Replies

1. 
   81treehouse | Aug 05, 2005 04:27am | #1

   Check out Blum.  They are compatible with Mepla and have some good :) but expensive :(  tooling.  Also some inexpensive tooling is available.

    

   A bad day woodworking is better than a good day working -- yes, I'm retired!
2. 
   cowtown | Aug 05, 2005 06:36am | #2

   Blum Ecodrill is the sweetest of any hinge boring template system that I've ever used or tested. I use it in the shop and on site constantly. Haven't used a drill press or hinge boring machine in years. Why? Cause if you ever gotta manipulate a 6' MDF panty or wardrobe door around a drill press, by the time you even get supports set up in the shop, you is on the site and done with the task. Best of all the device is intriniscly intuitive.

   FWW approached a woodworker to write an article about them a while back, curiously a few months after  FHB had accepted my initial draft (with photos) on precisely that topic and had been having me re-write and do additional research on the same thing. My assigned editor wouldn't return my calls till I ramped it up somewhat. Seems that this just "Had" to be absolutely mere coincidence cause when I asked what the heck was going on, I was told such was the case, cause the two mags don't talk to each other. No matter now. Prospective authors may look elsewhere to submit articles.

   Regardless of the treatment I received from the tauntonianoid's, Go with the Blum Eco drill (despite it's European name, You'll find Blum manufactures stuff in the USA. Unless you can find some other new product in the last few years -I ain't seen anything so far

   The Blum doesn't need additional clamps, it has it's own integral lever action you can position it in less than 10 seconds, (the clamps don't mar the finish either!!} and you can adjust precisely the set backs from the gable in less than 10 seconds, , you can either bore for threaded/drive in inserts, or just mark the positions of the screws, so you don't need a square to align yer hinge, you can set depth of cut easily, and use 5/8 mtl for doors without using a bottoming bit. When yer done, you just put the driver bits back into their storage spaces, and there it sits, ready to go for the next job, altogether, waiting for yer beck and call without having to remember to bring two extra c-clamps, how to adjust it, etc. A total no-brainer to use after the first time.  

   Some jigs require that you set little left and right stops seperately, not so with the Blum, you can actually eyeball it as you flip the integral clamps tight (no extra c-clamps required), if yer using 4" from top/bottom of cabinet, and with a set of jigs for marking centres for yer hinge plates, carefully made and tested of course, drilling and setting an 8x10 kitchen should take you maybe an hour and a bit on site.

   One drawback is that there is not a vacuum port on the jig, so if you don't clean it after each use, you can only bore about three or four hinge bosses before it gets jammed up. So you gotta vacuum after each use, but then you gotta vacuum the hinge boss holes anyway doncha? But none of the other jigs do either. And, any neat ebeniste has his vac at hand anyway. right?

   And I have used the blum  with a 9.6 cordless drill, on oak, for 4 or 6 doors, so the drill bit that comes with it is at least sharp out of the blocks, and seems to have kept that way for the 5 years I've been using it. But I will say that I prefer corded drill drivers. (did I mention that it stores it's hex driver bits in the handles? So you pull it out of the tool box and there it is, ready to go.)

   It ain't cheap, like any good tool, but when all is considered, any kind of jig is gonna run close to 200$cdn, maybe 160 us$, once you factor in bits and clamps. but not considering the ease of use.

   If you see European hinge mounting in your future at all, this is the way to go at least to my (non-tauntonian certified) pea-brain. If all you gotta do is three doors and then yer goin fishin, just use the drill press.

   Cost savings can be realized by not having to measure and specify hinge boring requirements to you cabinet door mfgr, and on one kitchen, cause if they don't know which way is up or down, imagine being able to flop a door on an upper so that a defect (in wood, finish, whatever) is set to the top where no one will ever see it, or because you specified the borings, its gonna be at the bottom, at eye level. Now what kinda cash would you attach to having to re-order a door, refinish it (or have it refinished) to MATCH (of course), and I betcha that by the time you factor into the equation all those time and money costs, you is at least at the 200$ mark. Ergo, if it allows you to recover from just one blooper, you is at the even money mark. After that, it's sheer profit.

   Or a pair of doors. Boring them yerself can actuall allow you to flip and flop them for the best appearance before yu drill em for hinges. Just a further little detail to augment the rational for boring them yerself.

    My door manufacturer actually bookmatches the veneers/grain on every pair of doors, but only on the second Sunday in November after Hallowe'en, and then only on leap years. None of my clients can wait that long. The Blum Ecodrill allows a fella to take back just a little more control of the project, particularly it's final appearance , and to do so in an efficient ,  cost-effective and workmanlike fashion. Sometimes that's the best part of the whole equation. The ability to control the final product- at least somewhat.

   And on the doors I make and finish myself, well I'm far from perfect (just like my commercial suppliers), and so not boring hinges till I'm on site, lets me have just that little bit of insurance that I can manipulated imperfections to the least visible location if possible.

   and oh, BTW, my FHB editor asked me if you could do the same  things with a brace or with some other manual method. I use braces all the time, and so tried to accomodate them, and tested it. Guides were made, various configurations and other manula methods were tried, I just couldn't get it to work effectively, at least not to a minimal standard of craftsmanship/precision required and that was communicated to FHB.

   FWW, to my recollection, never adressed that issue. The experience taught me to avoid talking to boring "know it alls", and NEVER incurr expenses in the hopes of publication.

   Despite my "sly" digs, hope that helps ya. Go fer the Blum Ecodrill.

   I could not imagine anyone being either immediately unhappy with it, nor five years from now. Good tool, good investment, a " quality" tool, easy to use, easy to store, easy to keep intact, efficient, effective, only draw back is that vacuum port thing.....

   Cowtown Eric

    

1. 
   81treehouse | Aug 07, 2005 05:35am | #3

   As mentioned in my previous post, Blum is good.  I use the Ecodrill and love the simplicity, portability, and accuracy.

    

    A bad day woodworking is better than a good day working -- yes, I'm retired!

3. 
   polarsea1 | Aug 07, 2005 08:34am | #4

   The Ecodrill is the next best thing next to a minipress but if this is a one shot thing and by a lot of doors you mean 20 or so you can use the Blum Inserta jig: ~$20.00. Just set up your drill press fence with a stop 4" from the center (move it to the other side to the opposite holes) of your 35mm drill bit, set the distance from the edge of the bit to fence for whatever setback your hinge calls for. The Inserta fits snugly into the 35mm hole and aligns the dowel holes for drilling.

4. 
   notDusty | Aug 08, 2005 07:43am | #5

                    Hi Paul ,

                                  I  use  Mepla hinges and have had great service from them for the last 15 years or so , I'm happy with them . When I put one in a salesmans hand and a Blum in the other and asked him to show and explain the difference he was virtually speechless . I use a Mepla Mat boring machine that drills the insertion dowel holes at  the same time as the larger hole . You can also flip a hinge in the insertion ram and press the hinge firmly into the door . I really don't think there is much difference within these two products , they are both top quality and you could never go wrong with either . The euro hinge system is very forgiving compared to most any other cabinet hinge . IMO boring the hinges on the job has its risks as well . I pre bore before finishing , then press the hinges after finishing . The notion that you can correct mistakes more better on the job by boring them there does not hold water with me . We all make mistakes here and there , things happen , but in general the euro hinges give us the almost infinite ability to adjust and keep the doors adjusted to perfection with the turn of a pozzi drive screw .

                                      best of  luck to you       dusty

1. 
   PaulBinCT | Aug 08, 2005 02:40pm | #6

   Thanks to all who chimed in... I think the Mepla Mat may be a tadddddddd overkill for me Dusty. But I found a jig on Rockler for about 200 bucks that looks like just the ticket.

   PaulB

1. 
   notDusty | Aug 08, 2005 05:27pm | #7

                  Paul ,

                              Without us knowing if you are working on your own stuff or for hire it is hard to advise on some things . But just so you know , I believe Mepla makes a Mini press to use on the drill press . Maybe you could pickup a used one ?

                                      dusty

1. 
   PaulBinCT | Aug 08, 2005 05:59pm | #8

   Not a bad idea, I'll check Ebay...thanks!