Paint first, or drill for cup hinges first?

[Packard]

The last time I made cabinet doors, the dark color Advance paint was not tough enough to resist marking from my Blum drilling jig.

The cabinets I am making now are being  painted white and should fare better.

But what is "best practice"?  Paint first or drill first?

 

[semenza]

I drill first then cover the holes with painters tape before painting. I think I have seen inserts to cover the holes.

Seth

 

[Michael Kellough]

There are also hangers that clip into the holes so the doors can be hung for 360 spray painting.

 

[DynaGlide]

I've only done 6 doors but I drilled first. Didn't cover the holes while painting and had zero issues.

 

[rvieceli]

there's a bunch of covers available on eBay and amazon.

 

[Bob D.]

There are also hangers that clip into the holes so the doors can be hung for 360 spray painting.

Yes, Rockler sells their Sure Hook 360 which is available on their site and Amazon.

 

[Packard]

My spray painting skills are not of the highest order and I get a much better result when I paint horizontal surfaces where I can lay down a  decent film thickness without runs.  Advance paint is pretty watery and can get runs.  So I will paint each side while the door is horizontal.

I used a small, waxed Dixie cup to mask the cup hole.  The paint did not stick to the wax surface.  As I recall I had to trim off some of the bottom of the cup (it is tapered) to get a good, tight fit.  I will try that again.

The bigger issue is that I now use press-in dowels for attachment to the door.  These require a very tight interference fit and paint in those holes can be an issue.  I think Q-tips immediately after spraying will resolve that issue.

I’m going to drill first.

The Blum drilling fixture is first class, but it does clamp down.  Advance dries very hard in white, but dark colors take a long time to cure and never achieve that same hardness level.

The uppers are going to be white.  Some of the lowers will be black.  Others will have a light tint color for punch.  The light tint should dry hard.  Black, much less so.

 

[DynaGlide]

Could you not stick a wooden dowel covered in wax into the doweled holes while spraying? I spray horizontal as well. This was SW KA+ in white. I use screws for the cup hinges though. The cup part didn't have any issue going in.

 

[tjbnwi]

I prefer drilling prior to finish. We do hundreds of hinges a month, no issue setting the hinges and we don't cover the holes.

Tom

 

[Packard]

The plumbing department at Lowes has clear pvc hose.  I will see if I can find one that fits.  Paint does not like to stick to PVC.

The screws in screw in versions can get stripped, especially when you are using pine or other softer woods.  The dowels in the press-in versions seem immune to stripping and if they do get stripped the dowels can be replaced.

The downside is that the press-in versions can be stubborn if you need to remove them.

My Blum drilling fixture is setup for drilling those holes (maybe 8mm or 10mm in diameter).  That fixture will make marks for screw location if you use screw in, but it clearly was designed around the press in versions.

 

[Packard]

I prefer drilling prior to finish. We do hundreds of hinges a month, no issue setting the hinges and we don't cover the holes.

Tom

I am not worried about the cup hole.  My concern is the holes for the press in dowels.  Those are a very tight fit.  Do you use the press in?

 

[semenza]

Spraying vs hand painting makes a difference, as does the type of hinge. Also depends on the hand painting method. Brushing is pretty easy to just work around the holes and smooth paint that gets into the holes. But if I hand paint for a smooth finish (and speed)  I use paint pads. Which work best making a full pass from edge to edge. These also tend to deposit a lot of paint into the holes when passing over.

I generally use Blum Inserta. The tight fit for the cup means that paint in the hole can make it hard to get the hinge to go in. Especially if there is a lip of paint around the rim. So it comes down to cover the holes or scrape the paint lip away when needed.

I also like to drill first because the Blum Eco jig clamp can leave marks on / in the wood. Easy to sand away. 

Seth

 

[Packard]

I also have the Ecodrill jig.  It is well-engineered and very well made.  I also note that it will mark the wood or finish due to the secure clamping mechanism. 

Note:  It is also very pricy.  I see it is now selling for close to $400.00.  (When I got it, it was cheaper—but still expensive).

 

[afish]

I use the clip top too they are 8mm holes. Love those things.  they go in and are solid as a rock. so a 8mm dowel should work to plug the hole possibly even add a hanging point.  I dont drill my cups anymore but if memory serves me I remember the 35mm drill hole having a little play.  When I pocket them on the cnc they are "tight" like really tight even with no spray finish. they still tap in but I would add some extra to my pocket allowance if I planned on spraying after.  When I have drilled & sprayed it was usually a thin finish like Lacquer and never had an issue since the open grain did a good job of absorbing it.  Thicker paint I would worry about a little more but if tjbnwi says he has no issue I trust that. [member=4105]tjbnwi[/member]  how are you doing your hinge cups cnc or drilling?

 

[Oldwood]

We always drill then finish. We use the Blum inserta hinge, so that may make a difference.

I did not use the press in style because we always shipped doors to the job site off the cabinet and wrapped in foam.

 

[tjbnwi]

I prefer drilling prior to finish. We do hundreds of hinges a month, no issue setting the hinges and we don't cover the holes.

Tom

I am not worried about the cup hole.  My concern is the holes for the press in dowels.  Those are a very tight fit.  Do you use the press in?

The plumbing department at Lowes has clear pvc hose.  I will see if I can find one that fits.  Paint does not like to stick to PVC.

The screws in screw in versions can get stripped, especially when you are using pine or other softer woods.  The dowels in the press-in versions seem immune to stripping and if they do get stripped the dowels can be replaced.

The downside is that the press-in versions can be stubborn if you need to remove them.

My Blum drilling fixture is setup for drilling those holes (maybe 8mm or 10mm in diameter).  That fixture will make marks for screw location if you use screw in, but it clearly was designed around the press in versions.

I have the CMT drill fixture, it accepts 2.5mm bits for the screws.

My preference are the Inserta Blum. We have and have used all four types of mounting systems in stock (screw on, press in, Expando, Inserta).

The dowels with or without the finish in the 8mm holes are tight. We squeeze them in using a clamp. The door is placed on a protective pad on the bench, make a block that bridges the mechanism, squeeze the hinge in with a clamp. There are times it is easiest to remove the screws and press the dowels in separately. If you do need to remove the screws, hold the hinge in place on the door pressing down so the dowels are captured, this is enough to spin the screws out.

To remove the dowels we insert a longer screw, place a block and lift out with a small pry bar by under the screw head.

Tom

Tom

 

[tjbnwi]

I use the clip top too they are 8mm holes. Love those things.  they go in and are solid as a rock. so a 8mm dowel should work to plug the hole possibly even add a hanging point.  I dont drill my cups anymore but if memory serves me I remember the 35mm drill hole having a little play.  When I pocket them on the cnc they are "tight" like really tight even with no spray finish. they still tap in but I would add some extra to my pocket allowance if I planned on spraying after.  When I have drilled & sprayed it was usually a thin finish like Lacquer and never had an issue since the open grain did a good job of absorbing it.  Thicker paint I would worry about a little more but if tjbnwi says he has no issue I trust that. [member=4105]tjbnwi[/member]  how are you doing your hinge cups cnc or drilling?

I have the CMT drilling fixture setup in a drill press, it is a single drive unit. I’m not a fan of the shelf pin fixture.

Tom

 

[Packard]

An update.

I resolved my issue using the most unlikely masking accessories. The images pretty much explain all.

I used disposable shot glasses from the supermarket, and Avery color coding dots from Staples.

I cut down the shot glasses with a scissors to make it easier to shoot around it.

I used knock-in Blum compact hinges with plastic dowels.  I installed the hinges before painting.  I then removed the screws and the hinges, and finally I re-installed the screws which I masked with the color code dots.

This all worked perfectly the last time.

After I shoot these doors, I will update with more photographs.