Kreg KHI Concealed Hinge Jig, Blue

Product Information

For setting up to route hinges on a single door an inexpensive template is often all most DIY’ers will need. The Concealed Hinge Jig takes the guesswork out of installing cabinet doors using concealed hinges. This economical, easy-to-use jig ensures accurate hinge alignment, so you can install doors that fit great and work well. Plus, the Concealed Hinge Jig works with an ordinary drill and the included carbide tipped bit.

A cabinet knob jig is a plastic sheet with pre-drilled holes for the most popular knob and handle spacing.Kreg, one of the world’s leading jig makers, does not disappoint with this high-quality precision cabinet door hinge jig. It is made from tough glass-filled nylon and designed to cut holes for standard 35mm cabinet hinges (often called Euro hinges). The jig can flex if too much pressure is applied when routing, so care is needed. Unfortunately, the included router bit is not very good and soon loses sharpness. Those with numerous doors to hang may wish to invest in a better cutter.

Fixed jigs that are initially appealing due to price and the ability to skip measurements. But that makes it less flexible and accurate for perfectly centering your holes. Guarantees precise hinge alignment every time, eliminating guesswork when installing 35mm concealed hinges to cabinet doors. Indexing stops set the bit 3mm, 4mm, 5mm or 6mm from the edge of the door, to suit all popular concealed hinge types. The Concealed Hinge Jig allows you to drill cup holes for concealed cabinet door hinges (sometimes called "Euro hinges") using just a drill. The jig positions an included carbide-tipped bit exactly at the proper position and offset, and drills to the perfect depth every time thanks to a depth stop collar. The jig is simple to use, and it ensures that you can mount cabinet doors that fit great and work properly.

For projects with standard sized doors and drawers a simple template will eliminate most measuring mistakes. But first, let’s understand the three general types of cabinet hardware jigs and their construction:

A router bit is required with full-size door hinge jigs, and one is often included. Shank size will be either ¼ inch or ½ inch. Neither is better than the other, but the size will determine the kind of router used. Some ½-inch routers include a ¼-inch collet as an option, whereas ¼-inch routers cannot use ½-inch bits. The Milescraft jig will fit 1⅜- and 1¾-inch doors as well as hinges from 2½ to 4½ inches, in ½-inch increments. With the main frame and templates, there are nine pieces in the kit. While this can seem confusing at first, each template is marked with the appropriate size or function. In addition to the 35mm offset cams, a pair of 26mm cams is also provided. These allow the BI-DTool jig to be used for smaller hinges, though the required cutter is not included. Unlike the Kreg, there is no scale on the edge to help with alignment. Additional clamps are required to hold the jig in position, but that’s typical of this kind of jig. A 1/16-inch drill is provided for retaining screw holes, though care is needed as this can easily cut into the plastic guides on the jig, thus reducing their accuracy. Finally, for both drawer and doors, set the stop to the appropriate depth (middle of the door stile, center of the drawer front)

It is easy to be critical, but for a one-off job, or for someone who has a pillar drill to set depth, the Everbilt does the job at a fraction of the price of most competitors.

Clamp-on jigs like the Kreg and a dozen other varieties of mostly fixed-hole jigs. While these jigs are suitable for smaller projects, getting that perfect 31/64 alignment that is surprisingly required on highly symmetrical installations is more challenging. Plastic jigs with pre-drilled holes and no adjustment might not allow you to precisely center the holes on your workpiece.

Resources for builders

Cabinet door hinge jigs are simply held to the inside of the door using any convenient woodworking clamps. Ratcheting types are convenient because they are easy to use one-handed. Two clamps should be employed, one either side of the cutter guide, to ensure that the jig can’t twist.