35mm Boring

[Daniel Parker]

OK after spending all this time building beautiful cabinet doors its time to bore 35mm hinge holes. I've used the Rockler system for a while which is accurate but slow. Also the plastic guide melts after the 4th hole. Buying a Blum minipress seems like the best solution but these machines hold their value better than a Martin Guitar and cost just as much. All those stories of people getting on on promo for buying hinges you lucked out. I haven't found that deal or anything like it anywhere. I read the FWW article reviewing seven smaller versions and Im still undecided. Any suggestions? The Blum ecodrill seems solid but Id like to hear from you all about your experiences. Is the minipress worth $1750 (new) or $1500 (ebay)? Do I bite the bullet or is there a better way.........

[Joe Chritz]

How many doors are you doing? If you are doing a kitchen a month then buy a Blum press so you can use the press in hinges (inserta I think).

If you do a couple a year like I do then use a drill press. I just set up some accurate stops and do all the doors on one end. Reset the stop and do the other. For centers I have a jig that indexes off the door side and gives me a center punch at the correct off set.

A few hundred doors like that and I have never had a problem.

Granted it isn't as fast as a dedicated machine but it doesn't take long to do a whole kitchen worth.

Joe

[David Duke]

How many doors are you doing? If you are doing a kitchen a month then buy a Blum press so you can use the press in hinges (inserta I think).

If you do a couple a year like I do then use a drill press. I just set up some accurate stops and do all the doors on one end. Reset the stop and do the other. For centers I have a jig that indexes off the door side and gives me a center punch at the correct off set.

A few hundred doors like that and I have never had a problem.

Granted it isn't as fast as a dedicated machine but it doesn't take long to do a whole kitchen worth.

Joe

Thats what I do.

[Lee Schierer]

I've nver done more than a few at a time. But when I did I used a 1-3/8 Forstner bit to drill the holes on my drill press. The 1-3/8 bit is only .004 smaller than the 35 mm bit. It gives a nice snug fit around the cups.

[Dave Bureau]

Sommerfeld has a jig for this. called the easy bore.works good for me.
DAve www.sommerfeldtools.com

[Jim Becker]

I tried the Rockler thing and sold it. Now I use a good quality 35mm Forstner in my DP and use a setup piece to set the fence. Simple. And works great.

[Chris Padilla]

Yeppers...drill press and a good fence system (like from Woodpeckers:Incra) is what I've used.

[Karl Brogger]

I bought the Blum mini-press new. Wish I hadn't. There isn't really anything to go wrong with them and used ones pop up now and again for $5-600 sometimes.

Inserta aren't the press in hinges. They have a cam lever that pressed out on two "grippers" that hold the hinge in the cup. I use them just because on a big job I haul all the doors to the job detached from the cabinet. Makes delivery a bit easier on the back, and thet're easier to install on site. They just snap into place and I don't have to worry so much about doors getting dinged up by hinges en route. The lever also covers up the alignment holes with a smooth cover giving a bit cleaner look.

[Joe Chritz]

The press in hinges are called "knock in" I guess and are available in many different models from Blum.

I haven't looked at them after I found out the cost of a drill and press. Although doing all three holes at once would be handy. It would take a lot of hinges at a decent labor rate to pay one off.

Joe

[Carroll Courtney]

I pick up hinge machine for 250.00 a couple of yrs ago called the Red Baron.I can set it up for the press in hinges or for just the 35mm hole. What I'm getting at is that you don't need a Blum to drill hinges holes.Go for a different brand other than Blum,if you feel the need to have one.I have seen them on ebay for alot less than a Blum.If all you want is for just this one project,you can sell it here at SMC.

[Mike Spanbauer]

I just sold a Meplamat 750 machine on Tuesday for $125. You can find very nice 35mm pressing machines for reasonable prices if you look around.

mike

[Jeff Duncan]

Once you get a hinge press you'll wonder why you waited so long. I bought the Grass Ecopress last year for $175 used and it has been a wonderful addition to my shop. I don't see as many Blum presses come around but I'm sure if your patient one may pop up.
good luck,
JeffD

[Jeff Wright]

I was following a Blum Ecodrill jig on EBay. It was represented as new and sold for $235. You can buy one new on Amazon for $265.

For those of you using a drill press to make your 35mm holes: Do you have any issues drilling the screw mounting holes accurately?

[David Duke]

............For those of you using a drill press to make your 35mm holes: Do you have any issues drilling the screw mounting holes accurately?

Jeff, if you talking about the mounting holes for installing the cup into the door I haven't had any problems at all, I do however use a self-centering VIX bit though. Accurate placement of the mounting plates on face frames at times is a PITA but if you measure accurately or use a simple layout template it really is no problem either.

[Dave Bureau]

sommerfelds jig is the same as the ecopress for 179.90 delivered.