RouterMania



Visit Rockler.com - Woodworking Superstore!

GLOSSARY of TERMS for CABINET HINGES

Shop for Hinges at Rockler.com

0 Clearance

Exposed Hinges

No-Mortise

270 Degree Hinge

Face Frame

Overlay

3/8 inch Inset

Finial Tip

Pin Hinge

Ball Tip

Frameless

Pivot Hinge

Barrel

Free Swinging

Reverse Bevel

Butt Hinge

Full Overlay

Self Closing

Clip On

Fully Concealed

Semi-Concealed

Concealed Hinges

Half Overlay

Slip On

Cup

Inset

Snap Closing

Degree Of Opening

Knife Hinge

Soss Hinge

European Hinges

Lipped

Surface Mounted

European Style Cabinets

Mounting Plate

Wrap Around

Ball Tip

An exposed tip of the pin of a butt hinge that is shaped like a ball.

Back to Top

Barrel

The part of butt hinge where the two halves come together and are joined with a pin.

Back to Top

Butt Hinge

A hinge composed of two plates attached to abutting surfaces of a door and cabinet and joined by a pin.

Back to Top

Clip On

A concealed hinge that allows you to attached the two parts of the hinge together by simply snapping them together. Makes finishing the doors a breeze!

Back to Top

Concealed Hinges

This refers to any hinge that does not show from the outside of the cabinet.

Back to Top

Cup

This refers to the door portion of a concealed hinge(such as the Blum hinges) that requires a hole to be drilled in the back of the door. The cup portion of the hinge is inserted into this hole.

Back to Top

Degree Of Opening

This refers to how far or to what angle a door will open. Some hinges will allow the doors to open farther allowing for better access to the contents of the cabinet.

Back to Top

270 Degree Hinge

This refer to a hinge that allows the door a full movement of 270 degrees which allows it to open all the way to the outside side of the cabinet wall. This can only be achieved on a frameless full overlay cabinet design.

Back to Top

European Style Cabinets

Frameless cabinets which use a concealed hinge.

Back to Top

European Hinges

Hinges that are concealed and which use a hole bored into the back of the door.

Back to Top

Exposed Hinges

Hinges that show on the outside of the cabinet. Hinges that are not concealed or hidden.

Back to Top

Face Frame

A cabinet is in essence a box. A face frame is a narrow piece of wood, usually about 2" wide that is attached to the front of this box, framing the opening where the doors go.

Back to Top

Finial Tip

An exposed tip of the pin of a butt hinge that has a fancy turned shape.

Back to Top

Frameless

A frameless cabinet is one that does not have a face frame. A frameless cabinet is made like a simple four sided box. This is sometimes called European style.

Back to Top

Free Swinging

This means the hinge can move freely along its path from open to closed. There is no sort of catch feature to keep the door shut.

Back to Top

Fully Concealed

Will not show at all from the outside of the cabinet.

Back to Top

Full Overlay

In frameless cabinet construction the box is typically made from ¾" thick stock. A full overlay will cover the complete front edge or just slightly less than this stock. A full overlay hinge is typically used on the outsides or ends of a cabinet.

Back to Top

Half Overlay

In frameless cabinet construction the box is typically made from 3/4 inch thick stock. A half overlay is commonly used in the middle of a run of cabinets where the doors share a common single partition wall. This hinge will allow the door to cover up half of the partition wall (or approximately 3/8"). Not to be confused with 1/2 inch overlay which will allow a door to cover up the cabinet or face frame by 1/2 inch.

Back to Top

Inset

A door that sits within the cabinet opening such that the front face of the door is flush with the front of the cabinet or face frame.

Back to Top

3/8 inch Inset

This is a door that has a 3/8" x 3/8" rabbet cut all the way around the door on the back edge. This cut allows half the thickness of the door to go back into the cabinet and leaves the front half of the door overlaying the cabinet or face frame. It is also sometimes called a lipped door.

Back to Top

Knife Hinge

Shaped like scissors. One half of hinge mounts to top edge (or bottom edge) of door. Other half mounts to horizontal cabinet member directly above (and below) door.

Back to Top

Lipped

This is a door that has a rabbet cut all the way around the door on the back edge. This cut allows part of the door to go back into the cabinet and leaves the remaining part overlaying the cabinet or face frame.

Back to Top

Mounting Plate

The part of a concealed european style hinge (such as a Blum hinge) that mounts on to the cabinet or face frame.

Back to Top

No-Mortise

A style of hinge that can be mounted directed to the cabinet and the door without any mortises or special cuts being made into the wood surfaces.

Back to Top

Overlay

A door which sit in front of the cabinet and covers or overlays a portion of the cabinet or face frame.

Back to Top

Pin Hinge

A hinge that pivots on a single point. Offers a very low profile as only the pivoting knuckle is visible from the outside of the cabinet.

Back to Top

Pivot Hinge

A concealed hinge for inset doors which uses a bushing placed into the horizontal cabinet members above and below the door, with a pin coming down from the hinge into the bushing.

Back to Top

Reverse Bevel

A door edge that is angled backwards allowing the door edge to serve as the pull. This gives a much simpler,cleaner looking design of cabinets.

Back to Top

Self Closing

This type hinge will have a design feature to help pull the door shut and keep it closed when the door is brought within a few inches of being closed. Sometimes called snap-closing.

Back to Top

Semi-Concealed

This term is applied to a hinge where some of hinge shows on the outside of the cabinet, but a portion of it is hidden behind the door.

Back to Top

Slip On

A concealed type hinge where the two parts of the hinge are fastened together by slipping one half on the the other and then tightening a screw.

Back to Top

Snap Closing

This type of hinge will have a design feature to help pull the door in and keep it shut when the door is brought within a few inches of being closed. Sometimes called self-closing.

Back to Top

Soss Hinge

A specialty concealed hinge used for inset doors. Requires mortises into the door and cabinet for the bodies of both hinge halves.

Back to Top

Surface Mounted

A hinge that does not need a hole or mortise drilled in the door or cabinet in order to mount it. In a concealed hinge it simple mounts with screw. In an exposed hinge it also means the entire hinge will show on the outside of the door and cabinet.

Back to Top

Wrap Around

A style of hinge where the plates of the hinge are formed around the back edge of the door and/or the face frame. A partial wrap around hinge will wrap around the door and have a plain flat leaf for the cabinet so it can be used on a frameless cabinet. A full back-to-back wrap around hinge with wrap around on both halves of the hinge so it can be used on a face frame cabinet.

Back to Top

Zero Clearance

A hinge that allows unobstructed access for pullout shelves or drawer when a door is open to 90 degrees or more. This means that the door will not protrude into the area of the cabinet opening when open. This is only possible in a full overlay door layout.

Back to Top

Shop for Hinges at Rockler.com

Copyright 2000, Rockler Companies Inc. 




Search for wood related equipment and supplies.
Exact All Words Any Word
Tip: Search on brand names too (ie. 3M, Porter Cable)

New Items - Sale Items - Clearance & Closeouts
Complete Index - Woodworking Tips and Articles
Free Woodworking Superstore Catalog


Back to Woodworking Resources at MrGoodbeer.com

Subscribe to Woodworker's Journal online and get two free gifts!
Woodworker's Journal is the "Voice of the Woodworking Community. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Woodworker's Journal offers projects, tips, tool reviews and techniques for woodworkers of all skill levels! Subscribe online and get two free gifts!