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Cabinet inset hinges are the wrong size

13 years ago

I want to replace the hinges on my kitchen cabinets. The current hinges are inset hinges.

I bought a pair of 3/8" inset hinges and they aren't quite right. Two of the three holes on the plate (the two that line up vertically) line up with the old holes, but the third doesn't at all. It would be no problem drilling a new third hole, but the real problem is that when I hung the door it was slightly off, so that if I hung both doors, they would hit in the middle instead of coming together with just a tiny gap. The hinges would work on all the doors where the doors don't come all the way together but instead rest over the frame, but on two sets of doors, they need to meet exactly in the middle.

I hope my description of the problem makes sense. My guess is that I really need 1/4" inset hinges, since the 3/8" seem to be too big, but I haven't been able to find ones in that size that look the same as mine. If I could attach the hinge to the frame just slightly farther from the door, I think it would work, but the holes would be practically on top of the current holes, and I worry that I'll end up with one giant hole.

Does anyone know what I should do? The cabinets are from the 70s, and I think they would have used whatever the standard hinge of the time was.

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Comments (2)

chicagoans
13 years ago
I would worry about drilling new holes, too. Is it the finish of the hinges you don't like, or the whole style or functionality? If it's just the finish, I'd try giving them a good cleaning and then painting with a good metal paint. Then you know you'll have the perfect size.

If that's not the issue, many people have had good luck with sources like Lee Valley hardware. (leevalley.com). They have an online catalog that has several pages of hinges. I'd call them and see if someone there can point you in the right direction.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lee Valley
jenes
Original Author
13 years ago
Yes, it's the finish I want to change, to a brushed nickel from a dark bronze color. There are more than twenty cabinet doors in my kitchen, which would give me more than forty hinges to clean and paint - I couldn't just do the eight where the doors meet, since they need to match (and the doors hung slightly lower on the 3/8" hinges). It's a good thought, and I thank you, but I'm still hoping for something easier. Of course, after painting all the cabinets, painting the hinges might not seem like a big deal.
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Taking into consideration your comments and suggestion, I took a much closer look at all the hinges - new and old. Some of the Liberty hinges are not sitting as tight at the inset as the old hinges. The outside of the hinge that screws to the cabinet is also off slightly which is why a shadow of the old hinge is visable. Additionally, the entire hinge sits farther away from the doors than the older hinges. All of these variances are very slight, but when combined they make a hugh difference. Oddly enough, not all of the new hinges fit the same, hence being lucky with the first two I bought. Even though they must stamp out these hinges, they are not the same. The question still remains as to what I am going to do. I called Amerock and they said they would consider sending me samples to try. A representative from one of the local kitchen cabinet companies at the home show yesterday recommended a local hinge company. I am going to go there to see if they can identify the manufacturer of the old hinges and can offer up a better replacement. Internet searches have still not provided any identification of the old hinge manufacturer's logo. Please let me know if you can think of any other ideas or suggestions.
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