Carpentry and Woodworking - replace kitchen cabinet hinges

I want to replace the old hinges on my cabinets (which are mounted on the outside of frame) with new, "hidden" hinges; which ones are best, and do all of them require a router? :)

I'm a little partial to the Blum, aka European or cup hinges. Like these:

http://www.rockler.com/search_results.cfm?r=Brand&c=Blum&ResultsPerPage=11&fp=All+Products%2F%2F%2F%2FHardware%2F%2F%2F%2FHinges

No router required, only a large Forstner bit to bore the big hole; size of bit varies depending on the hinge. These hinges have some limitations depending on the design/style of your doors & cabinets.

To expand on tow_guy's advice. You will need access to a drill press. The holes have to be at precise depth and at a specific distance from the edge of the door. Good luck with your project.

A drill press is handy, but not absolutely necessary. One of the advantages of using a Forstner bit to drill the holes is that the design of the bit helps to keep the hole straight and the pilot helps getting the bit started in the right spot. If you aren't using a drill press, be sure to use a drill stop set to the correct depth. Practice on scrap until you have the right setup.

Installing Eoro style hinges is actually easier than it looks. Make a template for the door layout (the hinges will come with dimensional instructions) and drill the doors. Attaching the hinges to the face frame is easy once they are fastened to the door.

CW,

Could you post a picture of a drill stop for a Forstner drill bit?

If drilling by hand, you'll want something like Rocker's concealed hinge JIG IT system.

http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/31077a-md.jpg

image credit: rockler

Your doors have to be a specific thickness to even work with these types of hinges. If the door is too thin, it just won't work. Also, if your doors currently have 3/8" offset hinges, I'm not sure concealed hinges will work.

CW,

Could you post a picture of a drill stop for a Forstner drill bit?

I use a strip of masking tape. "Stop" was probably not the right word.