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Rockler's Guide to Choosing a Concealed Hinge

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Design Options: It's a question of degrees.

Click on the appropriate Blum hinge button for your needs from the picture below...

120° series hinges
The #1 choice for most applications.

Rockler offers a variety of frameless hinges for many applications. The hinge that you choose depends on your application requirements and preferences; including the degree of opening and overlay. Additional benefits to Blum hinges include 3-way adjustability and a choice between self-close or free-swing action.

For easy and accurate installation, click here.

Three-way independent adjustment means uniform cabinetry!

Blum "European-style" hinges are adjustable in three ways to let you align your cabinet doors for a consistent look, even where minor cabinet irregularities exist.

Side adjustment ... regulates the gaps between doors, cabinets and walls 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 top and bottom.
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Depth adjustment ... lets you bring any style of door into line with the vertical surface of the cabinet.
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Self-Closing versus Free Swing Hinges

Self-closing hinges are an ideal for cabinets. The built-in spring pulls the door closed and holds it in a closed position, eliminating the need for catches.

Free-swing hinges are most often used in furniture applications, rather than cabinet applications.

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Overlay or Inset — what's the difference?

Here's something to consider when selecting hinges
Look at your cabinet design before selecting hinges. On Eurostyle cabinets, hinges are attached directly to the cabinet side. This gives you the option of fully overlaying, half overlaying or insetting the door within the opening, as shown below.

Overlay applications
If you decide to use an overlay cabinet design, select full overlay hinges for the ends and half overlay hinges in the middle of a row of cabinets.

Inset applications
Inset doors are recessed into the cabinet carcass to create a completely flush, clean-lined look.

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Clip-On

Clip-On Blum's Clip-On feature allows you to install and remove the door without removing the hardware.

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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