All to often I find myself fitting 9 -12mm MDF cupboard doors with butt hinges. It would be easier to fit ready made pine doors to the MDF carcase - but that's not what the customer wants! So I find myself lining the inner door edges with batten to give purchase to the screws which seems a clumsy way of doing the job. Also -screwing often aligns between MDF and batten edge..you get the picture. Butterfly hinges are marginally easier. There must be a better way?
Right - thanks. I can see edging is the best way using a glued L-shaped profile in hard/soft wood. Not sure that screwing edge on into a 15mm cross section will give much holding power in MDF. What kind of length and type of screw would prevent splitting with flush hinges?
I'm a kitchen fitter and have just done a huge kitchen with MDF doors (some over 2 metres high!!) and the manufacturers had used good quality (blum) kitchen hinges with "fake" brass butt hinges just for show. Really looked the business
You could try cranked hinges. I have used them with 15mm mdf. But I still think you need to be using 18mm mdf as the least thickness for a door. I use butts into 25mm mdf panelled doors. Which works well.
Not sure that screwing edge on into a 15mm cross s section will give much holding power in MDF. What kind of length and type of screw would prevent splitting with flush hinges? I do it all the time in 18mm MDF, no problems. 40mm flush hinge fits an 18mm door nicely, 3.5 x 40mm screws with a pilot hole and you won't get any splitting. Use more hinges to reduce the load if you need to, or as Dunc says use cranked hinges in 15mm. Pete
Thanks guys! I plan to use 18mm MDF for the doors even if the carcase is built with 12mm MDF. The advice on types of hinge and screw is helpful. Have a great Xmas!
i normally use 9mm mdf and create a pannel type door by gluing and pinning 4" strips around edge "6 t the bottem and use kitchen hinges
If you want to fit flush hinges onto the edges of 18mm MDF, as handymanforhire says drill a good pilot hole first or it will split. After doing an initial 'screw' just to get the pilot hole threaded, I usually dip the hinge screw thread in PVA before final fitting as this 'binds' the internal rough surface of the MDF hole and helps prevent future splitting.