Blum European hinges

[Ken Fitzgerald]

5 or 6 years ago I ordered parts for an entertainment center I designed and planned on building. I ordered enough Blum European hinges for 4 doors. Due to a minor design flaw, I couldn't use them.

After last years kitchen remodel, I decided to build some matching raised panel doors for a 2 section linen closet that can be seen down the hallway past the kitchen. I thought it would be a good time to use those Blum European hinges. When I placed the order for the hinges, I ordered a Rockler jig for drilling the face frames for that portion of the hinge and another Rockler jig for setting the proper inset spacing on the drill press fence. Yesterday I put the last coat of finish on those 2 raised panel doors. Today I drilled the doors, mounted the hinges to the door and the face frame. Then I installed the doors.

With a combination square to insure square mounting of the hinge to the door and then the use of a story stick to transfer the measurements from door to the face frame, it was really quite easy to get a good installation.

I will be using Blum European style hidden hinges in the future!

[Justin Ludwig]

What hinge and plate?

I use Blum exclusively unless special applications dictate otherwise. They're nice to work with.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Here's what I used. http://www.rockler.com/blumreg-120deg-overlay-clip-top-3-way-face-frame-hinges-hinges

It was my first time using European hinges and I was impressed with the ease they installed IF you paid attention to some small details.

[Paul Girouard]

Unless the client has some objection or specific desire for any other hinge on a cabinet, Blum Euro hinges are the way to go. Once you understand the set backs and the gaps it hard to fathom a hinge that could be so user friendly to a builder!

I'm not a fan of the soft close feature, I really like the nice "thump" of the door as it closes and hits the door bump's , but the soft close option is very popular these days.

Welcome to the fan club Ken, it took ya long enough!

[Justin Ludwig]

Good hinge and those plates are the easiest to mount.

Quick tip: for overlay doors and those plates you can cut a block that is 1"+overlay less than the center of the cup bore distance and set your bottom hinge on that block to mount it. Then clip the other plate on the top hinge, install door, hold door with one hand while you screw the top plate. Fast!

example. If you drill cup at 3-1/2" center and have 1/2 overlay doors. Cut a 2" block to set the plate on. 3/8" overlay would get 2-1/8" block and 5/8 overlay gets 1-7/8" block.

Magnetize your screw tip so you don't have to fiddle with falling screws.

[Bill Neely]

I like the Blum hinges but not the soft close. Try using stem bumpers.

[Wayne Lomman]

Is there another style of hinge?! I have been using them for the better part of 30 years. The Blum catalogue is the cabinetmakers bible. In fairness, Hettich are just as good. I agree with the view that soft close is a dud idea. Cheers