Rockler's Guide to Choosing a Concealed Hinge

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Two Options To Fit Your Needs!

There are two basic styles of European concealed hinges for face frame applications. The best hinge for you depends on your preferences for adjustability, degree of opening, cost and overlay.

Click one of the hinges to the right that best fits your needs.	Option 1	Option 2
	Blum, 2-Way, 105 Degree Hinge	Blum, 3-Way, 120 Degree Hinge
ADJUSTABILITY	For most applications, 2-Way adjustment (side and height) is adequate and the more economical choice.	This 3-Way hinge offers the most adjustability for perfect alignment even when minor cabinet irregularities exist.
COST	$$	$
DEGREE OF OPENING	105°	120°
Overlay (Understanding Overlays)	Available in 3/8', 1/2', 3/4', 1-1/4' or variable overlays.	Available in 3/8' - 5/8', 1/2' - 3/4' overlays and inset.

For easy and accurate installation click here.

2-Way Adjustment

ADJUSTABILITY
Easy 2-Way Independent Adjustments with the turn of a screw! Two separate screws allow you to make independent minor adjustments in door side or height.

Side adjustment - Regulates the gaps between doors, cabinets and wall for perfect parallel alignment.
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Height Adjustment - Lets you align door levels across a row of doors so they match precisely at the top and bottom.
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DEGREE OF OPENING
The 105 degree opening provides a good choice when space is limited and other cabinet doors or walls affect the performance of the cabinet door.

COST
The hinges cost about $5 per pair.

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3-Way Adjustment

ADJUSTABILITY
Easy 3-Way Independent Adjustments with the turn of a screw! Three separate screws allow you to make independent minor adjustments in door side, height or depth alignment.

Side adjustment - Regulates the gaps between doors, cabinets and wall for perfect parallel alignment.
View Enlarged Image

Height Adjustment - Lets you align door levels across a row of doors so they match precisely at the top and bottom.
View Enlarged Image

Depth adjustment - Lets you bring any style of door into line with the vertical surface of the cabinet.
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DEGREE OF OPENING
The 120 degree swing allows the largest opening between your two hinge choices when interaction with other cabinet doors or walls is not an issue.

COST
These hinges cost around $10 per pair.

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Understanding Door Overlay

		(A is the amount of overlay)
Full Inset		Overlay
If the door is completely flush with the face frame, it uses a full inset hinge. Typical butt hinges fall into this category.		If the door overlays the face frame completely, without a rabbet on the back edge, it uses a overlay hinge. Since the amount of overlay you choose affects the overall width of the door, we recommend that you determine overlay and select the appropriate hinges before making or ordering your doors.

How many hinges and how much adjustability?

Use the chart to determine how many hinges you'll need for the height and weight of your door.

A door that is 43' high and weighs 14 lbs. requires three hinges. If your door is only 24' high but weighs 14 lbs., go with three hinges for maximum support and stability.

Use on 5/8' - 3/4' doors unless otherwise noted.

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JIG IT for Concealed Hinges
Two ways to drill concealed hinges! For easy and accurate Hinge installation, check out our Rockler exclusive Hinge JIG IT systems. Choose from either the Single JIG IT system, ideal for smaller jobs and drills perfect cup holes one at a time. Or, choose our Multi-Tool Rail JIG IT system, which allows drilling all the hinge cups on one door together with a single setup.

Hinge cup drilling jigs - Here's an accurate and inexpensive way to set up your drill press for making holes for cup hinges.

Also see our Self-Centering Bits, perfect for hinge cup mounting.

The Self-Centering Bit ensures accurate hinge and hardware installations every time! The bit provides perfectly centered and straight pilot holes, so that even an amateur can install shift-free hardware that lasts.

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