35mm Boring

[Daniel Parker]

OK after spending all this time building beautiful cabinet doors its time to bore 35mm hinge holes. I've used the Rockler system for a while which is accurate but slow. Also the plastic guide melts after the 4th hole. Buying a Blum minipress seems like the best solution but these machines hold their value better than a Martin Guitar and cost just as much. All those stories of people getting on on promo for buying hinges you lucked out. I haven't found that deal or anything like it anywhere. I read the FWW article reviewing seven smaller versions and Im still undecided. Any suggestions? The Blum ecodrill seems solid but Id like to hear from you all about your experiences. Is the minipress worth $1750 (new) or $1500 (ebay)? Do I bite the bullet or is there a better way.........

[Joe Chritz]

How many doors are you doing? If you are doing a kitchen a month then buy a Blum press so you can use the press in hinges (inserta I think).

If you do a couple a year like I do then use a drill press. I just set up some accurate stops and do all the doors on one end. Reset the stop and do the other. For centers I have a jig that indexes off the door side and gives me a center punch at the correct off set.

A few hundred doors like that and I have never had a problem.

Granted it isn't as fast as a dedicated machine but it doesn't take long to do a whole kitchen worth.

Joe

[David Duke]

How many doors are you doing? If you are doing a kitchen a month then buy a Blum press so you can use the press in hinges (inserta I think).

If you do a couple a year like I do then use a drill press. I just set up some accurate stops and do all the doors on one end. Reset the stop and do the other. For centers I have a jig that indexes off the door side and gives me a center punch at the correct off set.

A few hundred doors like that and I have never had a problem.

Granted it isn't as fast as a dedicated machine but it doesn't take long to do a whole kitchen worth.

Joe

Thats what I do.

[Lee Schierer]

I've nver done more than a few at a time. But when I did I used a 1-3/8 Forstner bit to drill the holes on my drill press. The 1-3/8 bit is only .004 smaller than the 35 mm bit. It gives a nice snug fit around the cups.

[Dave Bureau]

Sommerfeld has a jig for this. called the easy bore.works good for me.
DAve www.sommerfeldtools.com

[Jim Becker]

I tried the Rockler thing and sold it. Now I use a good quality 35mm Forstner in my DP and use a setup piece to set the fence. Simple. And works great.

[Chris Padilla]

Yeppers...drill press and a good fence system (like from Woodpeckers:Incra) is what I've used.

[Karl Brogger]

I bought the Blum mini-press new. Wish I hadn't. There isn't really anything to go wrong with them and used ones pop up now and again for $5-600 sometimes.

Inserta aren't the press in hinges. They have a cam lever that pressed out on two "grippers" that hold the hinge in the cup. I use them just because on a big job I haul all the doors to the job detached from the cabinet. Makes delivery a bit easier on the back, and thet're easier to install on site. They just snap into place and I don't have to worry so much about doors getting dinged up by hinges en route. The lever also covers up the alignment holes with a smooth cover giving a bit cleaner look.

[Joe Chritz]

The press in hinges are called "knock in" I guess and are available in many different models from Blum.

I haven't looked at them after I found out the cost of a drill and press. Although doing all three holes at once would be handy. It would take a lot of hinges at a decent labor rate to pay one off.

Joe

[Carroll Courtney]

I pick up hinge machine for 250.00 a couple of yrs ago called the Red Baron.I can set it up for the press in hinges or for just the 35mm hole. What I'm getting at is that you don't need a Blum to drill hinges holes.Go for a different brand other than Blum,if you feel the need to have one.I have seen them on ebay for alot less than a Blum.If all you want is for just this one project,you can sell it here at SMC.

[Mike Spanbauer]

I just sold a Meplamat 750 machine on Tuesday for $125. You can find very nice 35mm pressing machines for reasonable prices if you look around.

mike

[Jeff Duncan]

Once you get a hinge press you'll wonder why you waited so long. I bought the Grass Ecopress last year for $175 used and it has been a wonderful addition to my shop. I don't see as many Blum presses come around but I'm sure if your patient one may pop up.
good luck,
JeffD

[Jeff Wright]

I was following a Blum Ecodrill jig on EBay. It was represented as new and sold for $235. You can buy one new on Amazon for $265.

For those of you using a drill press to make your 35mm holes: Do you have any issues drilling the screw mounting holes accurately?

[David Duke]

............For those of you using a drill press to make your 35mm holes: Do you have any issues drilling the screw mounting holes accurately?

Jeff, if you talking about the mounting holes for installing the cup into the door I haven't had any problems at all, I do however use a self-centering VIX bit though. Accurate placement of the mounting plates on face frames at times is a PITA but if you measure accurately or use a simple layout template it really is no problem either.

[Dave Bureau]

sommerfelds jig is the same as the ecopress for 179.90 delivered.

[Chris Padilla]

I was following a Blum Ecodrill jig on EBay. It was represented as new and sold for $235. You can buy one new on Amazon for $265.

For those of you using a drill press to make your 35mm holes: Do you have any issues drilling the screw mounting holes accurately?

I have some plastic $7 gauge that lays out where those screw holes go but I'll be darned if I can remember where I got it or who made it. I can make an attempt to try and find it but don't hold your breath! :o

[Peter Quinn]

I use my DP with a woodpecker's fence that has a flip stop at each end and a 1 3/8" forstner to pop the holes, vix bit for the screws. I usually make a quick lexan jig (to match the particular setback..should just make one thats adjustable) for the screws if I'm doing a lot of doors and am in a hurry.

Not too interested in adding one more machine to my cozy little shop and don't do enough cabinet doors/Eurohinges to justify the cost. You'ld be hard pressed (no pun intended) to tell my holes weren't done on a dedicated machine, and its pretty quick to setup.

[Dick Bringhurst]

Jeff, after drilling the cup, I put the hinge in and use a square to line the edge up perpendicular to the door edge then use a vix bit for the small holes. Dick B.

[Ed Peters]

I mount on my drill press for drilling hinges. It has a back fence to reference the door to the bit and two stops equadistant from either side of the bit. To mount the assembly you just install the bit and then run it down into the hole in the base of the fixture and secure the fixture to the table. Set the depth and you are off to the races.

Ed

[Steve Clardy]

I also have the Red Baron machine.

I used to use a drill press with a 1 3/8 forester bit.
I made a table with a fence and stops for the drill press.

[Karl Brogger]

Jeff, after drilling the cup, I put the hinge in and use a square to line the edge up perpendicular to the door edge then use a vix bit for the small holes. Dick B.

I used to throw both hinges in and use a straight edge across both of the hinges to get them straight, then hit em with the vix bit.

[Daniel Parker]

Good input folks. Has anyone actually used the ecodrill? I checked the Sommerfield but their website is down. Ive seen that Red Baron and that looks good as well. Now I just need to find one.....

I definitely would like a dedicated machine thats not my drill press. Too many cabinets....

[Paul Greathouse]

I've got a cheap benchtop drill press dedicated for this. I added a homemade table and a quality 35mm Freud forstner bit. Does the job really great for such a cheap setup. I just set the hinges by eye, any slight mistake (1/32" at most) is taken care of with the adjustability of the hinges. No rocket science here, I like to keep it simple.

[Dave Bureau]

Ive used the sommerfeld one. it has the 3 drills set in the jig. set the edge of the jig on the top edge of the door and drill. set it on the bottom edge and drill. done. no measuring, self squaring. set for any overlay or flush.
Dave