determining the position of cabinet hinges on 32mm system

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Packard

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I have mostly built face frame cabinets.  However, this time I am using 16" wide uprights with the 32mm system holes already drilled.

So once the cabinet is built I can select two holes near the top and two holes near the bottom for the mounting plates.

The assembled box will look like this with the hinge plate in place:

CupHinges5.jpg


The best way I have found is illustrated by this image. Though they show the centerline, they don't show how to derive the centerline.

Are there any better systems?  Blum makes a transfer gage but it costs about $120.00 and seems pricy for mounting four hinges.

aw_16234_004.jpg


I also have this Blum template for locating the mounting plate after drilling for the hinge, but I will be reversing that sequence here.
00B1650-blum-hinge-template-f-02.jpg
 
Exactly what I need.  The video is perfectly clear.  Now I just have to find a source for one.


 
this isnt 32 system at all? you can have these holes anywhere.

i thought you would have correct size cabinet door if you are with the 32mm system and they would just match your cabinet holes which you already have
 
Yeah, that Hettich jig is hot stuff. So hot it will cost you € 75 to have them send you this € 6 item. Yikes!  [eek]
 
Amazon.ca (Canada) still lists it. You get two.  They appear to be knockoffs and they ship directly from China. 

I'm going to make my own.  I only need to find the centerline for the two holes that the mounting plate screws into.  Once I have the centerline, I can transfer it to the door easily enough.

The Blum fixture at $104.00 + tax + shipping from A.H. Turf seems like a better deal than the plastic Hettich pieces at 80 Euros (about $98.00 U.S.).
 
You say $100+ jig for mounting four hinges seems extravagant;conversely isn’t any jig that requires this much effort to acquire or make , a waste of time for 4 hinges ?

Hettich’s USA HQ is in Atlanta.  Why don’t you give them a call and ask where you can get one.

The mounting plate in the picture is too far away from the bottom edge for my liking.

Part of the beauty of a 32mm system is that all these positions are known ahead of time, and a jig should be a benefit onLy in the field during a retrofit.
 
Packard said:
I have mostly built face frame cabinets.  However, this time I am using 16" wide uprights with the 32mm system holes already drilled.

So once the cabinet is built I can select two holes near the top and two holes near the bottom for the mounting plates.

The assembled box will look like this with the hinge plate in place:

CupHinges5.jpg


The best way I have found is illustrated by this image. Though they show the centerline, they don't show how to derive the centerline.

Are there any better systems?  Blum makes a transfer gage but it costs about $120.00 and seems pricy for mounting four hinges.

aw_16234_004.jpg


I also have this Blum template for locating the mounting plate after drilling for the hinge, but I will be reversing that sequence here.
00B1650-blum-hinge-template-f-02.jpg
Click to expand...
I found this on Rocklers website. Ticklers Website
 
xedos said:
Part of the beauty of a 32mm system is that all these positions are known ahead of time, and a jig should be a benefit onLy in the field during a retrofit.
Click to expand...
The hettich jig (and the numerous copies available) is really designed for kitchen fitters who will have pre-made cabinets (these will always be system32, at least on this side of the pond) and undrilled doors.
 
Spandex said:
xedos said:
Part of the beauty of a 32mm system is that all these positions are known ahead of time, and a jig should be a benefit onLy in the field during a retrofit.
Click to expand...
The hettich jig (and the numerous copies available) is really designed for kitchen fitters who will have pre-made cabinets (these will always be system32, at least on this side of the pond) and undrilled doors.
Click to expand...

Huh ? 😳

That’s just daft if you’re having to bore 35mm holes on every door for a kitchen on site.  I can see a one off , replacement , or re fit from a third party that you spec’d and ordered yourself .  But a factory made cabinet shipping doors loose for a fitter to bore on site is beyond stupid and inefficient too boot.
 
The whole point of using a standardised system is that you don’t have to get your cabinets, drawer boxes and fronts from the same manufacturer.

But more fundamentally, the fronts are supplied in standard size increments and can be used for both door and drawer fronts - and you don’t want to find there’s a 35mm hole for a door hinge right where you want to mount the drawer box clip.

You may also want to position your hinges in specific locations to avoid fouling internal drawers or pullouts or other hardware. Having the door manufacturer pre-drill the hinge holes is a huge inconvenience for someone fitting a very customised kitchen.

Tbh, when using a drilling jig like the Blum Ecodrill there is no real inconvenience in drilling your own hinge holes.

One very important point I forgot is that for doors with integrated pulls (as in, the pull is molded/routed into the door itself) you would have to decide in advance what side you wanted it to swing if you were getting them pre-drilled (or suffer the awful 'holes both sides' ugliness I've seen on some particularly cheap kitchens) with no neat option for changing your mind (or your customer changing their mind) after you've ordered them. Yes, you can just tell the customer they're paying the extra (because your supplier may not refund on a pre-drilled panel) but wouldn't it be easier to have the flexibility on site to work round issues that crop up?
 
I have the Ecodrill jig (a nice piece of engineering).  But the problem is if I locate the hinge in the wrong spot the mounting plate holes might overlap the existing 32mm spaced holes and be impossible to drill or use.

My whole point is to use the existing 32mm holes for the mounting plate and then transfer the centerline so I can use the ecodrill jig to mount the hinge in the corresponding location.
 
Packard said:
I have the Ecodrill jig (a nice piece of engineering).  But the problem is if I locate the hinge in the wrong spot the mounting plate holes might overlap the existing 32mm spaced holes and be impossible to drill or use.

My whole point is to use the existing 32mm holes for the mounting plate and then transfer the centerline so I can use the ecodrill jig to mount the hinge in the corresponding location.
Click to expand...
Yes, that is exactly the point of the cheap plastic Hettich jig - it allows you to transfer an accurate drill position/centre line from two existing 32mm cabinet holes over to the door. Then you'd use your Ecodrill to bore the three holes.

The reason the Hettich jig is cheap is because it's more of a DIY tool - it's designed to space the door the correct distance from the carcass to mark the exact drilling location for a hand drilled 35mm hole. But even for someone who has an Ecodrill (and therefore only needs a centre line, not a drill position) it will do the job.
 
Spandex said:
]
Yes, that is exactly the point of the cheap plastic Hettich jig - it allows you to transfer an accurate drill position/centre line from two existing 32mm cabinet holes over to the door. Then you'd use your Ecodrill to bore the three holes.
Click to expand...

Exactly.  A cheap product, but because it is not imported to the USA it will cost me $98.00 to obtain it.  The return on investment seems poor.  At $104.00 + tax and shipping the Blum is a better deal, but still a poor investment for me.

505179_xl.jpg
 
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