I’ve been working on a cabinet to conceal a flat screen TV. The client wants concealed doors. Due to the shallownes of the cabinet, a pair of bifold doors appear to be the order of the day. In looking at the information I could dredge up on the door slides, Euro-style (Blum) hinges seem to be required or at least strongly recommended.
As you know, the Euro-style hinges aren’t flush on the back. In the case of the bifold door, either the panel nearest the centerline of the case will have to be narrower–I’m guessing by about 1 7/8″ or that panel won’t be able to swing back to 180° which will mean the case has to be wider by a bit more than the thickness of the exposed part of the hinge.
Does anyone have experience with making doors of this sort? What about using hinges with a long leaf and a short one? These could be placed in a shallow mortise in the back of the door and would allow the other half of the door to swing the full 180°. This might require a we bit more clearance between the door and the cabinet. Still, I’m thinking it could work.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Replies
I don't understand. You talk about bifold doors, but then also talk about door slides. What are the slides for?
For concealed hinges that can swing 180 degrees, check out Soss hinges. http://www.soss.com/
Hi Jamie, sorry I wasn't clear enough. For the slides, take a look at this link. As I tried to say, the cabinet isn't going to be deep enough for a single door panel that is half the width of the opening to slide back completely into the cabinet when open. That was the reason for going with bifold doors.
Dave,
I built a similar cabinet a while back. While I used the Euro-type hinges at the corner of the case, with the sliding hardware, I used simple butt hinges, inlet into the edges of the doors where they met (at the fold).
I simply allowed enough room in the "pocket" they slid into, for the add'l room required by the Euro hinges, the second door, and the pull on the door. You could allow the doors to fold flat together by making one half of the bifold narrower (by the width of the Euro hinge), but to my eyes, this would look funny when the doors are closed. The add'l width required in the case to accomodate the doors and hardware, wasn't an issue for me, fortunately.
Ray
Hi Dave ,
It sounds like what you are asking about is bi fold pocket doors ?
If that is the case you use Euro hinges on the door that attaches to the sliding hardware but usually a butt hinge between the bifolding doors.
Most flipper door hardware requires about 4 1/2" - 5" clearance behind the door , so if your cabinet is 24" deep 19" would be amount the door can recess.
If you just leave extra clearance , which imo you should when the doors are in they won't actually be tight and touching in the very back which you really don't see much from the front but they will work .
I have used tambour doors horizontally and vertically when the flippers just wouldn't work out , the cost is about the same .
good luck dusty
Sorry, guys. Evidently I didn't explain myself well at all. The two door panels would be joined with butt hinges. It is door panel that attaches to the sliding hardware that I'm thinking about.
I don't like the idea of having two different door panel widths but I would rather not have to increase the width of the cabinet to make allow for the additional thickness of the Euro hinge.
Edit: David, thank you. I got pulled away while writing my message and didn't see yours before sending.
Your idea sounds like the best. I'll see if I can work that out.
Edited 3/19/2008 1:30 pm ET by DaveRichards
Dave , Do you mean frame or do you speak of panel , to hinge and hinge ?
Would your doors have a frame on all edges ?
Maybe you could get creative on the face of the doors and make some kind of right and left pattern , and make the center pair a wee bit narrower.
dusty , trying to help
Sorry, the doors would be frame and panel doors hinged together with mortised butt hinges.
I made a quick and dirty sketch of what I want to have happen. The problem is that using the Euro-style hinges won't allow the doors to fold together completely but that's what I want them to do.
The flat part of the euro hinge only protrudes into the door by about a 1/2" or so and on an angle at that , perhaps you could cut an angled notch of sorts .
dusty
Dave,
The advice you got so far is right on. I would also use the Euro set at the corners, and butt or piano hinges on the second wing of the doors. You're quite right about the clearance needed in the rear, but you can get around the asymmetrical look of the doors in the following way:
Make all the doors equal in width, but add a "stile" to the edge of the outer ones which will give you the extra inches you need for the hardware in back. When all is closed you'll have 4 seemingly equal doors with 2 fake stiles between them.
Also, don't forget to think about where the pulls will need to be and plan for them in the pocket width.
David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled