plate and there are different fitting options.

System (or Euro)screws;
Expando.

These fittings all use the 32mm system with a 5mm hole. They are often used in what we call 'chipboard' because ordinary woodcrews will simply pull out as the board is relatively weak and needs a larger diameter screw to anchor the plate properly. These are used in mass produced furniture from retail outlets and by many kitchen fitters.

Knock in fittings;

These also use the 32mm system but are pre-fitted with dowels and need 10mm holes not 5mm. (More confusion :o)

Woodscrews;

These don't use the 32mm system. For these fittings and you need a separate template to mark where the screws will be positioned on the cabinet sides. I tend to use this because I can fit the hinges wherever I want and I don't like a row of holes up the inside of my cabinets. (Looks too mass produced  ;))

The hinge is fitted into the door itself (see below) and slides onto this mounting plate and is secured by either a clip (ClipTop) or screws (Modul).

Hinges

There are Blum hinges for almost every application http://www.blum.com/us/en/01/20/40/ with the following fitting options.

Woodscrews
Inserta
Knock in

You can try and drill the fitting holes for the hinges freehand but it is far easier, more accurate and quicker to use the dedicated boring machine ECOdrill. They're not cheap but they are worth every penny (sorry, cent ;D). http://www.blum.com/us/en/01/70/10/

There is a large 35mm hole that the hinge boss fits into. Depending on the fitting you are using there are then two more holes drilled either side of this and off-centre which are 8mm in diameter. This is where the Inserta or Knock-in fitting goes. If you are using woodscrews the boring machine can be set up to just make a small mark where the screw should go.

So to just to avoid any confusion the 5mm screws are NOT used to fix the hinge itself they are for fitting the mounting plate to the cabinet side.

Once you start using the system with the relavant templates/drilling machines it all fits together quickly and accurately but it is a bit of a learning curve to start with. Have a look at the Blum US site links above but also the UK one where the Media Centre has more information including a full catalogue http://www.blum.com/gb/en/02/90/.

You will also need a supplier who knows the system otherwise they will sell you screws that don't fit or dowels to fit in the holes you spent ages drilling out accurately!!

Hope this helps and have fun.

Peter

 
Ditto what Peter said.  I would also add that the hinge packages that include the mounting plate seem to be for the masses that do not have the capability to drill system holes.  Instead of cobbling something together with these hinges I would return them and get a setup with mounting plates that do accept system screws.  Alternatively, you could just purchase some different mounting plates and use them with the hinges you already have.  (Note - I have never been a fan of the 5mm expanding dowels.) 

As far as sources go, you get a far better selection (and price) by purchasing hinges and mounting plates from a local cabinet shop supplier or on-line source such as CSH or AHTurf than you will ever find at a Woodcraft or other big box outfit.  Unless you are needing a hinge with a swing >120 degrees, expect to pay between $1.50-$2.00 for the hinge and well under $1 for the mounting plate of your choice.  I will venture to say that comparing the cost is likely to be less than half of what you paid.

Definitely use the hinge manufacturer sites and download their catalogs as there are many choices.  You don't want to just blindly purchase parts willy-nilly.  I have found that use of 3mm height mounting plates with cam adjustments is pretty universal for my applications but do have some other mounting plates on hand just in case.  I have used Salice, Blum, and Hettich hinges and they are all about the same quality.
 
Guilliaume woodworks said:
I buy from my supplier a bag with plastic 5mm dowels and the screws provided with them.

Hey dood where you been? Ive been thinking about, I mentioned to a FOZG person over the weekend tht I havent seen your name here lately.

good to see you again,

Post some photos of your work, man you do good work.
 
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