Euro Hinge Jig

[GraemeM]

I have managed to get away without buying one of these jigs thus far. CMT do a nice one an eye-watering £260, Veritas £130. Does anyone have any views about which jig to go for, especially if there is a good cheaper alternative.

Cheers
G

 

[petermillard]

There's the Blum Ecodrill at Woodfit for similar sort of money to the CMT, and Hafele do one (can't remember the name) for a bit less - or maybe that's just without the VAT??

Never used them myself - I just have a simple plastic template for the 35mm hole and use the hinge itself to put the hinge screws in with a self-centering bit. Then again, I don't do that many...

HTH, Pete

 

[jasonB]

Bit of 18mm MDF with a 35mm hole and a batten on the edge is as cheap as they come, make a new one after 100 or so holes.

Or if you are plunging with a router and 40mm bush, one like this an pair of screws in the batten will allow for adjusting edge drilling distance

Jason

 

[GraemeM]

That's much more my style. Hope grown!

I'm not mean just very careful :lol:

 

[jedmc571]

If you have a £5, their's always this ?

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp? ... e=1&jump=0

Jed

 

[9fingers]

This is my one.

Slightly protruding screw tips mark the centres for the holes. Offer up to the door - hit with a mallet.

This is the de-luxe version for left and right handed doors!

Bob

 

[George_N]

I use my cheapo B&Q drill press for hinge holes. I made a setting jig with holes of the right depth and distance from the edge of the door. I used this to set a temporary fence on the drill press tabel (I use a guide clamp). All you need then is a wee template to locate the centre of the hole, a home made version of the Axminster one will work well. When I tried freehanding the hinge holes they always ended up a sloppy fit.

 

[Waka]

This is my one.

Slightly protruding screw tips mark the centres for the holes. Offer up to the door - hit with a mallet.

This is the de-luxe version for left and right handed doors!

Bob

Bob

Be interested to see this one, can you bring it along to the bash?

 

[9fingers]

Hi Waka,

I really did not think I'd find that as it has not seen the light of day for a couple of years. However after some 'mining' in the furthest reaches of my untidy workshop has proved successful.

I have put it aside to bring down next weekend.

Cheers

Bob

 

[studders]

For the cost conscious :lol: this does the job

 

[crazylilting]

Why mark them at all? A simple fence and stop block for left and right to get them in the right spot works for me.

 

[jasonB]

Why mark them at all? A simple fence and stop block for left and right to get them in the right spot works for me.

OK if you just have two hinges equal distance from top and bottom on a small cabinet door, but what about wardrobe doors with 4+ hinges and trying to support them on a drill press table. Graeme will be wanting to use the jig on 10ft x2ft doors

Jason

 

[crazylilting]

Graeme will be wanting to use the jig on 10ft x2ft doors

This wasn't mentioned in this thread so i wasn't responding to the once in a year exception to the norm. But there is still no reason why the drill press cannot be used. They do make out-feed rollers that can support longer work, and you only need to flip up the stop blocks to drill the center hinge holes.

They also make calculators that you can divide the distance between the two points you drilled the outside by the divisible spaces desired and simply more the door by those increments.

I've worked in many cabinet shops and drilled thousands of doors of all sizes and shapes all on the drill press without marking anything. You just have to make sure the distance of the fence is set right for the right type of hinge. There is nothing quicker or more accurate, or these high volume shops would of used it. One shop did have a dedicated blum drill press that even pressed the hinges into the holes but that is an expensive set up.

 

[Niki]

Hi G

I made a step-by-step post about "Euro hinges" (concealed) for the Americans...

I didn't post it here because I believe that the "Euro's" don't need it...

Anyway, I posted it in the "Jigs & Tips" forum and I hope that it will help you and others...

Best regards
niki

 

[rileytoolworks]

I've got the Hafele jig. Had it for years and it's drilled literally thousands of hinge holes. However, the only advantage of this jig, or others of its ilk over shop made templates is the adjustability built into it. (i.e. On the Hafele jig, I can drill variations in cup to edge distance, screw position differences etc., allowing me to use it with almost any make and configuration of hinge.)
If you are using the same configuration of hinge however, I would suggest making a template to mark the centre of the cup relative to the door edge.
Job done.
Simples.

 

[GraemeM]

thanks chaps.

I think for the cost benefit I will go with the home grown jig and try to use one design and manufacture of hinge.

As for drilling, I guess it depends on the application 10ft doors one way, if its 15 small cabinet doors for kitchen / utility room etc then I would use the drill press idea. Wood to the tool, or tool to the wood debate!

I was thinking about asking opinions on hinge types for various applications i.e. face frame, no face frame, inset, half overlay, overlay, heavy doors, light doors, small doors, large doors, but may be this has been covered many times before :?: