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Old Age Sucks!

YYCHM

(Craig)
Premium Member
It's not what you think....:p

Our 30 year old kitchen cabinet door hinges have decided to ejecting their self-closing springs on a regular basis. Stupid plastic retaining clips get brittle after 20 years:( After surveying the kitchen 1/3 are missing, and 1/3 are cracked and ready to fail. SWMBO has declared that the whole lot get replaced. There are 40 of them:eek: This is not going to be fun:(
 

DavidR8

Scrap maker
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
It's not what you think....:p

Our 30 year old kitchen cabinet door hinges have decided to ejecting their self-closing springs on a regular basis. Stupid plastic retaining clips get brittle after 20 years:( After surveying the kitchen 1/3 are missing, and 1/3 are cracked and ready to fail. SWMBO has declared that the whole lot get replaced. There are 40 of them:eek: This is not going to be fun:(
Are they Euro style hinges?
 

DPittman

Ultra Member
Premium Member
I had a very similar experience with my old kitchen cupboards. The hinges were rough and were painted up to and on several times so in the last repaint job of the cupboards I decided to replace them all. Although the new replacement hinges appeared to have the exact same screw hole pattern to the old ones, upon installation I found out that they were not. I don't know if it was imperial to metric change but 2 out of the 3 screw holes seemed to match up but the third was half a hole out. This made for more crooked and stripped screw holes than I like but fortunately my cupboards were made out of real plywood 65 years ago and could handle a less than ideal screw placement. I also remember the cupboard hardware selection was vast, and varied from cheap to "HOW much?!"
 

Brent H

Ultra Member
Hey @YYCHobbyMachinist to bad I am not closer, I build cabinets in the parallel universe between ship work and machining - just got in 100 x 1/2 overlay soft close and have 150 x full overlay soft close for future projects.

if they are Euro style and a Bloom, Hetich or Richelieu style you should be able to keep the clips on the cases and just change out the soft close parts. Two screws - if they are the press in type and don’t have the screws, well not as easy. I only use the screw type.
30 years is pretty good life - most bulk barn kitchens are designed for 10 years!

if you like your cabinets a 30 year mid-life hinge refit is pretty good deal :)

see if you can track down a cabinet supply place local that will give you a good deal on the replacements - something like $3 or under each. I buy them for $1.69 plus shipping and have to get 100 at a time. Clip plates are about $0.30 each but you gotta buy 200
 

Hacker

Super User
When I need parts for our cabinets I go to KitchenCraft, they sell parts for hinges. Lee Valley will sell you hinges as well
 

Hacker

Super User
Those are standard cabinet hinges and I think you can buy those at Home Depot. No replacement parts on them.
 

Johnwa

Ultra Member
We had a younger hinge go. It was the euro style made by Marathon. I went to their outlet and got 2 replacements. After having bought hinges from HD and LeeValley I was absolutely shocked by how LITTLE I was charged for them.
Richelieu is right next door to them on 52nd St.
I imagine one or the other carries the style @YYCHobbyMachinist has.
 

Hacker

Super User
I have had very good luck with Lee Valley when it comes to matching up old hinges. They have a lot on line.
 

Brent H

Ultra Member
My cost is $4.30 for a bag of 2 - that’s at Richelieu- see if you can get them even cheaper. Price drops if you order 100 bags of 2 - LOL
 

YYCHM

(Craig)
Premium Member
My cost is $4.30 for a bag of 2 - that’s at Richelieu- see if you can get them even cheaper. Price drops if you order 100 bags of 2 - LOL

How do you get that website to show a price? I just picked up 19 bags of BP139M41 at $5.69/bag at Rona.
 

Brent H

Ultra Member
@YYCHobbyMachinist : I have the contractor sign in with them - basically costs money and you can sign in as a business. I Do a couple kitchens a year and some bathroom/laundry room custom jobs so I get a bulk order out there every so often. I am not as keen on the “installations” but still making doors, drawers and boxes in that parallel universe. - that is not a bad price for the hinges you paid - considering shipping etc - glad I could help track down a close match :). You went with a bit different finish - easier for you to match on site - sweet!
 

YYCHM

(Craig)
Premium Member
@YYCHobbyMachinist : I have the contractor sign in with them - basically costs money and you can sign in as a business. I Do a couple kitchens a year and some bathroom/laundry room custom jobs so I get a bulk order out there every so often. I am not as keen on the “installations” but still making doors, drawers and boxes in that parallel universe. - that is not a bad price for the hinges you paid - considering shipping etc - glad I could help track down a close match :). You went with a bit different finish - easier for you to match on site - sweet!

I picked the color because they were almost a $1 less per bag that the antique brass ones:D Color doesn't really matter much the whole shebang is getting replaced. Currently working on door # 3 of 19:p
 
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YYCHM

(Craig)
Premium Member
What a PITA.... The screw holes on the replacement hinges are just a smidge off from the original hinges. About 1/8" or less. 3.JPG

I've taken to slotting the hinge holes on the mill so that I don't have to deal with drilling new screw holes in the cupboards and doors.

Working on door # 10 of 19 now:p
 

DPittman

Ultra Member
Premium Member
What a PITA.... The screw holes on the replacement hinges are just a smidge off from the original hinges. About 1/8" or less.View attachment 13465

I've taken to slotting the hinge holes on the mill so that I don't have to deal with drilling new screw holes in the cupboards and doors.

Working on door # 10 of 19 now:p
Told you so! It looks like your fix is a perfect solution however.
 

Hruul

Lee - metalworking novice
Well at least you can do it! There probably some poor sod out there using a file.
It would be good for practice at using hand tools. I recently did a bit of filing and hacksawing. Might actually be getting better at it.
 
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