How to Make Kitchen Cabinets With Hidden Hinges

Types of Concealed Hinges

• Given the popularity of concealed hinges, it's possible to select from several designs. Most kitchen cabinets have one of three kinds concealed hinges: a full overlay hinge, half overlay hinge or an inset hinge. A full overlay hinge has a straight arm, and the edge of the cabinet door is in line with the edge of the cabinet. A half overlay hinge has a slightly angled arm, and so the cabinet door partially covers the side panel. An inset hinge has a highly angled arm; the door is set within the cabinet, and its surface is flush with the side panels.

Installation

• Installation varies slightly depending on the type of concealed hinge you use. For example, a full overlay hinge typically comes with three screws. So you can adjust its orientation to conceal the hinge fully. The hinges usually include matching screws, which you drive directly into the edge of the cabinet door and into the cabinet's side panels. In some cases, the hinges come with clip-on mechanisms, and those hinges can be installed without tools.

Cabinet-Making Options

• If you're interested in making your kitchen cabinets yourself, bear in mind that the project is fairly demanding, even for accomplished woodworkers, and a major challenge to novices. Kitchen cabinets largely affect the overall appearance of a kitchen. Some ready-made elements are available, such as cabinet doors, drawers and pre-cut pieces to assemble into drawers. Simply building the frame of the cabinets, installing the hardware and mounting the doors and drawers is a considerable undertaking. Ensure that you select the doors and design the cabinet framing to work with concealed hinges.

Additional Considerations

• "European-style hinges" is another term for concealed hinges. While the appearance of concealed hinges isn't particularly important because they are hidden from sight, it's still possible to select from stainless steel, brass or chrome finishes. Depending on the size of your cabinet doors, you can choose hinges with various weight capacities. Other features to choose among include the angle of the door opening and the material, whether solid stainless steel or plated steel with zinc casings.