# Hinge cutter



## Ruthtom111 (Jan 12, 2012)

Hi everyone
Can anyone help? I am looking for a 35mm cutter, for fitting ressed hinges on wardrobe doors, that I can use in my router, 1/2 or 1/4 inch shank. I have one for a drill, but would like to set up a router to do the job if possable? I am in the U.K, but don`t mind paying shipping for a good tool.

Regards
Paul


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

Ruthtom111 said:


> Hi everyone
> Can anyone help? I am looking for a 35mm cutter, for fitting ressed hinges on wardrobe doors, that I can use in my router, 1/2 or 1/4 inch shank. I have one for a drill, but would like to set up a router to do the job if possable? I am in the U.K, but don`t mind paying shipping for a good tool.
> 
> Regards
> Paul


Hi Paul - Bits that size should be available on your side of the pond but I think for using a router to do that, I would prefer using a template:
Rockler Concealed Hinge Router JIG IT® - Rockler Woodworking Tools
That one uses a 5/8" bushing and a 1/2" bit but I would guess that Trend would have something similar and metric friendly in the UK.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

If you can find a 1 3/8" or 35mm straight bit it should work. I looked at CMT for one and didn't see either. However Southeast Tool sells 1 3/8. Maybe Freud, or as John suggested, Trend may have one. You would still need a way to hold the router in place, so John's suggestion might be more practical and you can use an easy to find bit to do it with. To me, the simplest way is still the drill press.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

Hi Paul - I did a little searching around this afternoon. This one seems to be what you are looking for:
Woodworker.com: WOODTEK STRAIGHT PLUNGE CUTTING ROUTER BIT

Item #818-935.

I'm not sure it is a true plunge cutter, artwork looks like it may be. There are a lot of 1-3/8" Mortise bits about but they are not true plunge cutters as the centers are relieved, depending on movement to clear the mortise. 
There is still the issue Chuck pointed out about aligning the router but, if you have a lot to do, a fixture could be put together to take care of that.


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## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

Ruthtom111 said:


> I am looking for a 35mm cutter, for fitting ressed hinges on wardrobe doors, that I can use in my router, 1/2 or 1/4 inch shank. I have one for a drill, but would like to set up a router to do the job if possable? I am in the U.K, but don`t mind paying shipping for a good tool.l


Hi Paul

Contact Wealden Tool and ask for a T1835A. I have one and carry it in my kit all the time. Designed for use in the router (as opposed to drill press types), accurate and cuts very cleanly, but you do need a 1/2in router for this and the speed needs to be turned down. They do an 8mm shank version, too, but I think such a large cutter is better on a thicker shank

BTW Wealden will deliver most orders next day if you ring before about 3pm (3:30 at a pinch)



Cherryville Chuck said:


> If you can find a 1 3/8" or 35mm straight bit it should work. I looked at CMT for one and didn't see either. However Southeast Tool sells 1 3/8. Maybe Freud, or as John suggested, Trend may have one. You would still need a way to hold the router in place, so John's suggestion might be more practical and you can use an easy to find bit to do it with. To me, the simplest way is still the drill press.


Hi Chuck

You know, we do metric here (UK), too! The Trend cutter is in the Professional range and is heavier than the Wealden, but costs more...... I agree that a drill press is easy, but for site work I can't carry one. Instead I use the router fence to set my centre offset from the edge (in Europe routers all seem to come as standard with a side fence) and draw a couple of pencil lines part way across the back of the door with a square so I can line-up the cutter "dimple" using the centre line marks on the base of the router (my DWs and Elus pretty much all have these). Initial set-up is done on a scrap of timber to be on the safe side. Must have done at least a couple of hundred hinges this way over the last 6 or 7 years

Regards

Phil


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi Phil,
I received an edge guide wit each of my routers though I can't remember the last time I used one. I hadn't thought of using them to set up for offsets. I gather you haven't had problems with the bit wandering?
By the way, I can tell you how to make a simple jig for drilling with hand drill and forstner if you want to go back to that method.


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## Neil Tsubota (Mar 20, 2010)

Have you tried looking at "Festools" template ?

I they are headquartered in Germany. (I'm not sure, because I am in the US, also known as the "...peoples republic of Kali4nia..." spoken with an Austrian accent...I guess Maria, you are going to hire a lawyer now....)

Taxation with out representation.


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## Neil Tsubota (Mar 20, 2010)

I "like" the metric system, and I am an "Merican".

The US is one other country (Malaysia, I think...) had NOT adopted the metric system.

China, India, Japan, and Germany, graduate more Engineers, than the United States.


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## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> I received an edge guide wit each of my routers though I can't remember the last time I used one. I hadn't thought of using them to set up for offsets. I gather you haven't had problems with the bit wandering?


Hi Chuck

Not really. If push comes to shove I can always resort to clamping the router in place! This has been necessary a few times in the past on kitchen doors with slippy melamine back faces, although I tend to add a strip of double sided tape as a temporary measure these days if I need it



Cherryville Chuck said:


> By the way, I can tell you how to make a simple jig for drilling with hand drill and forstner if you want to go back to that method.


:laugh: I do carry round a small selection of Forstners for installing door furniture, but I prefer to use the router method on kitchen/bedroom doors because the depth stop turret on the router gives me a very accurate way to control the depth of cut. Nothing more nail biting than drilling 12 or 13mm into a $100 door which is only 16mm thick _without_ absolute depth control

Regards

Phil


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Phil P said:


> Hi Chuck
> 
> Not really. If push comes to shove I can always resort to clamping the router in place! This has been necessary a few times in the past on kitchen doors with slippy melamine back faces, although I tend to add a strip of double sided tape as a temporary measure these days if I need it
> 
> ...


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## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> The point on a Forstner is about 3mm long so that would be a problem. I am more familiar with 19mm which gives a little more breathing room. 3/4" thick is pretty much the standard here unless you are buying knock-down which is already drilled.


Hi Chuck

The "Forstners" sold over here for (kitchen/bedroom) hinge boring, like those from Wealden I linked to, have much shallower points, about 1mm or 1.5mm and have no spurs or wings. They are carbide tipped because tool steel life on melamine, laminates, MDF and chipboard is extremely short - a hand tool steel Forstner but really won't cut it on most manufactured kitchen doors, least ways not for long!

Most of the manufactured doors I see are 18mm and are foil or laminate wrapped MDF doors which generally have a melamine backing on the rear face. Bought-in solid wood doors are sometimes a bit thicker at about 20mm, but from time to time I come across German-manufactured lacquered or vinyl-wrapped doors which are around 16mm thick. In my experience German manufacturers also tend to use 15mm material for their carcassing which means being extra careful with the length of screws you use to secure the hinge mounting plates- presumably it's a transport cost thing because locally-made (UK) carcassing is generally 18mm which gives you a bit more leeway with the screws. As the shallowest hinges require a hole of 11.1mm depth (in effect 12mm to get the clearance), and the high gloss (lacquer) finish doors are often $100 or more - these 16mm doors are not on my "favourites" list

Regards

Phil


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

The cup bit I have is carbide as well. Cuts like butter but was about $35 Cad. You get what you pay for as the saying goes. It has spurs and I think the center point is longer but I don't have it to look at right now. 
I agree, the shipping must be the issue. The difference in price between 15 or 16mm and 18 or 19 mm isn't that much. It sounds like the engineering hasn't quite caught up to the desire to reduce costs.


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