Kitchen Cabinet Hinge Screws

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Hello

Recently replaced my old kitchen cabinets like for like with new B&Q white melamine covered cabinets. The hinge holes are pre-drilled two holes for the upper hinge and two for the lower one, each hole is the standard 5mm diameter.

I bought a set of new generic overlay hinges from Screwfix to replace the rusty Blum overlay hinges off the original cabinets but the stainless steel M6 Euro screws (stubby self tappers) where good so reusing those. These M6 Euro screws are perfect for the predrilled holes on cabinet but on both the older Blum hinges and the newer generic Screwfix hinges the fixing plate slots are slightly too narrow, they go in but deform metal slightly meaning the door cannot freely slide vertically on its securing screws to adjust door height.

What am I missing here? Are there better screws to use than the M6 Euro type that will self-tap into the cabinet without deforming the metal edge of the hinge fixing plate slots? Screwfix support don't know.


Thanks for any advice offered.
 
Try fully inserting the screw into the bracket and then slowly tighten into the hole.

Blup
 
I once had some blum hinges that didn't use euro screws, instead theres a plastic plug that inserts into the wood and a self tapper screws into that

This is a blum, I knew I had some:)
025AB1C6-5AAE-4426-BA1A-A4BC35536E08.jpeg
 
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Older hinges and some modern low cost hinges are not designed to be used with Euro screws
 
Thanks for all the replies.

I checked and the Euro screws thread just through the older Blum hinge fixing plates/bracket allowing the correct free sliding up and down once you get to the part between end of threaded section and the screw head. The recent generic Screwfix hinge fixing plates have just slightly narrower holes (~4mm) so does not allow the correct free sliding up and down unless I file back a bit but then I lose nickel plating and corrosion issues follow.

I thought there might be alternative screws to Euro M6 and JobAndKnock you say there are but not seen any for sale that might be candidates for the job. Do post a link if you know of any.
 
They are just called screws, something like 3.5 x 16 or 20mm or maybe 4.0 x 16 or 20mm countersunk head (CSK) bright zinc plated (BZP). If your cabinets came pre-drilled for M6 Euro screws, then red plugs (5.5mm) or Fischer S6 plugs (6mm) pushed into the holes and trimmed flush will take the screws. Otherwise just pilot and screw. It really is that simple

Euro screws are a more recent innovation, but low cost hinges still come with CSK screws:

Low Cost Hinge.jpg


If you can get them, Hospa are the best, but either way a screw with a good deep thread will suffice
 
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