Cheap Tool Blues - Hinge Cutter
 

A few weeks ago I bought a cheap 35mm hinge cutter bit so that I could
install a couple of kitchen cupboard hinges. I only needed to do two. Of
course, I would never need to use it again.

Six hinges later I sincerely regret buying the cheapie. It has blunted.
The centre spike was ridiculously oversized and threatened to pierce the
other side of the door €“ a bit better after I had taken my Dremel to it.

So now I want to buy a halfway decent hinge cutter bit. Nothing fancy €“
but something that will last a few more hinges. Definitely tungsten
carbide this time.

So far, I have found:

Silverline (on eBay) from around £8-75 inc. p&p
CMT at Axminster around £30-00
Hinge Cutter TCT 35mm at Screwfix £10-99
Various Forstner bits (eBay and elsewhere)

Any advice? Recommendations?

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Cheap Tool Blues - Hinge Cutter
 

On 2008-04-12 22:51:04 +0100, Rod said:

A few weeks ago I bought a cheap 35mm hinge cutter bit so that I could
install a couple of kitchen cupboard hinges. I only needed to do two.
Of course, I would never need to use it again.

Six hinges later I sincerely regret buying the cheapie. It has blunted.
The centre spike was ridiculously oversized and threatened to pierce
the other side of the door €“ a bit better after I had taken my Dremel
to it.

So now I want to buy a halfway decent hinge cutter bit. Nothing fancy €“
but something that will last a few more hinges. Definitely tungsten
carbide this time.

So far, I have found:

Silverline (on eBay) from around £8-75 inc. p&p
CMT at Axminster around £30-00
Hinge Cutter TCT 35mm at Screwfix £10-99
Various Forstner bits (eBay and elsewhere)

Any advice? Recommendations?

The CMT one is OK and Trend has one as well. I have one of each in
different sizes.

These are specifically designed for the job and the locating spike will
not penetrate to the other side for standard door and hinge depth.
Forstner bits may be deper and have longer spikes.

Cheap Tool Blues - Hinge Cutter
 

Rod wrote:

The centre spike was ridiculously oversized and threatened to pierce the
other side of the door €“ a bit better after I had taken my Dremel to it.

Silverline (on eBay) from around £8-75 inc. p&p

Any advice? Recommendations?

Tried the silverline - same problem with the spike, much too big. I only
needed two holes, so started them both and drilled to half depth,
removed the spike on the bench grinder, and completed the holes! (threw
the bit in the bin after that).

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Cheap Tool Blues - Hinge Cutter
 

On Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:51:04 +0100
Rod wrote:

A few weeks ago I bought a cheap 35mm hinge cutter bit so that I could
install a couple of kitchen cupboard hinges. I only needed to do two. Of
course, I would never need to use it again.

Six hinges later I sincerely regret buying the cheapie. It has blunted.
The centre spike was ridiculously oversized and threatened to pierce the
other side of the door €“ a bit better after I had taken my Dremel to it.

So now I want to buy a halfway decent hinge cutter bit. Nothing fancy €“
but something that will last a few more hinges. Definitely tungsten
carbide this time.

So far, I have found:

Silverline (on eBay) from around £8-75 inc. p&p
CMT at Axminster around £30-00
Hinge Cutter TCT 35mm at Screwfix £10-99
Various Forstner bits (eBay and elsewhere)

Any advice? Recommendations?


I have the Screwfix TCT, it has done 80+ hinges (40+ doors) in MDF
without any appreciable blunting. The tip is a reasonable size, and
doesn't penetrate 18mm doors.

R.

Cheap Tool Blues - Hinge Cutter
 

TheOldFellow wrote:
On Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:51:04 +0100
Rod wrote:

A few weeks ago I bought a cheap 35mm hinge cutter bit so that I could
install a couple of kitchen cupboard hinges. I only needed to do two. Of
course, I would never need to use it again.

Six hinges later I sincerely regret buying the cheapie. It has blunted.
The centre spike was ridiculously oversized and threatened to pierce the
other side of the door €“ a bit better after I had taken my Dremel to it.

So now I want to buy a halfway decent hinge cutter bit. Nothing fancy €“
but something that will last a few more hinges. Definitely tungsten
carbide this time.

So far, I have found:

Silverline (on eBay) from around £8-75 inc. p&p
CMT at Axminster around £30-00
Hinge Cutter TCT 35mm at Screwfix £10-99
Various Forstner bits (eBay and elsewhere)

Any advice? Recommendations?


I have the Screwfix TCT, it has done 80+ hinges (40+ doors) in MDF
without any appreciable blunting. The tip is a reasonable size, and
doesn't penetrate 18mm doors.


Thanks all. It is nice to know I am not the only one seeing this
problem. Sounds like they are not application-specific bits.

Given convenience and postage charges/order size factors (i.e. Screwfix
just a few hundred yards up the road), that wins.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Cheap Tool Blues - Hinge Cutter
 

John Rumm wrote:
Rod wrote:

The centre spike was ridiculously oversized and threatened to pierce
the other side of the door - a bit better after I had taken my
Dremel to it.

Silverline (on eBay) from around £8-75 inc. p&p

Any advice? Recommendations?

Tried the silverline - same problem with the spike, much too big. I
only needed two holes, so started them both and drilled to half depth,
removed the spike on the bench grinder, and completed the holes!
(threw the bit in the bin after that).


Varies a lot Silverline stuff. I've had a lot of grief with some - basin
wrench that just didnt work, hinge templates that were so badly made as to
be unusable etc, but been very pleased with other things - deck board
installtion tool, olive puller, guide clamp.

Toolstation & Silverline seem connected in some way. Same bloke behind both
companies?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

Cheap Tool Blues - Hinge Cutter
 

In article ,
Rod writes:
A few weeks ago I bought a cheap 35mm hinge cutter bit so that I could
install a couple of kitchen cupboard hinges. I only needed to do two. Of
course, I would never need to use it again.

Six hinges later I sincerely regret buying the cheapie. It has blunted.
The centre spike was ridiculously oversized and threatened to pierce the
other side of the door €“ a bit better after I had taken my Dremel to it.

So now I want to buy a halfway decent hinge cutter bit. Nothing fancy €“
but something that will last a few more hinges. Definitely tungsten
carbide this time.

So far, I have found:

Silverline (on eBay) from around £8-75 inc. p&p
CMT at Axminster around £30-00
Hinge Cutter TCT 35mm at Screwfix £10-99
Various Forstner bits (eBay and elsewhere)

Any advice? Recommendations?

I bought one from B&Q about 5 years ago. It was quite expensive
(around £25 IIRC) but seems to be a high quality one. I don't
have it here to look at so I can't tell you the make. It's
probably done 8 - 10 doors, without noticably going blunt. The
centre point is very small.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]