Establishing Cup Distance for Euro Hinges

Cup Distance perfect cup distance

I’ve installed A LOT of Euro hinges but, to be honest, I still get a little squeamish about punching that big 35-mm hole in the back of a finished door. If the cup distance, the distance from the edge of the hole to the edge of the door, isn’t right, the hinge won’t offer all of its available adjustment. Or, if you didn’t get your door dimensions just right, the cup distance could be a make or break on being able to use the door. Here’s a very inexpensive insurance policy that’ll give you the confidence to drill your doors.

Step 1: Cut a piece of scrap that is exactly the same dimension as the width of your door.

Cup Distance drill the test piece

Set up a fence on your drill press and drill a cup hole in your test piece. The distance from the edge of the hole to the edge of the door is typically 1/8” to 1/4″. Use 3/16” as a starting point.

Cup Distance hinge the test pieceFasten a hinge to the scrap, and install the hinge bracket onto the hinge.

Cup Distance adjust the hingeTurn the left-to-right adjustment screw until it’s at the center of its travel. Do this by turning it clockwise until it stops, then turning it counter clockwise until it stops, counting turns while going counter clockwise. If it spins two turns, dial it back in clockwise one turn.

Cup Distance check the test pieceHold the test piece in place on your cabinet. Whether it’s an overlay or inset door, this’ll tell the story. Be sure that you’re holding the case mounting bracket flat against the inside of the case. This can be awkward to handle, so it pays to keep your test piece small.

Check the overlay or inset reveal. If the hinge side is too close to the case (inset door) or has too much overlay, decrease the cup distance. And, of course, vice versa.

If you need to change the cup distance, drill and check another test piece before you drill the door.

Cup Distance fasten the hinge

Once you’re confident in the cup distance you can breathe a sigh of relief, drill your doors, and mount your hinges.

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5 Responses to “Establishing Cup Distance for Euro Hinges”

  1. michael

    Great article!. I use a Kreg jig which allows for different cup offset, based on manufacturer. My challenge is to adjust the offset to inset the hinge side of the door to allow for clearance next to adjacent doors....time for some test pieces!! thanks again!

  2. Herschel Swann

    Finally found someone who could give me the information I needed before I screwed my project up completely Thank you so much

  3. MARK

    This is the first clear cut instructions I've seen. Thank you George!

  4. texas amateur

    MOST helpful instructions ever!! Thank Thank you for sharing!!

  5. Baruch Meyer

    I drill 22.5 mm from side to center of hinge and never have a problem with overlay or inset hinges