Article - practical guide By self-installation and adjusting furniture hinges. Chief technologist furniture production will talk about loops, their internal structure, fastening methods and adjustment options.
The first thing the eye stops at, even when briefly examining the furniture, is the façade.
A significant share of the cost finished product also depends on the material and complexity of manufacturing the facade.
Crooked installed doors can ruin the impression of even the most expensive and high-quality furniture.
If only because any fittings wear out over time and require tightening or complete replacement.
Furniture hinges and methods of fixing them
First, I propose to define the terminology. We will hang our door on standard furniture four-hinged hinge with structural elements:
- cup,
- shoulder,
- response plate.
Determining where the cup is on the loop is easy. This element has the shape of a recess with “ears” for fastening.
The cup is located in the blind holes with a diameter of 35 mm on the door. The hole is made at the factory, and trying to drill it using improvised means without special equipment and a cutter required diameter I do not recommend.
This requires a certain precision, which cannot be achieved in artisanal conditions.
The hinge arm is a lever permanently connected to the cup through hinges. Attached from the inside to the side wall of the cabinet using a striker plate.
The strike plate is directly fixed on the surface of the stand. It has two screws for subsequent adjustment of the front after installation.
Before hanging the door, you need to attach the cup with the shoulder to the door and the strike plate to the stand.
Cup mounting options:
- on bushings,
- on self-tapping screws,
- using a quick, tool-free installation system (Clip).
To install the strike plate use:
- euroscrews,
- screws,
- footwear,
- Clip system for quick installation.
What are the features of each type of fastening?
I think we shouldn’t stop at self-tapping screws, so let’s move straight to the footings.
- The fittings are bushings pressed into the façade material, with internal thread under the mounting screw. Thus, the hole in wood, MDF or chipboard is not broken due to repeated replacement of hinges.
- A Euroscrew is more reliable than a self-tapping screw, but it can only be screwed into a pre-prepared hole.
- Installing clip-on hinges requires not only drilling holes, but also maintaining exact dimensions, otherwise it will not be possible to secure them.
We install the hinged furniture façade ourselves
Before hanging the door, I advise you to carefully study the design of the hinge assembly.
What should you pay attention to? There are two adjustment screws on the strike plate. The arm of the hinge is sometimes provided with a guide for the head of the screw closest to the cup.
So, don't forget to hit the guide when installing the door.
It is more convenient to start installing the door from the top hinge. The facade will be fixed, and it will become easier to secure the remaining awnings.
Possible difficulties when installing doors
Fix the facade - not too much difficult task, but there are some difficulties.
For example, to install very narrow doors you will need a short screwdriver. Sometimes a cabinet is ordered exactly to fit the size of a washing machine or dishwasher.
In this case, the equipment will have to be removed before installing the facades, otherwise there will be no access to the canopies at all.
And installing doors with more than two hinges will require some skill and dexterity.
Adjusting the hinges
Adjusting the facades consists of aligning them in relation to each other and to the walls of the furniture.
Especially for this purpose, they leave between the doors gap 3–4 mm.
Please note that alignment is only possible when the cabinet is level and both of its diagonals are equal to each other. Let me remind you that the facade must also be smooth.
Hinge adjustment steps:
1 Adjusting the height of the facade
Vertical grooves on the canopy strike plate allow you to adjust the door height. Loosen the mounting screws and sweep the door in the desired direction. Tighten the screws.
2
You need to adjust the depth in three cases:
- when the door does not open or close, resting against the door;
- when it is visually noticeable that closed door protrudes too much in the place where the hinges are attached;
- if when opening the door there is a significant gap near the awnings.
The depth can be set by a screw on the strike plate, located further from the cup.
Loosen the screw on one or all hinges (as necessary) and slide the door in the desired direction. Retighten the screw.
3
This adjustment option is necessary for uneven gaps between adjacent facades.
The door is moved to the right or left by rotating the screw closest to the cup on the canopy striker. It does not need fixation.
There are many types of loops, so I suggest you determine the right direction rotation of the adjusting screw experimentally. Further setup will not be difficult.
Once you have completed adjusting the hinges, make sure that the doors do not slam loudly when closing.
Use inexpensive option– silicone shock absorber with adhesive backing.
I hope my tips will be useful both for adjusting doors on old furniture hinges and when installing fronts on a new kitchen set.
Always yours, Timur Denisov
(modena select=18, You can choose and buy a kitchen here >>)
When creating comfortable housing, furniture plays an important role.
Assembling and installing a sofa, wardrobe and other furniture accessories is not the final stage in landscaping. Adjusting cabinet doors will balance furniture fronts.
It is not difficult to adjust furniture hinges yourself, without the help of professionals.
If the cabinet is cluttered, then, consequently, the gaps will be larger than with an exact location.
The doors should be adjusted if you purchase a new item or transport an old one to another room. The screws become loose over a long period of time due to constant use or initially poor settings.
Adjusting cabinet doors will balance furniture fronts.
You should also check the moment when the façade addition under the cup is correct.
It is not difficult to adjust furniture hinges yourself, without the help of professionals. Should be adhered to certain rules, compliance with which will prevent the formation of cracks on the facade, gaps between the frame and the doors, as well as friction when opening. That is, the life of the cabinet is extended.
The screws become loose over a long period of time due to constant use or initially poor settings.
More often correct adjustment is impossible at such a moment, therefore, the loops have to be adjusted.
Four laws of loop adjustment
Before making adjustments, study the rules in this area:
- Before setting up furniture hinges, the vertical distances are aligned to the height of the door, and then adjusted according to the positioning. If you apply the algorithm of actions, it will be much faster and easier to repair the hinges, since you will not have to go back.
- When starting to adjust furniture hinges, make sure that the cabinet is accurately leveled in all projections. To adjust the position of furniture, use a special building level.
- The desired level is sometimes impossible to achieve. In such a situation, they focus on the distances between the doors. If the cabinet is cluttered, then, consequently, the gaps will be larger than with an exact location. The standard clearance indicator is most often used, correctly standing furniture– 3-5 mm.
- You should also check the moment when the façade addition under the cup is correct. Otherwise, the doors will not close well. Most often, correct adjustment is impossible at such a moment, therefore, the hinges have to be adjusted. After studying the basic rules for repairing doors, you can begin correcting furniture screws, which is carried out in several planes at once.
The service life of the cabinet is extended.
As you know, there are three planes: vertical (frontal), horizontal and profile (“back and forth”).
Adjustment in planes
As you know, there are three planes: vertical (frontal), horizontal and profile (“back and forth”). Accordingly, the loops are adjusted in them.
To adjust the position of furniture, use a special building level.
Using furniture hinges, you can change the position of the facade on the plane - this is useful when the doors are poorly pressed to the body.
In this case, it is enough to twist the second adjusting bolt on the furniture fittings.
In order for the cabinet to last a long time, you need to adjust the hinges on the doors in all directions at once.
Before setting up furniture hinges, the vertical distances are aligned to the height of the door, and then adjusted according to the positioning.
It is better to adjust vertically first.
It is better to adjust vertically first. Frontal adjustment is necessary when the door stands out from the overall picture of the furniture, or one is located above the other (in the case when there are several doors on the model). This operation is carried out in four stages:
- You should open the doors and find the hinges, then remove the plugs (if any).
- On all canopies, tighten the screws that are located closer to the sidewall. The vertical position depends on these bolts. The screws initially need to be balanced in order to decide on further actions.
- Close the doors and pay attention to general position regarding the closet. If the upper corner is directed to the right, then you should also tighten the bolts on the upper hinges, while loosening the ones on the lower ones.
Frontal adjustment is necessary when the door stands out from the overall picture of the furniture, or one is located above the other (in the case when there are several doors on the model).
One of the types of adjustment: “back and forth”, or profile. This method allows you to reduce or, conversely, increase the distance. Loosen the screws a little and push on the doors or pull towards yourself, tighten the bolt again.
Correctly performed adjustment will not force you to go back.
To ensure complete balance of the facade, stages 2 and 3 should be repeated.
Tighten the bolt to bring the corresponding door corner closer to the frame. Reverse actions (loosening) allow, on the contrary, to move the corner away from the frame.
This door adjustment is used when the door is hanging at an angle.
Loosen the screws a little and push on the doors or pull towards yourself, tighten the bolt again.
Independent work on adjusting door hinges is beneficial and helps to save on maintenance, but also gives a lot of positive emotions from the result obtained. Proper adjustment will not force you to go back .
The cabinet hinges can be adjusted horizontally.
Independent work on adjusting door hinges is beneficial and helps to save on maintenance, but also gives a lot of positive emotions from the result obtained.
The durability of the fasteners is affected not only by the adjustment of the fittings, but also by the correctly selected fasteners.
One of the types of adjustment: “back and forth”, or profile.
Close the doors and pay attention to the general position relative to the cabinet.
This door adjustment is used when the door is hanging at an angle.
VIDEO: How to adjust cabinet and furniture doors. Adjusting the hinges yourself
If the hinges on your drawer doors look like this, there are several ways you can fix this to make the doors close neatly. You can change both new and old doors. It's easy if you take a little time and do everything in order.
Step 1. Close the door and see which direction you need to change the door opening. Does it touch the next door? Is the door too high or too low? Doesn't it close completely? Is there a gap left or, conversely, is the door blocking another door?
Step 2. Open the door so that you can freely work with the hinges.
Step 3. Adjust the hinges vertically You may have to do this on all the door hinges at the same time. Loosen the top and bottom bolts, raise or lower the door, and tighten the bolts again tightly.
Support the door when loosening the bolts, otherwise it may fall.
Step 4. Adjust the door by loosening it from the wall or, conversely, pressing it harder. Always hold the door during this process, especially if you are loosening all the bolts at once.
Step 5. Right/left adjustment. Fasten the screw (clockwise) so that the corner of the door faces the frame (towards the right side). Loosen the screw (turn it counterclockwise) so that the door moves away from the frame (towards the left side).
This adjustment can also be made if the door is not hanging straight. If the top of the door leans to the right or left, adjust the top and bottom hinges separately to correct the tilt.
Step 7. After each action, close the door and see how you are doing. Go ahead and fix what needs to be done. It's easier to do it together. One person holds the door while the other twists and tightens the bolts.
Adviсe
Regulate different directions separately.
Adjust gradually. We adjusted it, walked away, looked, and corrected it.
When making upper/lower adjustments, make sure the screws are well tightened. Because it is these screws that hold the door of your drawer in place.
Attention
When making up/down adjustments, do it gradually and be prepared to hold the door so it doesn't slip or fall. It is advisable to ask someone to help you.
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How to adjust hinges on cabinet doors - simple recipes furniture fittings service
Have you noticed that the doors of the set have sagged due to prolonged use? It turns out that fixing a cabinet is not so difficult, all you need to do is complete a series of simple adjustments accessories. Let's find out how to adjust it yourself door hinges and provide correct work cabinets, chests of drawers and cabinets.
What can be adjusted
Along with non-adjustable hinges in the design modern furniture Adjustable hinges are used. Thanks to this feature, the cabinet door in the kitchen or balcony can be moved in several planes and thus compensate for sagging caused by prolonged use of the furniture.
The adjustable fittings have a certain number of screws, by turning which around its axis you can move the door in three planes. What do you need to set up? You will need a large shaped screwdriver, and in addition, you will need to read the instructions that you will find in this article.
Adjustment options
There are three adjustment options:
- In the horizontal plane (A). The shutter moves left and right. This way you can eliminate vertical misalignment and even out the gap between adjacent doors.
- In the vertical plane (B). The sash moves up and down, so you can even out diagonal and vertical sagging and set its edge flush with the side wall.
- By reach (C). The sash moves away from itself and towards itself. As a result, you can even out the gap between the door and the cabinet frame.
Let's take a closer look at how to perform the above settings.
| Illustrations | Description of settings |
 |
Vertical adjustment. Two screws located in vertical elongated recesses are responsible for moving the sash vertically. During setup, we loosen these screws on the fittings at the top and bottom of the sash. Next, we raise or lower the sash to the required height. After this, without changing the position of the door, tighten the screws and thus fix the hinges. |
 |
Horizontal adjustment. To move the sash left and right, we find a screw located separately in the longitudinal horizontal hole. By unscrewing this screw you can loosen the fittings. In order for the shift to be uniform, the screws must be loosened simultaneously on both the top and bottom hinges. After making the adjustment, tighten the bolts in the upper and lower parts of the sash with the same force. |
 |
Reach setting. To pull the sash towards you or away from you, we find a screw without a longitudinal recess. By turning the screw clockwise, you will move the door closer to the cabinet, and by unscrewing it counterclockwise, you will move it away from the cabinet. Average, modern fittings allows you to move the sash towards you and away from you in the range of 2-3 mm. |
In order not to make a mistake when rotating the screw responsible for adjusting the sash overhang, apply a marking and use it to count how many full turns were made with a screwdriver.
Caring for fittings
How to reduce the need for frequent adjustments? There are a few simple ways, which will allow you to do without frequent settings:
- Once adjustments are complete, tighten the loosened screws as tightly as possible.
- To provide best mount adjusting screws, apply thread locking agent under their heads. If there is no special fixative, you can use regular enamel or oil paint.
- If the holes for the screws are broken due to frequent adjustments, they will have to be strengthened. To do this, the screws are completely unscrewed and small wooden chips are driven into the holes. After this, the sash is hung on the hinges again.
How to care for fittings to extend their service life?
No special care is required; it is enough to drip machine oil onto the moving parts of the hinges from time to time. This simple action will not only extend the service life of the hinges, but will also subsequently eliminate the likelihood of squeaks and jamming.
Attention, after dripping the moving parts of the hinges with oil, immediately wipe off excess lubricant to prevent dust from accumulating.
What to do if you are late with preventive maintenance and the door has already begun to creak when opening? The only correct solution is to lubricate the moving parts of the hinge.
If you need a quick and guaranteed effective result, instead of machine oil we use fast-penetrating lubricants, for example, WD-40. We open and close the lubricated door several times to better penetration lubricant until the squeak disappears completely.
Let's sum it up
It is not difficult to adjust furniture hinges, but it is even easier to ensure timely care of the fittings. If you still have questions about the proposed instructions, ask them in the comments to this article.
May 22, 2018If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, or ask the author something - add a comment or say thank you!
IN modern products Furniture production mainly uses hidden four-hinged furniture hinges, known abroad as “concealed hinges” (hidden furniture hinges), and in the USA they are also called “European type hinges” (European type furniture hinges). Such hinges are called four-hinged due to the functioning mechanism based on four hinges.
Four-hinged hinges are made mainly from steel by stamping. To prevent corrosion, it is applied to furniture hinges. electroplating, which also provides an attractive appearance furniture hinge. In addition to performing the function of opening and closing a furniture door, a four-hinge furniture hinge also holds the door in place when closed thanks to a built-in spring.
Four-hinged furniture hinges were invented in the first half of the 20th century by the Italian Arturo Salice (the company bearing his name still exists and is successfully developing today).
The main elements of a four-hinged furniture hinge are:
- loop cup,
- loop shoulder,
- response plate.
Furniture hinge cup- this is a part of a cup-shaped hinge with fastening ears, fixed to the door.
Furniture hinge arm- this is a lever attached to the inside of the cabinet body using a striker plate. The furniture hinge cup is secured to the hinge arm through a four-hinged mechanism.
Furniture hinge strike plate- this is the part of the hinge that is fixed directly to the inside of the cabinet, allowing the hinge to be adjusted in different directions after it is fixed to the strike plate.
The main standards for the cup diameter of furniture hinges are the following diameters:
- 35 mm. (standard furniture hinges for full-size furniture),
- 26 mm. (mini-hinges for small lightweight doors, for example, they are used in bathroom furniture).
- "key-hole" (keyhole),
- "slide-on" (slide-on installation)
- "clip-on" (easy snap fastening).
Let's consider the procedure for setting up and adjusting furniture hinges .
Modern furniture hinges can be adjusted in several directions. It's quite simple, with a little patience, the doors of your cabinets and bedside tables will close more neatly.
First action - Close the closet door and look:
- in which direction it needs to be adjusted;
- Is the gap with the adjacent door even?
- Our door is not too high or low.
Second act- Open the door wide so that you can access the hinge.
Third act- Vertical adjustment (if necessary).