What types of hinges are there for glass doors in furniture: with drilling and clamping

Glass doors in cabinets create a showcase effect and look more beautiful than their chipboard counterparts. Souvenirs, dishes and books are visible when the wardrobe is closed, but accumulate dust. Hinges for glass doors are manufactured and installed taking into account the fragility of the material - their installation differs from classical facades. The fittings market is filled with several types of canopies for mirrors and stained glass windows. Let's consider the technology of mechanisms and the installation procedure.

Types of hinges for glass

All canopies are divided into two groups according to installation method. These are accessories that require drilling of the blade or are clamping devices.

You can make transparent doors in cabinets and cabinets with a solid fabric and install hinges without drilling. The second option is to enclose the glass in a metal frame made of stainless steel or aluminum and use canopies with drilling. Let's look at each type in more detail.

Glass in aluminum profile does not require drilling for hinges

With drilling

The design of the insert consists of a front cup and a counter lining. Installation requires mandatory glass drilling for fastening rotary fittings.

A decorative overlay is always attached to the front side

The inner and mating parts of the cup are fastened through the hole. Mortise fastenings are connected by simply screwing together both parts. The strike plate with the shoulder is secured with screws to the side post of the cabinet opening.

Expert opinion

Bashir Rabadanov

Technologist at the furniture company Woodband

Drill glass sheets up to 8 mm thick inclusive. Making doors from 10 mm or more glass is dangerous - their weight will be excessive for the hinges, which can be torn out of their mounting sockets in the cabinet body.

Articulated

Traditional designs of furniture hinges consist of hinges and have seals (gaskets), which we described above. Such canopies are used to secure hinged doors and are designed for a maximum load of up to 20 kg.

Overview of species

Hinges for glass doors, sashes, and pieces of furniture are divided into groups according to the features of their design, installation method, and location. The internal structure will be attached differently than the entrance one. The axial one differs markedly in the method of opening from the rotary one. Additional fittings are also important: models with a door closer imply automatic closing of the sash. All these factors must be taken into account in the classification.

By installation type

All hinged structures for glass elements are divided into those mounted without drilling - inset, as well as through, screwed into the sash. They have different operational and functional loads. In furniture production, hinge fasteners are most often used, similar to both entrance doors and hinged cabinet doors. They have special sealing gaskets and can withstand weights of up to 20 kg.

There are the following types of loops.

• Invoices. Used to tightly press glass to the end line of the cabinet. Universal and widespread.

• Semi-overhead. Necessary if the vertical load-bearing part of the structure holds hinges for 2 sashes on different sides at once. The optimal choice for multi-sectional structures.

• Mortise. Provide complete immersion into the end cavity if necessary. Convenient in wardrobe areas with hinged doors.

• Inserts with through fastening. In this case, the glass is drilled through and clamped with screws.

• Angular. Needed for fastening doors not at right angles in cabinets that are complex in design.

• Adit. Required in corner furniture structures with false side panels. The hinge has a maximum bend of the lever, which makes it convenient to use with a significant thickness of the support.

In addition, there are canopies created specifically for heavy suspended glass structures. They provide opening in different planes and do not spoil the appearance of the product.

By purpose

Here the classification is extremely simple: hinges can be furniture or interior. For example, large-format fittings designed to weigh from 20 kg are installed on a glass door in a store, shopping center, bathroom or sauna. Hinges for the glass facade of furniture, for the door of a cabinet or display case will be more compact. They are designed for glass thickness up to 10 mm and a load of no more than 20 kg.

Built-in door closers

Glass is a fragile material. It is important that the doors close quietly and without knocking, otherwise the door may crack upon impact. Closers come to the rescue.

Door closer Blumotion 973-A

They can be built-in or independent. The price for such models is more expensive than classic ones. But you will be confident in the safety of fragile doors.

The closer is a spring or an oil shock absorber. Sometimes the mechanisms are filled with gas. If you decide to equip your glass doors with a shock-absorbing system yourself, you can do this in two ways: hang hinges with built-in closers or install stand-alone devices.

In Hafele, Resident and Leroy Merlin stores you will find glass hinges with built-in closers. Cheap Chinese companies build them into the hinge arm. Expensive fittings (Dorma, Blum) are equipped with closers in the seating cups of the hinges.

If you have already hung glass doors in your closet, then you do not need to change the hinges, just attach the autonomous closers to the screws. The pusher should protrude almost completely beyond the cabinet opening. The thrust piston should not prevent the door from closing completely.

Leveling and Adjustment

When it is necessary to adjust the cabinet doors and strengthen them, which may be necessary due to the door falling off during a move, then performing these manipulations is not very difficult if you know how to do it correctly.

The first thing to do is to understand this problem. Only then can you proceed to troubleshooting the problems that have arisen. Most often, everything is solved by adjusting the hinges. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the angle at which the cabinet door opens.

When the hinge begins to pull, a malfunction occurs when closing the door. This problem can also occur if piano hinges were used to secure the glass door. In this case, the fastening of the disc joint must be done precisely. A furniture hinge should be attached to the inside side of the cabinet.

Tools and materials

To perform fastening efficiently, you need the following:

• furniture hinge with dimensions;
• ring drill with a pointed tip;
• mounting plate;
• screws.

Adjustment procedure

tip of an annular drill is used as a central guide . In addition, you must use knives. They make adjustments to the dish-shaped hole. The exact diameter of the poppet joint is usually 35 cm. Therefore, first of all, you need to take care of purchasing an annular drill. Only with its help can high precision and uniformity of milling be ensured.

Before moving on to the active phase of aligning the cabinet door, it is necessary to determine its exact location. Small slots should be provided at the top and bottom of the door. They are necessary so that the door can open and close freely without any restrictions. If templates are available, holes for screws are marked. Next, you need to drill a dish-shaped hole to the required depth. After this, the mounting plate is attached. Once the door is aligned, you can screw in the screws themselves.

How to choose glass hinges

Important factors to consider when purchasing a glass door pivot kit:

• maximum door opening angle:
• sash thickness and dimensions;
• weight of the glass sheet (and decorative decorations);
• appearance of the front part of the loop;
• complexity of installation (with and without drilling).

Don't skimp on accessories. Buy models from well-known manufacturers with built-in door closers.

MDM-Komplekt is an Italian company that has been supplying high-quality furniture fittings to Russia for many years.

Meroni Francesco has in its assortment authentic, exclusive and expensive models of glass hinges.

Dorma Russia is a leading supplier of door hardware in Russia, including glass door fastening systems, which are distinguished by their exquisite design and high reliability.

The Titan furniture company has its own distribution network, which sells a lot of glass accessories from leading manufacturers in Europe and Asia.

How to install glass shelf supports

Glass shelves require extreme care not only during use, but also during installation. The glass shelf holder must have a high safety margin and the ability to be attached without damaging the surface. What factors are used to select such fittings and how to install a shelf using it yourself, read on.

Holders for glass shelves

Popular models

In Russia, there is a large selection of furniture hinges for glass on the furniture fittings market. We have compiled an overview of the most popular models from well-known manufacturers in the form of a table:

Drilling installation

To install a glass door with holes, overhead, semi-overlay and inset hinges are used. They come with landing cups with a diameter of 26 and 35 mm. The distance between the edge of the hole and the edge of the glass is 4 – 8 mm. You will need to make 2 holes in the glass sheet.

The action plan is as follows:

1. Make markings for installing hinges on the canvas and cabinet body. Remember that the holes for installing the cup should be located somewhere ten to twelve centimeters from the top and bottom of the glass; on the sides they should recede somewhere between three and five millimeters. The diameter of the hole is equal to the cup of the loop.
2. Drill holes according to the markings using a drill with a special cutter with a diamond attachment under running water. If you are unable to do this yourself, order such work to be performed in a workshop by a qualified worker with special equipment.
3. Insert the hinge cup into the slot from the back side of the facade.
4. Place the counter part on top of the cup, tighten both parts with screws, which should be included in the hinge kit. If they are not there, contact the store where you bought the accessories and report the shortage.
5. Make a mark on the cabinet body to install the hinge arm by leaning the glass against the installation site and marking the fastening points with a pencil or thin marker.
6. Drill holes according to the markings with a drill.
7. Attach the arm to the cabinet stand in the traditional way - with screws.
8. Adjust the loop with special bolts located on the body.
9. Cover the finished connection with a decorative cover.

Installation of furniture hinges on a glass door

Attaching hinges to a glass door has the following features:

• Doors are heavy, so you will probably need a helper.
• You must accurately calculate the size, because it will no longer be possible to fit the glass sheet.
• The doors are made of toughened, durable glass, but it can still be damaged if handled carelessly.

Installation of hinges on a glass door

Well, now - let's get to work! For this you will need: hinges, tape measure, building level, screwdriver, marker, drill with carbide drills if you are installing a door with drilling.

If, however, for greater reliability you decide to use the latter method, then the sequence of the operation will be as follows:

• Mark the fabric for the loops.
• Degrease the drilling area.
• Prepare turpentine; it will need to be dripped onto the glass while drilling. You can make a plasticine bath around the drilling site and pour turpentine into it.
• Drill at minimum speed, drills must match the size exactly.

Glass door hinges with drilling

All work must be performed with maximum precision; it will be impossible to fix anything or replace the hinges. Once you have made the hole, you secure the hinges in them using bolts.

Folding glass furniture fronts

Attaching hinges without drilling is much easier. To do this you need:

• Mark the installation location for the hinges.
• Insert the door leaf into the hinge.
• Reinstall the door with hinges.

Don't forget to install the seal inside the groove. Now the door needs to be adjusted so that it is not warped and opens and closes without effort.

Installation of stop hinges without drilling

Use end loops here. The procedure is as follows:

1. Drill holes for pins in the bottom and top of the cabinet frame. They must be exactly above each other and at the same distance from the wall!
2. Install hinges in the corners of the opening.
3. Place protective pads in the grooves.
4. Insert the corners of the glass into the grooves of the hinges and clamp them with the clamping bar and screws until they stop.
5. Make sure everything is level and secure.
6. Install decorative elements if they are provided by the manufacturer.

Installation of clamping loops without drilling

When installing a hinge with a clip under glass, proceed in the following order:

1. Select a location for installation. The hinges should be located at a distance of approximately five to seven centimeters from the top and edge of the glass, respectively.
2. Make a mark on the surface on which you will hang the door. Pay attention to the locations of fasteners!
3. Drill holes in the housing, take a screwdriver or screwdriver and attach one part of the hinge.
4. Insert the glass sheet into the clamp and adjust the position of the door relative to the cabinet body.
5. Secure the glass. For such precise work, use hand tools. A cordless screwdriver may slip and damage the fragile surface.
6. If necessary, install decorative trims.

Between the glass and the metal there should be spacers made of plastic, rubber or glue to protect against possible damage. Fix the glass sheet carefully; the clamping bolts should not be overtightened.

What determines the choice of hinges for glass facades?

Essentially there are two options:

• Install regular glass or mirror as doors. First, you need to grind the edge around the perimeter of the glass. In order to avoid injury from the edge during installation and further operation. Sanding gives a matte finish but costs less. Polishing the end of the glass is more expensive, but it also looks more beautiful and presentable. For hinged facades, glass/mirrors with a thickness of 4-6mm are used.
• Frame the glass. A frame facade with glass looks better and is more practical to use. The frame can be solid (for example, made of MDF) or prefabricated. If the frame facade under glass is assembled from laminated chipboard, MDF or solid wood, then ordinary furniture hinges are installed on it - overhead, semi-overlay, internal, corner, etc. A frame façade with glazing can be assembled from an aluminum profile. Your own specific furniture hinges are installed on the aluminum frame, with fastener adapters for wide and narrow profiles. Hinges are also divided into types (overhead, inset, semi-overhead, etc.), depending on the design of the box.

Adjustment

You can adjust the hinges as follows:

1. The central screw on the shoulder is “responsible” for the position of the blade in its plane. Turning it left or right, install the door exactly with the edges of the opening.
2. The end screw is installed in the shoulder slot. By loosening the fastening, achieve even gaps between the door and the perimeter of the opening. After adjustment, be sure to tighten the screw back.
3. Using the screws of the trim strip on the opening post, move the door vertically.
4. Using special pads under the hinge arms, you can set the desired door opening angle.

The end hinges with the location of the support sockets in the horizontal panels of the opening are not adjustable. Therefore, when drilling seats, you need to be very careful and avoid miscalculations.