What gap around inset doors of the average kitchen size?

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johnelliott

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When making hardwood kitchens with inset doors I usually aim for a 2mm gap all round, but am now thinking that that's a little tight, especially if I start using butt hinges instead of the 3D adjustable Blum hinges that I normally use.
Any comments?
John
 
johnelliott":1e6s90hu said:
41 views and not a single reply????????
What are you lot frightened of?
Come on, someone must have an opinion about this

John

Sorry John,

I came and had a look - but having never come up against this - simply don't have an answer

Sorry!

Adam
 
John,

I guess it depends in part on what the doors are made of. I use butt hinges for solid wood cabinets but if fitting is required, I can plane a bit off the doors (frame and panel) - can you do this with your kitchen doors? And, will they change dimensions with changes in humidity?

I would have thought that with a couple of jigs and the fact that you are presumably (?) working with a lot of standard sizes that your accuracy in fitting butt hinges should/could be high without a lot of difficulty and that 2mm is enough - I aim for around 1mm (with the caveat that I mentioned re planing).
 
Hi John.
I design 1.5mm gaps around doors that I make i.e. the door width is 3mm smaller than the frame.
The hinges I use when mortised flush give me 1.5mm on that side, so I just match it all round.
I prefer the look of as small a gap as possible.
 
John

Well it's always a bit of an adventure in my case I just make 'em to fit and creep up on the gap.

It's probably a well known tip but I'll state it anyway and that is to have the opening edge of an inset door at a bit less than 90 degrees relative to the face so you can have a really tight gap with the door closed and the trailing edge won't catch on the frame when it opens.

Roy
 
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