"tune up" old kitchen cabinets

How to remove and replace painted 3/8 inset hinges adjust doors and repair drawer runners to working order

[@lissamk3990]

"Today we're in a real small kitchen"---and I'm sitting here seeing at least double the counter & cabinets in this kitchen than I have in mine. 😄 I love that they kept these original cabinets, though. Fantastic choice!

[@AboutAHalfHour]

Great hand-knowledge, I really enjoyed this video. There were a lot of great tips/techniques, especially the technique for clearing the painted over screws of old paint, before using a driver. Good stuff, thanks.

[@BurtBowers]

Just removed all my 23 3/8" inset hinges removed the years of over paint on them soaked them all using half box of baking soda in aluminum throw away pan the next day paint was falling off them then straightend them out in the vice now ready to prime n paint them silver..

[@bendonahower5325]

Didn't know about the candle wax! My first home is a rental and knowing some of these old school tricks of the trade is helpful.

[@evilgenius3646]

Use painters tape to reduce chipping and splintering when cutting cabinet doors. Or anything that needs to have a clean cut.

[@LiveFearless87]

Great job preserving the original and making it work. I am wanting to update my cabinets as well. Can you upgrade to soft close hinges to doors with the inset hinges or is it best to just get new doors and keep the cabinet boxes?

[@jenhanson9412]

I have those exact same doors in my 1940’s kitchen- we are wanting to repaint the doors and put in new hinges...can I replace the exposed hinge with a concealed hinge?

[@XIIIBeatoSensei]

Great video! Very helpful! Thanks a lot!

[@sarahzottl4940]

I like the wax idea.

[@bexaminer1]

I have the same cabinets. I wish you had spent a little time on showing more detail as to how you adjust those hinges and fit the door properly. That's a real pain. I may just bite the bullet and go to the expense of getting those hidden hinges for doors with the 3/8" lip like I have.

[@victoriaorange08]

Are there alternatives if we don’t have a table saw or router table? Thank you

[@shakaracharde]

I redid cabinets like these in my apartment. I’m having a problem with them not quite closing since I replaced the hinges so I have to take in the inset as well. I’ve been trying to figure out the way to do so. I thought about a router but no tool library rents them out.

[@vhanachel]

Hearing you say that those inset hinges are very difficult to work with is very validating. We have been struggling with these hinges. Previous owners have drilled and re-drilled both the cabinet itself and the door, moving the hinges each time and causing misalignment. Unless I'm missing something, there doesn't seem to be a good way to replace these hinges with any other easier hinge on this type of inset cabinet face - is this correct?

[@christinenderitu1498]

Did you have any success? I am in the same boat. My carpenter would rather make me new doors ... I’m dreading the cost and looking for a workaround.

[@vhanachel]

Christine, yes. I did spend time redrilling holes, filling with wood glue and wooden pegs, sanding and painting the filled holes, and redrilling for the new hinges. In the end, we ended up ripping a little bit off of the edge of where the cabinets meet in the middle because they absolutely would not close. Now, they open and close perfectly. I have yet to paint the edge of the cabinet but don't see it often so... Out of sight, out of mind.

[@mms8477]

Hi. I just bought a NYC studio. I soon discovered from floor to ceiling needs fixing. The cupboards seems as if they were roach infested. Is there a way to remove the cupboards deep clean and paint and put them back up?

[@callmecordelia7181]

M &Ms You can, but it is a lot of work. Rehanging the doors and getting them aligned perfectly is tricky. We are currently in the middle of a kitchen diy remodel and everything is cleaned and pained but so far I haven’t gotten the cabinets with inset hinges to close correctly.

[@pamelabaker1806]

Hey, I wanted to see the final product. I have a kitchen just like that.

[@americantrademasters873]

Sorry, I didn't do a follow-up video! I need to get better with that! How did your project go?

[@pamelabaker1806]

I'm tackling smaller projects to work up to confidence to do the kitchen LOL

[@danadana]

where are you based? how do I hire you??

[@LorieWild]

🇨🇦♥️🇨🇦

[@larrybyrd3210]

Wherr can I find those exact hinges ?

[@americantrademasters873]

They should be available on Amazon do a search for 3/8 inset hinge

[@BurtBowers]

You can order them at place called hardware source in SanDiego Ca they have 3/8" insets others are 1/2" lip with 3/8" insets as well.