Need help with Blum hinges

[Bryan Hunt]

I'm in the design phase for a panel cabinet and I'm going to be using Blum hinges for the firs time. I'm planning on building a mock-up to verify my understanding of how to install the hinges, but have a couple of questions on the parts to order. The cabinet is a panel style with full overlay. If I understand their documents correctly, this means I need the 71B3550 hinges for the far outer doors and the 71B3650 hinges for the inner doors.

Questions:

Which mounting plate to use? I know I need a 0 mm plate. What's the practical difference between the one pice and two piece mounting plates?

For the case of the inner doors which have the twin overlay, it seems I need to use what they call the "twin application screw". Does anybody have a good source for those?

In general, would you go with regular screws, or go with the 5 mm shelf holes and use those with the euro screws?

I've placed an order for my trial parts with Cabinet Parts. Are there any other go-to suppliers I should check out?

[Jamie Buxton]

The "twin application screw" is useful if you insist on placing the back-to-back hinges at the same heights. What I do is to place the hinges at different heights. Then the mounting screws are in no danger of colliding.

I use regular screws. From my supplier, wwhardware.com, they come with the hinges.

[Travis Porter]

If I am understanding you correctly, you have two door scenarios. One that is full overlay (outer doors) and one that is half overlay (doors sharing a common divider). I am assuming your divider is a 3/4 and splitting it between two doors makes it half overlay.
The full overlay hinge would be 71B3550. The half overlay high would be 71B3650.

For mounting plates, I would probably use the two-piece

B175H710. It allows you to adjust your doors up and down.
To my knowledge the "twin screws" are just short screws. As Jamie suggested, use short screws or offset your hinges. You could also double your partition/divider thickness and then use full overlay hinges throughout. Too many choices....
As for the 5mm shelf holes, that is personal preference. Are you installing adjustable shelves and do you have a method to drill these on 32mm centers? If so, sure, if not, then just use the screws.
I am in the process of designing/building a kitchen for myself, and I am using the 5mm shelf holes on the uppers and using the euro screws and on the lower cabs, I am just using the screw in ones as I do not have a need for adjustable shelf holes in the lower cabinets.

A friend recommended using

www.cabinetreecollection.com

and so far I have found their prices to be very good.

[Bryan Hunt]

Are you installing adjustable shelves and do you have a method to drill these on 32mm centers?

Yes, I'll be installing adjustable shelves. I've been using a home-made jig for routing 1/4" shelf pin holes, but I'm hoping my x-mass present will be a Festool OF1400 with the 32mm hole drilling set

[John TenEyck]

AH Turf has lower prices for all things Blum than any other place I've found. No screws included; you have to buy those separately.

You should go to Blum's website. They have everything you will ever want to know about their hinges, slides, etc. Woodworker's Hardware catalog has much of the info., too.

John

[Jerry Miner]

Good advice above. One small comment:

To my knowledge the "twin screws" are just short screws.

This is not quite right. Blum "twin application screws" are like sex-bolts, or binding posts, with male and female parts that thread together, allowing two mounting plates on opposite sides of a panel to be attached at the same height.

Blum Twin-Application Screw.jpg
They are available from WW Hardware, and elsewhere

[Ed Edwards]

I'll second AH Turf! Besides their good prices, you can't beat their customer service. No connection with the company, just a loyal customer.

Ed