Cabinet Door Hinges
Selecting hinge types will depend on several things:-
1. Type of cabinet construction
Face-frame or frameless construction
This will have a bearing on the style of hinge
Face-frame cabinet
Frameless cabinet
2. Position of the door
Overlay
Overlay doors do exactly what the name implies: They cover the cabinet
opening completely, overlapping the cabinet case or face frame on all sides.
Inset / Flush doors
Inset doors fit entirely within the cabinet opening and sit flush with the cabinet
sides or face frames when in the closed position.
3. Type of finish
Hinges are available in a multitude of different finishes.
Steel, brass, bronze, chrome, nickel plated, black
Cabinet hinge finishes (ctrl & click on the link below)
http://www.hardwaresource.com/hinge-resourcecenter/hinge-by-function/cabinet-hinges/cabinet-hingefinishes/
4. Visibility
Concealed hinge: No part of the hinge is visible from the
outside of the cabinet when the door is closed. Ideal for modern, minimalist
applications in which visible hardware would detract from the design.
Semi-concealed hinge: A hinge that is at least partly visible
from the outside of the cabinet when the door is closed. They
may incorporate details such as a decorative ball tip or finial
tip.
Exposed hinge: a hinge that is fully visible on the outside of the
cabinet when the doors are closed.
5. Other features of hinges
Self-closing hinge: This type of hinge pulls the door shut when it is within a
few inches of being closed and keeps it closed. Sometimes called snapclosing.
Self-opening systems: This type of hinge comes with a mechanism that
propels the door open when activated by a push. (push to open)
Soft-close hinge: A hinge that incorporates a mechanism that activates when
the door is within a few inches of the shut position and brings it gently closed.
Hinge Types
Butt hinge
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The hinge is mortised into the edge of the door and the cabinet.
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Only the knuckle of the hinge is visible when the door is shut.
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Mainly used on inset doors
Non-mortise hinge
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•
Used similar to butt hinges, except they are not mortised into the
door or cabinet.
Easier to fit than the butt hinge
Flap hinges
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•
Used where a flap opens to a horizontal surface, such
as a writing desk or drop leaf table
Some are used with stays to support the flap
Continuous hinge (piano hinge)
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Used in situations where a butt hinge
would not provide sufficient strength
Used for toy boxes and piano keyboard
covers
Decorative hinges
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Available in many styles, light weight
Used for jewellery box lids
Overlay/self-closing hinges
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Overlay hinges are made for overlay doors on cabinets with a face frame.
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Overlay doors are doors in which the door is larger than the cabinet opening.
The door sits on top of the opening.
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Self-Closing means that the hinge closes the door the last one inch and holds
the door tight in the closed position, eliminating the need for a cabinet catch.
Concealed or European Hinges
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European hinges are fully concealed behind the cabinet door, so they’re not
visible when the door is closed. They’re self-closing and usually easily
adjustable. They are the most common used of the cabinet door hinges.
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The mounting plate is fitted to the cabinet and a special bit is used to
drill out the back of the door to take the cup hinge.
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There are many types to suit most applications, both for frameless
cabinets and face-frame cabinets, full overlay doors, half overlay
doors and inset (flush) doors
Rockler Hardware (ctrl & click on the link below)
http://www.rockler.com/hardware/hinges/european-hinges?p=1
Overlay European hinge for face
frame cabinet
Overlay European hinge for a
frameless cabinet