Kreg Concealed Hinge Jig Review and Setup Tips

[@bridwell34235]

Helpful. One item for those that may need to make 35mm holes LESS than 1/2 inch depth (i.e. my hinges required 7/16). Just slip one or more half inch washers over the large portion of the shaft between the jig and stop. I used just one and the hinges fit perfectly.

[@DoresoomReviews]

Great tip!

[@DrJamesT]

Damn good tip, The scrap wood suggestion wasn't clear to me. You have to do math to subtract the scrap wood thickness and the collar.

[@bighands69]

@@DrJamesT A couple of tests pieces would help you dial it in. And when you do it several times it will allow you to feel like an expert with it.

[@levkarpets3329]

Larry Bridwell thanks

[@somrtony]

In a pinch you can also mark the depth with electrical tape.

[@bobfardy422]

Great explanation/demo! The wonderful thing about KZbin is being able to access this info despite it being posted 6 years ago! I just bought this jig and am creating my first set of shaker style doors with concealed hinges. I thoroughly appreciate creators who "get to the point" instead of lengthy and unrelated pre-amble.

[@randyriley3860]

Thanks. I found the hinge instructions to be very daunting to decipher. Looks like you got your hinge from HD (Liberty Hardware), identical to my instruction sheet. You nailed it and saved me a ton of time and probably prevented me from ruining the doors I built. Great job!

[@DoresoomReviews]

Glad it helped!

[@michaelroach3131]

I had no idea how to install euro hinges. I used this jig and they installed perfectly.

[@zbal1054]

Great video. I just purchased one and used it on 4 doors. Worked okay. Not a bad jig for a DIY’er (as you mentioned). However, I found that there was a little too much play in the 1/16” guides for the screws to get consistent hole locations. You really have to be ultra careful to stay at 90 degrees. Because of the play, it’s easy to be slightly off. (And I agree, metal inserts would be nice from a durability perspective). All in all though, not bad for $30. You can pay a lot more for other jigs elsewhere.

[@meliss9536]

Thank you. My cabinet doors were off for over a year. Bought a little outdated house alone in 2021 and the hinges on the kitchen cabinet doors were the wrong kind, with slits in the doors for the hinges to go through! I started putting them back on today (my dad refinished them and patched the slots).

[@meliss9536]

I didn’t want to pay a handyman a ton of money and no cabinet stores will do it if not theirs.

[@brianmorris8045]

Great jig.. can't fault it for what I needed. Had to make a new door for the kitchen cupboard...did the job in no time at all. Others may differ and buy different tools, but I love it.

[@kenerickson4923]

One thing I like about the jig is the alignment marks on the edge. Just align jig to the top and bottom of the door with your desired distance from the ends of the stile. No measuring and marking required. If you want hinges farther away, then just put a spacer block past the end of the jig. However, if you have 3 or more hinges, then you do need to measure location as you showed.

[@noyesharrigan6217]

Great explanation of things that aren’t really covered in the Kreg instructions.

[@robertjohnston472]

Thanks for explaining this Kreg jig. The demonstration was in detail and very helpful. Following from Sydney Australia.

[@dwarden3]

I made a jig for my plunge router and a scrap piece of trim after I watched your video. Thanks!

[@DoresoomReviews]

Great idea!

[@harryjansen6789]

I used the kreg system the first time today, 9 cabinet doors in 3 hrs, not including paint, love it,

[@tufankilinc636]

Thank you! Another improvement I would like to see on this cool little jig is 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, etc... distance adjuster that you dial in with the screw driver. You got a new sub.

[@hysellplay]

Great video - extremely clear explanations. This jig made redoing my cabinets 100x easier.

[@5thpixel]

great video. i'm glad i bought the milescraft jig instead. this kreg seems to fall short on several key components...plus, it's about $10 cheaper.

[@marroco94]

Excellent video friend, I'm not a carpenter but your ideas and info help me a lot, Thanks so much. I'm writing from London Ontario Canada

[@DoresoomReviews]

Glad I could help!

[@brandonmorris6516]

This is exactly the review and demonstration I need for an upcoming job . Very helpful!

[@pastormikewv]

Great content - easy to follow and clear direction. First time user of this product and thx to you it went off without a hitch!!

[@larryelliott5470]

great presentation. Straight forward and to the point. Only have the occasional need but you’ve convinced of the tool to buy.

[@captaincrypto9660]

I used this on my cabinet job today at home. You mentioned it clogs with shavings after each drill. I found once you unlock from jig if you run drill and hold the plastic piece it will spin and throw out all shavings. Just thought I would share. Great video. Very helpful.

[@DoresoomReviews]

Good tip!

[@berk7888]

Good job. Helped me a lot. Well done on your presentation. You should give a class to these tubers on how to give presentations. You broke it down as we use to say in the military “Barney style”

[@DoresoomReviews]

Glad I could help!

[@HobbyOrganist]

Could just use a 1/16" center punch to put a dimple in the wood under the 2 holes and drill them after you remove the jig. I've drilled the pilot holes before the main one so I can just remove the whole jig and get rid og the shavings easier too

[@DoresoomReviews]

Great idea!

[@PurpleWhirple]

Sent mine back a day after purchase. I initially thought it was quite good, then realised that every hole had pulled a few mm to the left. I had the jig firmly clamped down, so it hadn't moved. The bush for the drill is made of plastic and it's so sloppy that it pulls over to one side as you drill. Might get you out of a jam occasionally but I wouldn't use it for any serious work. Back to the router and home made jig for me, dusty but accurate.

[@HadiBalhareth]

what a great explanation. Thanks Man I just got my new Kreg jig and this video helps me a lot

[@kenerickson4923]

I found that not drilling the main hole in one pass works best. Drill part way, pull up to clear chips, then finish drilling hole. I did my 1st test cut by not clearing chips, and it made it difficult to unclog the chips.

[@PhatBoyiee]

Best video i have seen! Its even better than the Kreg video. Great job very clear!

[@RedethMusic]

Thanks for the review. I'm making my first cabinet/rolling kitchen island and I'll be at this step very soon. Appreciate the video!

[@marklingard6048]

Agreed re seeing the brass inserts... I've bought lots of Kreg jigs in the past and to be honest, with this one I feel the quality has gone down quite a bit. It works ok, but I noticed quite a bit if wobble in the main bit that was never a problem before. I would also like to see built in clamps rather than having to add loose clamps... Too time consuming. Let's face it, you're never doing two holes at a time. Also a vacuum port would be handy as it does clig A LOT!!!

[@jamalama5548]

I just bought a Freud bit and it fits perfectly. The Kreg bit I’d not very durable. Dulled pretty quickly.

[@DoresoomReviews]

Good to know!

[@deep-woodsoutdoors9459]

Hi There Nathan, this is Shelton Brower (Shane's son) This is a nice channel you got going on here! You have way more subscribers( and tools come to think of it) than I do LOL.I post mostly hunting videos myself, but I will be sure to follow your videos. Take it easy, God Bless!

[@DoresoomReviews]

Hey Shelton, keep up the hard work! I hit 1,000 subscribers at the end of last April, and it's taken off from there. You're already well on your way!

[@jeffreygomez7360]

THANK U, finally a tutorial I can understand,

[@raywright2401]

If you have a non standard screw hole distance. Just drill the 35mm hole first then lay the hinge inside and use a self-centering drill bit which puts the hole right in the center of the hinge screw hole.

[@DoresoomReviews]

Great tip!

[@Ohsage1111]

Great vid. Thanks for the info 🙏👍 Just a little tip. Try to reduce the number of times you say "Uh" and "Uhm"

[@DoresoomReviews]

Thanks for the feedback! I've gotten a lot better about that in the past few years. 😄

[@lawdog516]

You really make helpful videos, thanks for taking the time to do them

[@mremmob]

Nice review, but how about a vacuum @7:25 instead of blowing al the dust around the work area

[@sassike27]

I use 10,8 V Makita and had no stalling problems

[@elwood212]

EXCELLENT how to review. Thank you Sir 🙏🇦🇺

[@gsweater9172]

A quick way to tighten up the stop collar is attach your drill, hold the blade by hand and turn the drill on.

[@DoresoomReviews]

😬

[@ravenmooore]

Hello! nice guide! anyone know a video on how to install the hinge part on the cabinet side? :D This guide did the door side great!

[@ilantwito]

I agree. The cabinet side holes must be straight in front on the door hole. So how do you do it??

[@dalemarcum7655]

If you dont want to use the 1/16 bit guide holes you could always use a vix bit to center your hole without distorting the Kreg jig

[@DoresoomReviews]

That's a good point!

[@johnawhiting]

Thank you, installing some Blum hinges. first time. instruction was well received.

[@cumminsdiesel7241]

How did the installation go? Did everything work out well? Going to do the same install over the next few weeks

[@martyjosephson4937]

Another improvement could be the drill bushings for the 1/16 holes and some locating holes for the cabinet part of the hinge with drill bushings.

[@crookidk]

Thank you for this timely review. I am about to use mine that I recently purchased.

[@jimgeorge6220]

Have one myself. Great tool. However, one of the carbides broke off the Forstner bit after only the twentieth pocket drilled. Still worked for the last four pockets but made a lot of dust rather than shavings.

[@DoresoomReviews]

I think if that happened to me I'd return it or contact Kreg for a warranty replacement. Hopefully they made it right for you.

[@RCPoliComm]

My hinge instructions say 1/8 TO 1/4 inch from the edge of the door. So, I'm not really sure what to make of that. I guess maybe I'll experiment with a few pieces of scrap. (They are full overlay hinges, if that matters.)

[@DoresoomReviews]

That's weird, I've never seen that on a hinge specification. Maybe I just haven't worked with enough different types though. Testing on scrap sounds like an excellent idea!

[@acedylan]

Good video. Thanks, I needed a review before tackling some cabinet doors.

[@simpleart4u]

Thank you so much, that was really helpful, simple, and easy explanation.

[@donaldschlosser6964]

Drill the small holes for the screws first then don't have to worry about cleaning it off.

[@DoresoomReviews]

Good idea!

[@kenerickson4923]

The cost of the jig with bit isn't much more than a 35mm bit by itself. I'm assuming Kreg will offer replacement bits at some point. They do sell pocket hole bits individually, so these may be available too.

[@DoresoomReviews]

They do sell replacement 35mm forstner bits: amzn.to/3tLef0m

[@drewdevun]

Very helpful. Thank you. You did a great job.

[@oakfever]

So incredibly helpful. Thank you!!!

[@CharlieMoore]

Thank you for a great easy to understand video!!

[@MrRexkinger]

Thank you, fantastic review and how-to video.....

[@LiloUkulele]

if i want to decrease the door overlay on the hinge side (by 1/8") would I use an 1/8" spacer between the jig and and the edge of the door?...I already have the jig set at the minimum edge distance (#3 on the jig). Thanks for a clear concise review!

[@DoresoomReviews]

The door overlay is generally a property of the hinge, not something that can be changed by deviating from the manufacturer's installation instructions. Doing so can cause clearance problems between the door and the cabinet. However, since you're trying to decrease the overlay it might be ok to do in this case. I think your plan of a 1/8" spacer is the best solution if you decided to go that route.

[@emilianoraps1170]

Great video! Thank you for your clear communication!

[@martyjosephson4937]

It is a very cool jig but missing some concerns

[@shadowsruss9106]

Very nice. Dumb question, what about the other part of the hinge (the one that attaches to the cabinet)? Is it obvious how to install that part?

[@DoresoomReviews]

Not a dumb question at all! If you have face frame cabinets, it's really easy. After installing the hinges on the door, just shim the door to the height you want it on the cabinets. Then leave it open and pilot drill then screw the hinges to the right height on the face frame. They should reference off the corner of the face frame for left/right and front/back, so you really only have to worry about height.

[@jimmyinglish2669]

Absolutely awesome video! Thank you sir and God bless you

[@JacobHumbach]

Awesome vid and great tips. Thank you!

[@twes619]

In your scenario with the required 20.5mm recommended from the door to the center of your wood, what setting did you put the jig at? 3,4,5,6? I noticed you found the middle of the door and drilled but with the overlay, did that rub when opening the door? Thanks. New subscriber here.

[@DoresoomReviews]

The 20.5mm specification for my hinges is from the edge of the door to the center of the 35mm hinge cup, not the center of the door stile. I put it at 3mm, since 20.5 - (35/2) = 3. I didn't have any rubbing when opening or closing the door - that offset amount is driven by the required clearance for the door overlay.

[@twes619]

@@DoresoomReviews omg thank you! I watched your explanation again and a light bulb regarding mm and offset finally went off on my head! I'm going to be drilling 17 holes over the next 3 days for my new doors I'm building (finally completed 1 last night) but wanted to triple check to ensure I didn't use the won't setting on the jig. Thanks again!

[@DoresoomReviews]

Yep, just make sure you check your hinge's specific installation dimensions and adjust the jig from there.

[@Turk380]

do your screw holes actually line up with the holes on the hinge? I've seen other reviews where lots of people are complaining that the small mounting holes don't ever line up properly with the hinge.

[@DoresoomReviews]

They lined up with mine. Depends on the hinge.

[@Turk380]

@@DoresoomReviews thanks! I can't find it now but it was another review that led me to yours.. the reviewer and a bunch of commentors said they didn't line up right with any hinge they tried! weird..

[@haroldkahl4610]

You don't need to use those screw holes on the jig. It's just as easy to use the holes in the hinges and a self centering drill bit. When you have set both hinges in the door, put a straight edge against hinges to get them aligned properly, then drill the screw holes..

[@richardschipper5989]

I agree, they not line up if using Blum hinges

[@ElCidPhysics90]

Great video

[@Robert8455]

Good info but what about the the template for the cabinet side mounting plate?

[@DoresoomReviews]

This jig doesn't cover that part of the process, just the 35mm holes on the door.

[@RobertsAdventure]

Nice in depth review of this jig! What's that little Ryobi blower you use to clean out the shavings?

[@DoresoomReviews]

It's the P738 High Volume Inflator: homedepot.sjv.io/YvAXq I reviewed it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXzLp6apg8ebisU

[@Paftastic]

Very helpful overview. Thanks!

[@richardcurtis3956]

Best video on the Kreg hing jig. Thanks. I just orderd one, but I am having problems finding 35mm inset hinges with 45mm screw placement. I found one with 48mm. You think it would work?

[@DoresoomReviews]

I think it will work, but I just wouldn't use the jig for the mounting screws. I'd use it for the 35mm recess, and then place the hinge in it, make sure it's parallel with the door frame, and then drill right through the hinge holes as a guide for the pilot holes. A self centering drill bit would make it easier, but shouldn't be necessary.

[@richardcurtis3956]

@@DoresoomReviews Thanks. Most of the hinges I am finding all have 48mm so I guess I will go with it as you suggested.

[@lofadem]

Best explanation I found on this jig thanks 👍

[@JamesElledgejameselledge]

How do you install the other part of the hinge that mounts to the cabinet carcass?

[@DoresoomReviews]

If you have face frames, there's only one degree of freedom for the hinges on the cabinet side. Just measure the height and line them up. Or if you really want a jig, Kreg recently released one: amzn.to/497ZOGX

[@BrandonContracting]

Hmm I just drilled 8 hinge holes in solid maple doors with my M12 gen 2 drill.. weird that your gen 1 was cutting out.

[@DoresoomReviews]

The Gen 2 has more torque - not on paper, but in practice.

[@vinhle3272]

Hi. My cabinet box is 3/4" thick instead of 5/8" regular cabinet box. Do I need to add 1/8" or 3mm more on top of 3mm offset from the door edge for conceal hinge?

[@DoresoomReviews]

The door overlay is generally a property of the hinge, not something that can be changed by deviating from the manufacturer's installation instructions. Doing so can cause clearance problems between the door and the cabinet when you open it. Here's a good guide to concealed hinges: www.wwhardware.com/concealed-hinge-buying-guide/

[@HobbyOrganist]

I got mine for $29, but I find the bit isnt really that sharp and I have to really push to get it to cut, but since I only have 8 hinges to do it won't matter much

[@elvishuff1267]

Good video! Great explanation

[@Jadeish01]

Super helpful, thank you!

[@A35pickuptruck]

What about the other half of the hnge how do you set it up to match door side?????

[@DoresoomReviews]

You don't need a jig for that part. If you're doing face frame cabinets, just set the door at the height you want, clamp a support block under it, then open up the door and screw the hinges in. The only real degree of freedom is the door height, which the support block will constrain.

[@A35pickuptruck]

@@DoresoomReviews Ok I understand that now Thanks for explaining .

[@mechalchuk]

So... this jig doesn't align the holes for the inside cabinet side of the hinge? Does Kreg even sell such a jig? The Milescraft version of this comes with one the attaches to the back of the concealed hinge jig for convenient storage. It also has a wider range of offset adjustment on the 'cams', and costs less.

[@DoresoomReviews]

You don't really need an alignment jig for installing the hinge to the cabinet if you're working with face frame cabinets. The only dimension you need to worry about is vertical door placement, which is easy to manage. So for most cases you won't really need the Milescraft secondary jig. But it does look like that model has some nice improvements like end stops and metal pilot hole guides.

[@mechalchuk]

@@DoresoomReviews you still need to set how far into the cabinet the hinge will be screwed, don't you. This jig aligns those holes at the depth. Not a big deal, but it is included. Yes, you can mark out the height and depth to pre-drill the holes, but you could do the same on the doors without a jig too. I feel it would be helpful for someone who hasn't done doors before, such as myself prior to purchasing one of these. For less money, you get a lot as you pointed out. Metal bushings for pilot holes AND the 35mm bit, wider span of offset, end stops and the secondary jig for cabinet install. I'm not sure what the bushing diameter is for their bit, but there have been complaints the Kreg uses a non-standard bit size to force the user into buying their bits to use in their jig. You may or may not have brought this up in the video also, I don't recall. Either way, I appreciate your review of this product as it ultimately led me to make an informed decision on a jig for my garage cabinet product :)

[@DoresoomReviews]

If you're doing face frame cabinets, the depth doesn't matter, since the hinge just butts up to the face frame. But for frameless cabinets you're right, it is necessary to set the hinge depth correctly. Glad I could help you decide on a jig!

[@PtrOBrn]

5:58 use a corded drill and never have an issue with large diameter drill bits

[@DoresoomReviews]

Most quality cordless 18V drills these days will handle just about any size bit you'll want to use in a handheld drill. No need to leash yourself to a wall outlet unless it's due to cost.

[@RiverJumper7]

good video thanks

[@blessedlife4176]

To clarify.. does this have a stop collar? Thanks in advance 😊

[@anthonypayne6032]

well done Sir I'm sold

[@mborkush]

Great video, thank you!

[@jamesdorsey1686]

Great job! Thank you.

[@wftseriously6694]

great video once again thanks for posting

[@joseluisorbegozo4813]

Great tutorial. Thanks!

[@vooveks]

Hi. Great video, thanks. How would you say the bit would perform on birch ply (as opposed to pine/chipboard etc)? I'm going to basically drill about 30 holes or less with it into 18mm BP. Cheers.

[@DoresoomReviews]

Yeah, it should do great for that application.

[@jimfeaster4837]

If use blum hinges 1/2 over what adjustment # ? To me instructions are Crap this is usa screw mm numbers...

[@DoresoomReviews]

To figure out your cam setting number, look at the hinge's edge offset specification that I point out at 2:01 (not necessarily the same for all Blum hinge types). Subtract 17.5mm from that number, and you'll get the number you're supposed to set the gray Kreg jig offset adjustment cams to. If it doesn't come out to a whole number, you'll have to round to the nearest integer. The units are in millimeters since that's what the standard cup hinge specification is, which originated in Europe.

[@pinkyhotmessx69]

Ty this helped so much

[@GGallion7]

Thanks!

[@billwilson6096]

Thanks Bent very enlightening.

[@stormman8393]

Great review. I bought one

[@a1lewis4]

Very helpful video 👍🏽

[@user-vl3uh4ej6j]

How much kreg sir

[@ceciliaohman185]

Excellent, thanks!

[@Dahna_]

so all this really is is a depth stop which is on most routers?

[@DoresoomReviews]

Depth stop and it controls spacing from the edge of the door, which is a critical dimension for 35mm inset hinges.

[@hotsnottatertot5451]

I bought the Kreg drawer slider guide and such a waste of money. Kreg comes up with really cool ideas, but sometimes kinda miss the mark.

[@rogergrant6170]

Great informative video.

[@martinoamello3017]

Ha! Pay attention to the depth unless you don't mind cutting through the front of the door.. screw holes are easier than spitting out the window of a parked car..

[@MarkAllan]

Does the jig address the cabinet side as well?

[@DoresoomReviews]

No, just the doors.

[@cag9284]

What about hanging the door too?

[@DoresoomReviews]

If you're using face frame cabinets you don't really need a jig at all for that part. The only direction you need to worry about is up/down when screwing the hinge to the face frame. Afterwards, most hinges have some fine tuning adjustment screws.

[@mhermann4693]

Thank you for the lesson. It was very helpful!!!

[@Submanca]

Would have been nice if you showed how to connect to the cabinet.

[@DoresoomReviews]

Since that's not related to the jig I decided to leave it off and keep the review shorter, sorry.