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  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by elanjacobs View Post
    The adjustment looks pretty much the same as the Blums, but I'd be changing them for ones with built-in soft-close
    Where do you purchase your Blum hinges?

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

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  3. #17
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    Great result Derek!!

  4. #18
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    Apr 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by derekcohen View Post
    Where do you purchase your Blum hinges?

    Good Morning Derek

    I got my Blum stuff from Wilson & Bradley and Lincoln Sentry, both national chains, presumably with offices in Perth.

    Five years ago I completely replaced our kitchen with drawers-only below bench level (they store more stuff, more accessibly, than cupboards) plus wall cabinets. I have posted on this and on Renovate Forum.

    But I had never made repetitive drawers before and had not done much with melamine sheeting, so I decided to make an 18-drawer unit for my shed (practice!) and to test as many drawer slides as possible. That was my justification for building my shed drawers and I am sticking to my story. My findings were as follows:

    • Blum (concealed) under-drawer runners were best of the best in terms of smoothness and consistency of operation.
    • Hettich side runners were next best.
    • Blum side runners were marginally behind Hettich.
    • Hafele, Grass, etc were all very good products but too close in price to Hettich and Blum.
    • The Chinese made full extension side runners sold by both Blum and Hettich agents were very good value for money and appeared well made for the $15 price tag.
    • The powdered coated runners sold by bunnies and M10 were grossly overpriced.


    Five years on, my views have not changed.

    Hafele and Gras runners were certainly very good products, but Blum and Hettich were a little smoother. By analogy, if we look at German cars, Volkswagon and Mercedes do essentially the same thing but Merc's do it just a little bit nicer, and you pay a big price premuim for the Merc. Blum is a little bit nicer than the Gras but without that big price premium.

    I eventually went for Blum Tandembox over Hettich on price. Hinges were not tested but I bought Blum because I was also buying their runners. No regrets. The Blum hinges that open to 100* are much more compact than those that open to 160* - now I much prefer the former; you just do not use the wide swing. Hinge and runner adjustments are impossible until you have done about twenty, then they suddenly become easy and you go back and re-do the first ones!

    Just loved your pale woodwork and clean lines. Very nice.


    Fair Winds

    Graeme

  5. #19
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    Aug 2008
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    Melbourne
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    Quote Originally Posted by derekcohen View Post
    Where do you purchase your Blum hinges?

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    We go through Lincoln Sentry

  6. #20
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    Apr 2001
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    Perth
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    Quote Originally Posted by GraemeCook View Post
    Good Morning Derek

    I got my Blum stuff from Wilson & Bradley and Lincoln Sentry, both national chains, presumably with offices in Perth.

    Five years ago I completely replaced our kitchen with drawers-only below bench level (they store more stuff, more accessibly, than cupboards) plus wall cabinets. I have posted on this and on Renovate Forum.

    But I had never made repetitive drawers before and had not done much with melamine sheeting, so I decided to make an 18-drawer unit for my shed (practice!) and to test as many drawer slides as possible. That was my justification for building my shed drawers and I am sticking to my story. My findings were as follows:

    • Blum (concealed) under-drawer runners were best of the best in terms of smoothness and consistency of operation.
    • Hettich side runners were next best.
    • Blum side runners were marginally behind Hettich.
    • Hafele, Grass, etc were all very good products but too close in price to Hettich and Blum.
    • The Chinese made full extension side runners sold by both Blum and Hettich agents were very good value for money and appeared well made for the $15 price tag.
    • The powdered coated runners sold by bunnies and M10 were grossly overpriced.


    Five years on, my views have not changed.

    Hafele and Gras runners were certainly very good products, but Blum and Hettich were a little smoother. By analogy, if we look at German cars, Volkswagon and Mercedes do essentially the same thing but Merc's do it just a little bit nicer, and you pay a big price premuim for the Merc. Blum is a little bit nicer than the Gras but without that big price premium.

    I eventually went for Blum Tandembox over Hettich on price. Hinges were not tested but I bought Blum because I was also buying their runners. No regrets. The Blum hinges that open to 100* are much more compact than those that open to 160* - now I much prefer the former; you just do not use the wide swing. Hinge and runner adjustments are impossible until you have done about twenty, then they suddenly become easy and you go back and re-do the first ones!

    Just loved your pale woodwork and clean lines. Very nice.


    Fair Winds

    Graeme
    Thanks for the very detailed information, Graeme.

    The hinges I am using come from the previous kitchen, which was about 25 years old. All use the same hinge as I have shown above, with the exception of the pantry. This has a split door and is required to open wider, so has 170 degree full overlay hinges. Setting up this particular door has been very hard work, and I am planning on replacing the hinges with Blum versions. The Grass hinges in this situation have been difficult to adjust and now one has locked up in full extended position. (The door works adequately - sits well when closed, but the split sections do not remain aligned when the door is opened. I suspect that the frame on the one side is slightly out-of-straight).

    I have noticed that Bunnings sell what looks like a suitable hinge: https://www.bunnings.com.au/blum-170...-pack_p4160290
    The price seems decent. Any thoughts? I need 5 of them.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  7. #21
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    Apr 2006
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    Hi Derek

    Cannot remember what I paid but thought it very reasonable at the time. On the Additional Info page bunnies say that their supplier is Wilson & Bradley - also my supplier in this case!

    I have similar, but not indentical, hinges on three end doors:

    Hinge 1.jpg Hinge 2.jpg

    The slot on the back of the first hinge is to take the soft close "clip-on" device - fitted in my second photo. Five years on, I would not consider any such hinge without the soft close device - it really civilises the doors!

    Also, note the mounting plate that you screw onto the carcase and then the hinge clips onto that plate. This is not included in the bunnies adv.

    Hope this helps


    Cheers

    Graeme

  8. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by GraemeCook View Post

    Also, note the mounting plate that you screw onto the carcase and then the hinge clips onto that plate. This is not included in the bunnies adv.
    Yes it is, even says so in the description

  9. #23
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    Looking very good so far, the important thing with any cabinetmaking including kitchens is to ensure all cabinet work is cut straight and square from there on all is simple. Just accurate measurement, allowing for gaps and edges is essential but again simply straight and square cuts for the doors and draw fronts. If the installation of cabinets are packed level and plumb before fixing then they will be in wind no matter what the walls and floor are. You must pack or wedge any discrepancy between the walls,floor and cabinets especially where you're fixing screws are so the don't pull the cabinet out of wind when tightened then adjusting the doors and draw fronts is very straight forward. I always use separate over size seen end panels so you can scribe it to fit to the walls if out of plumb or not straight so no gap where you had to pack the cabinet to get it right.
    Regards Rod.
    Rod Gilbert.

  10. #24
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    Apr 2001
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    Perth
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    Thanks Rod.

    I did not make it clear in the first post - I think I mentioned it in an earlier thread on finishing the doors - that the carcasses are the original ones and installed by a professional kitchen company about 25 or so years ago. I have inherited what they built. So far, the squareness of the cabinets appears good. The corner pantry, however, has a series of angles, and these were a lot of work to replicate. This door is about 95% good, but I plan to remove the door and reinstall it after ensuring all is plumb - I suspect that something here is not quite the way it needs to be.

    Here is the original kitchen ...




    Changes so far include a new granite bench top and glass backsplash, ceramic cook top replacing the gas hob, and a new fridge (that started this whole affair!).

    More later.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  11. #25
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    Mar 2004
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    Hi Derek - as the others say, it's looking good! I haven't been taking much notice of what's happening in this section - been too busy with my own kitchen re-build.

    You're lucky you can stick with the original carcases, I've got to rip all the old stuff out, for two reasons. Number one, the house is 20 years old this year, but several cupboards have deteriorated (particularly the sink & stove cupboards) and need replacing anyway, but number two, & this was the clincher, swmbo wants nice, clean thermo-formed doors from the big green shed, and since our kitchen is NOT built on their size increments, I decided I may as well use the whole kit & Kaboodle.

    This would be about the 5th or 6th kitchen I've built/rebuilt, & in the past I did cupboards & all from scratch. It's a bit more expensive using the Kaboodle cupboards vs making them myself, but FAR easier & quicker, & I know all the doors & panels are going to fit (they better!!).

    I have had to modify both oven cupboards, and build a couple more fill-in bits, but very little cupboard-making has been necessary, fortunately. I'm at the 'big push' stage - tomorrow the rest of the cupboards come out & the new ones start to go in, get levelled, & joined. By Monday morning, I hope to be ready for the 'lecky to come & run in the new circuit for the ovens & cooktop, so it's all go for the next few days. Then a long wait for the benchtops. The kitchen boss has chosen a man-made stone - the most expensive of the lot (she has an unerring eye for quality! ), so that's going to add to the cost, but the total job will still come in a long ways south of having it done by someone else....

    This is what the kitchen looks like tonight - tomorrow will be worse, but it should start improving rapidly after that. Sink end.jpg Pantry & ovens.jpg Island bench.jpg

    Cheers,
    IW

  12. #26
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    Sep 2011
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    Do the Kaboodle kitchens come with a solid plinth or adjustable plastic legs like your existing ?

    Stewie

  13. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stewie D View Post
    Do the Kaboodle kitchens come with a solid plinth or adjustable plastic legs like your existing ?

    Stewie
    The Kaboodle bse cupboards come with adjustable plastic feet, Stewie. The old kitchen was sitting on the old-style plinth. What you saw in the pics are the cupboards I've assembled ready to go in place when the old ones come out.

    Cheers,
    IW

  14. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by IanW View Post
    .....

    You're lucky you can stick with the original carcases, I've got to rip all the old stuff out, for two reasons. Number one, the house is 20 years old this year, but several cupboards have deteriorated (particularly the sink & stove cupboards) and need replacing anyway, but number two, & this was the clincher, swmbo wants nice, clean thermo-formed doors from the big green shed, and since our kitchen is NOT built on their size increments, I decided I may as well use the whole kit & Kaboodle.

    ....

    Hi Ian

    I am surprised that your cabinets have barely lasted 20 years. Ours are 25 years old - this is a kitchen we built in the previous house (that I knocked down to build the current one).

    In all, I only removed two cabinets. One I have rebuilt (in the centre below, above the new fridge-freezer). This is a shot of the offending fridge that began the whole process of kitchen renovation. We have only had it 35 years, and it decided to die. The warrantee ran out last year (joke). The new fridge could not fit into the old spot, and a new cabinet would not have been possible to match. Of course this meant that the entire kitchen needed to be re-doored ... and a new granite top ... and a new glass splashback .. new range ... ceramic hob ... bloody hell!

    This was completed on Tuesday ...



    I re-installed the end cabinet as well, and built the narrow panel against the wall. There is still the large panel to do (currently in Tassie Oak). I am hoping to get most of the rest done this weekend. At most finish next weekend.



    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  15. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by derekcohen View Post
    Hi Ian

    I am surprised that your cabinets have barely lasted 20 years. Ours are 25 years old - this is a kitchen we built in the previous house (that I knocked down to build the current one)......
    Well, I've heard more than once that the service life of particle-board is 20-25 years! Several of the cupbords would have soldiered on for more years yet, but the sink cupboard was really shot (sandstone counter-top cracked early in its life & despite multiple attempts to repair it & much care by us, water still got into plces it isn't meant to go..). But others had peeling edging & unsightly chips.

    Actually, what I forgot to mention was that another major factor was that Trish had decided some time ago that any new kitchen would be all drawers, & I thought this a good idea. We've reached the age where having to get down & scrabble for things at the back of a bottom shelf just isn't fun. I suppose it would be possible to work around fixed shelves & install drawers, but it would've been awkward & the existing layout unsatisfactory.

    Believe me, if I could have avoided a complete rebuild & ended up with a result that was mutually acceptable, I would most certainly have taken that route! I don't find working with particle-board at all satisfying, so why I have built several more kitchens than I ever intended to, I'm blowed if I know!

    To cap it all, yesterday I discovered the plan I had for the wall with the sink & dishwasher isn't going to work. I made the classic mistake of measuring one of the existing corner cupboards & assuming the opposite one was the same. Bad move at any time, but especially with a custom-built kitchen! Turns out it's nearly 50mm longer than it's mate, which leaves an excessive dishwasher space when I put the new corner cupboard in. I can fix that by widening the sink cupboard & using a 300 & a 450mm door, which will look ok (I think) because the 450 will be between two doors of the same width. It's just a matter of making a wider base & back for the one I'd planned to use, so not a big deal. This is one time I'm pleased the Kaboodle kits just screw together!

    Like you, I'll be very pleased to get back to working with real wood again.....
    Cheers,
    IW

  16. #30
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    Jan 2014
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    Derek, are those top doors on the fridge taller than the actual top to give an air space? Looks like it from the side view. We were told a minimum of 25mm above the fridge top for air circulation and a minimum of 50mm behind.
    If so, it's good to know as I haven't seen that feature before and it makes a tidier opening.
    Cheers

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