Name that fitting...

[Simon89]

Hi All,

What would you call the corner fittings used in the MDF box in this ebay listing?

Thanks

 

[Agent_zed]

I can't quite see that well but I assume they are like the ones ikea use a lot, like these CAM FIXING DOWELS & CAMS FOR FURNITURE ,FLAT PACKED FURNITURE PACK OF 6 | eBay

 

[Bingy man]

Yeah same here with the photo but would assume some version of cross dowels very common In take apart furniture etc .

 

[stigg]

That mdf porta potty will need some serious end grain sealer.

 

[ChaiLatte]

This page calls them Blum KD fittings:

https://www.woodsmith.com/article/7-do-it-all-knock-down-fasteners-1-blum-kd-fittings/
Zoro call them 'knock down cam fittings'

https://www.zoro.co.uk/shop/storage...x-22mm-x-12-2mm-black-pack-of-10/p/ZT2652702S

Dimensioned drawings here:

https://www.solmer.co.uk/connectors-fittings/eccentric-connecting-fitting-knock-down-cam-lock.html

 

[baldkev]

You need a domino

 

[graham88]

What are you intending to use them for? Some of the ones mentioned here are better than others for certain applications.

 

[Simon89]

As always thanks for the response, so much info

I have just got an 8x4 CNC router so have quite a range of things planned. Which do you consider to be the better ones Graham?

 

[Pabs]

are these the cam-ish-tightener things?

edit sorry just read the entire post properly

 

[graham88]

As always thanks for the response, so much info

I have just got an 8x4 CNC router so have quite a range of things planned. Which do you consider to be the better ones Graham?

Again depends on what you want them to do. I used the aforementioned Blum and ikea style cam and dowel fittings the most when I was employed to build home office furniture. We had the blums for any panel which was visible because they have a range of colours and are quite well hidden. The ikea ones are used for anything else - structural braces inside a cabinet for example, reason, they're cheap, ugly and effective. You need to plan ahead where you will want the connectors to be as the blum has the screw on the edge of the panel and the cam on the face of the other whereas the ikea one is the other way round. Definitely advantages to having both on hand. They are both surprisingly strong against being pulled apart, but the nature of MDF/chipboard means they do create a weak point against any hinging action of the 2 boards.

The blum had the distinct advantage of being very slightly adjustable so if you're a mm or so out - not a problem. The slot on top can have a bent bit of 2mm steel inserted in it and the whole thing can be turned to move the attachment point over. Just make sure it is hammered all the way in or you risk breaking out the material, you'll also need to be careful when hammering in the blum KDs, it needs to go in straight because getting one out which has gone a bit wonky is also quite destructive. I'd typically line it up as intended while holding with thumb and forefinger and give it a meaningful whack to get the hole holding it, then remove my hand and hit it quite hard once or twice. It should end up flush with the panel surface but being a mm too deep wont hurt as the cam will pull everything in. As you turn the cam it will get tighter and then there's a sudden bump as it locks into place. They are unfortunately non removable once placed into the board, so line up all your boards prior to fitting anything. Just to mention - a white rubber mallet is the hammer I keep mentioning, it's non marking and wont damage a board unless you really, really want it to.

Looking at the other 2 types mentioned by ChaiLatte I would suggest the blum would be a better quality product, apart from the adjustability it has an angled drive head for the cam lock. Good luck getting a screwdriver into a fitting a few mm from the face of a board without being off centre or whacking your knuckles every time.

None of them are brilliant for repeated use as the parts you turn with the screwdriver are aluminium and will quickly lose their driver heads making them unusable. I'd recommend only using a manual screwdriver to tighten them up.

I believe all the hardware we used was made by either Blum or Hafele, I can almost guarantee if you got their catalogues you'd see a lot of the hardware around you. I can't really comment on costs because we would buy these things by the pallet load and I was just there to assemble things.

 

[stuart little]

Hi All,

What would you call the corner fittings used in the MDF box in this ebay listing?

Thanks

A Porta-Potti !!

 

[Simon89]

Again depends on what you want them to do. I used the aforementioned Blum and ikea style cam and dowel fittings the most when I was employed to build home office furniture. We had the blums for any panel which was visible because they have a range of colours and are quite well hidden. The ikea ones are used for anything else - structural braces inside a cabinet for example, reason, they're cheap, ugly and effective. You need to plan ahead where you will want the connectors to be as the blum has the screw on the edge of the panel and the cam on the face of the other whereas the ikea one is the other way round. Definitely advantages to having both on hand. They are both surprisingly strong against being pulled apart, but the nature of MDF/chipboard means they do create a weak point against any hinging action of the 2 boards.

The blum had the distinct advantage of being very slightly adjustable so if you're a mm or so out - not a problem. The slot on top can have a bent bit of 2mm steel inserted in it and the whole thing can be turned to move the attachment point over. Just make sure it is hammered all the way in or you risk breaking out the material, you'll also need to be careful when hammering in the blum KDs, it needs to go in straight because getting one out which has gone a bit wonky is also quite destructive. I'd typically line it up as intended while holding with thumb and forefinger and give it a meaningful whack to get the hole holding it, then remove my hand and hit it quite hard once or twice. It should end up flush with the panel surface but being a mm too deep wont hurt as the cam will pull everything in. As you turn the cam it will get tighter and then there's a sudden bump as it locks into place. They are unfortunately non removable once placed into the board, so line up all your boards prior to fitting anything. Just to mention - a white rubber mallet is the hammer I keep mentioning, it's non marking and wont damage a board unless you really, really want it to.

Looking at the other 2 types mentioned by ChaiLatte I would suggest the blum would be a better quality product, apart from the adjustability it has an angled drive head for the cam lock. Good luck getting a screwdriver into a fitting a few mm from the face of a board without being off centre or whacking your knuckles every time.

None of them are brilliant for repeated use as the parts you turn with the screwdriver are aluminium and will quickly lose their driver heads making them unusable. I'd recommend only using a manual screwdriver to tighten them up.

I believe all the hardware we used was made by either Blum or Hafele, I can almost guarantee if you got their catalogues you'd see a lot of the hardware around you. I can't really comment on costs because we would buy these things by the pallet load and I was just there to assemble things.

Thanks for your detailed reply. Lots of food for thought

 

[TRITON]

Given theres moisture involved in these things, id use a moisture resistant mdf.

 

[XTiffy]

If you look on the Hafele website you should see all of the variants of knock down fittings, including the ones in the photo.